Lead with a Story: A Guide to Crafting Business Narratives That Captivate, Convince, and Inspire

LEADERSHIP STARTS WITH STORYTELLING

With clarity around your message, you will energize those you lead and create a vision they can buy into. But first, you must first write the story that will get them excited and ready to execute.

Clarity is key for any successful leader, so much so that top corporations, such as Micorsoft. Nike, Proctor and Gamble, Kimberly Clark, and many more, have incorporated storytelling into their leadership training programs. These companies know that before you can become a strong leader, you must first master the art of storytelling so you can communicate your vision to your team and inspire them to execute on objectives.

The power of storytelling will allow you to:

• Envision Success- lead change by identifying goals in your story and building team commitment.
• Create an Environment for Winning- create a team culture and identify values that encourage collaboration and value diversity.
• Energize Your Team- use your story to help others find passion for their work by building courage, inspiration, and motivation.
• Inspire and Educate- teach your employees key lessons and provide coaching and actionable feedback.
• Empower Others- use storytelling to delegate authority and encourage targeted innovation that supports your vision.

If you want to be a leader others want to follow, you must master storytelling and use that skill to communicate a vision that your team can support.

PAUL SMITH is a dedicated father of two and an expert trainer in leadership and storytelling techniques. As the author of the popular Lead with a Story, he has seen his work featured in The Wall Street Journal, Time, Forbes, The Washington Post, Success, and Investor's Business Daily, among others.