The CEO As Storyteller In Chief - Forbes.com

The CEO As Storyteller In Chief - Forbes.com

The CEO As Storyteller In Chief
Sangeeth Varghese, 06.15.09, 04:00 PM EDT
Great leaders get there partly by telling great tales.

Excerpts:

In the business world, many successful top executives are very good storytellers. They entice us with their stories all the time, telling us how they started their businesses, what they stand for and where they are going.


Explanatory talk and statistics appeal to the intellect, but people aren't inspired by reason alone. Compelling stories convey loads of information while also appealing to our emotions, ensuring that we not only listen, but get engaged and inspired.

Storytelling can be extremely effective at simplifying complexities. It can help us reveal and assess the assumptions, values and beliefs behind new ideas and connect them to our world. So a company's mission is not just to sell more and better coffee; it is to share the passion that fills that cup.

Stories are easy to tell and easy to remember. Therefore they're easy to spread. A leader can start a good story on its way and watch it take on a life of its own. As it does so, it creates a community.
A CEO who has a great story and tells it has a much easier time reaching out to people, connecting to them and creating a sustainable community of them, than anyone who relies entirely on data points and charts has.

Read full article: http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/15/ceo-storytelling-communication-leadership-ceonetork-varghese.html?partner=executive_picks_newsletter

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This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.