As leaders, we have the power to shape minds, inspire hearts, and drive change. One of the most potent tools in our leadership arsenal is storytelling. By weaving narratives that resonate with our audience, that express a point being made, or that provides new information to the listener, we can not only communicate our message effectively but also forge deeper connections and inspire action.
The Power of Storytelling
We all know that storytelling is an innate human trait, but we’ve lost confidence in our natural ability to tell those stories. From ancient campfire tales to modern-day marketing campaigns, stories have the ability to captivate, persuade, and motivate. Are you using the full power of storytelling? Or, are you letting something that happened turn off your imagination and close your mouth to your ability to tell meaningful, impactful stories—in life and/or in business.
As an entrepreneur, we look at things from a business lense that makes us question the stories we might use in creating interest, closing a deal, or inspiring our team, especially if this is a new thing for you.
Looking at the month of January to set the stage for the momentum of visibility, growth, revenue, and impact we want for the year, we rarely consider the role that stories play. We see things as a process beginning with visioning what the end of the year will look like, describing what we want to accomplish. Have you done your visioning? Did you create a vision board (on paper, or digitally)? What is the story you’ve imagined there?
We create our year-end goals to match our vision for the year. I like to call the goals my year-end milestones because goals typically have a connotation of completion.
So, to be clear, let’s examine what a business goal is. It’s defined to be a target (an endpoint) that a business or individual plans to achieve within a set time frame. Goals can be general or specific, and can be short-term or long-term, none-the-less, they are a hard stopping point. Let’s look at some:
General goals: These are high-level goals that are more aspirational or motivational. For example, a mission statement is a general goal that guides a team’s efforts. It is, however, a derived from a long-term vision.
Specific goals: These are measurable goals that are easy to track. For example, a business might set a goal to increase revenue by a certain amount, by a certain time. If achieved, the next thing is to set the next goal. If it’s not completed or achieved, it’s almost a point at which to restart.
Short-term goals: These goals are usually achieved within a few hours to as long as a year. They can be steppingstones towards larger goals. For example, a business might set a goal to increase blog traffic by 50% in three months or increase podcast downloads by 60% in six months. While the short-term can be imagined, it is implied that the goal is either achieved or not, causing the terminal end of that goal.
Long-term goals: These goals are typically achieved in over a year. For example, a business might set a goal to make a product sell in at least 40 countries in 10 years. Or, deliver a service to 500,000 individuals in 7-10 years. This would be more of a goal where an achievable end could be foreseen.
Business goals are important because they do provide direction for the organization’s efforts. They help maintain focus and prioritize tasks, measure progress, align and inspire team member’s efforts toward a common purpose and can create improvement of the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of their work. While we have been trained to look at these as goals, they are actually milestones.
Business goals, especially long-term goals are one of the two main jobs of every CEO.
One of my mentors, Rick Justus, had a few stories he would tell that were inspirational and definitely had a point. One was about the two jobs of every CEO. He was able to share the importance of the two jobs by the stories he would tell.
Job #1: Be the Architect of the Future
Sounds really cool, right? Because it is a cool responsibility of a leader of a business or organization to design the future vision of the organization. Like an architect, whether designing a beautiful ergonomically and environmentally efficient home or a mid to high-rise office building. The architect has the responsibility of designing what the end-result will look like and that to me is the better definition of the goal for business.
It is the long-term view of what a business can and will look like at the end of the long-view and everything in between (years, quarters, months, and weeks) are milestones. I’m not opposed to calling them milestone goals, but that seems to muddy the wate, making it unclear if you’ll pause into the milestones process, or if you’ll stop because you’ve reached (or missed) a goal.
At the end of the year in business, I look forward to rolling into the new year on the momentum of growth, revenue, and impact that has been established through the work that has been done during the prior year(s). Milestones are a place to pause, reflect, celebrate, refine, and redirect efforts to hit the next set of annual milestones on the journey to reach the goal. Whether it’s 10 years or at the sale of the business, the goal is reaching the end zone.
In essence, in my business blueprint masterclasses and workshops, I create years of milestone movement and with the appropriate pauses to celebrate, refine, and redirect efforts, also incorporating the fact that there are times of regeneration and self-care that get injected into the formula. As CEOs and leaders, we must create the 360 degree view of how we operate our businesses and that includes how we take care of ourselves.
When used strategically in business, storytelling can help CEOs, leaders, and influencers:
- Build Brand Identity: A strong brand story differentiates you from competitors and creates a lasting impression. Take time to create and refine your brand story. Being ready to tell your most compelling brand story is more powerful than creating it on the fly.
- Enhance Persuasive Power: Stories can make complex ideas more relatable and compelling, making it easier to persuade others. If you’ve ever heard someone try to relay a persuasive story with a landmine full of jargon and information that makes you want to say, “just cut to the chase,” you know how difficult it can be to relay complex ideas. When you’ve taken the time to convey a story in simple language that flows, you’ve created an opportunity for yourself and your listeners.
- Foster Emotional Connections: By evoking emotions, stories can create a deeper connection with your audience, building trust and loyalty. This is the strategy that gets your stories remembered by 90% of the listeners that hear it. The other 10% will not only hear it, they will embody it and utilize that information to act upon. It’s also the reason you want to take care in the stories you share.
- Inspire Action: Powerful stories can motivate people to take action, whether it’s making a purchase, supporting a cause, or changing their behavior. Sharing an inspiring story is purposed to create an energetic response of action. These are the stories that are the most compelling and that are told in an energetic state that creates an action response.
Key Qualities of a Powerful Storyteller
To become an effective storyteller, we must cultivate certain qualities:
- Authenticity: Be genuine and authentic in your storytelling. Share personal experiences and vulnerabilities to build trust with your audience.
- Empathy: Understand the needs, desires, and challenges of your audience. Tailor your stories to resonate with their emotions and experiences.
- Clarity: Keep your stories concise and focused. Avoid unnecessary details that can distract from your main message.
- Visual Imagery: Use vivid language and imagery to paint a picture in the minds of your audience.
- Emotional Impact: Evoke strong emotions, such as joy, sadness, anger, or hope, to create a lasting impression.
Storytelling Tactics for Leaders
Here are some practical tactics to incorporate storytelling into your leadership:
- Personal Narratives: Share personal stories that illustrate your values, beliefs, and experiences. These stories can help you connect with your audience on a deeper level.
- Customer Stories: Highlight the success stories of your customers or clients. These stories can build credibility and trust in your brand.
- Company Origin Story: Share the story of how your company came to be. This can help you connect with employees and customers on an emotional level.
- Future Vision: Paint a picture of a future that inspires and motivates. This can help rally your team and attract new customers.
- Moral Stories: Use timeless tales and fables to teach valuable lessons and inspire ethical behavior.
Measuring the Impact of Storytelling
To gauge the effectiveness of your storytelling efforts and see if you’re getting the results you intended, consider using the following metrics:
- Engagement: Track likes, shares, comments, and other social media metrics.
- Website Traffic: Monitor website visits and time spent on your site.
- Sales: Measure the impact of your storytelling on sales and revenue.
- Customer Satisfaction: Gather feedback from customers to assess the impact of your storytelling on their experience.
- Employee Morale: Conduct surveys or hold focus groups to gauge employee satisfaction and engagement.
When leaders grow in mastering the art of storytelling, they can elevate their communication, inspire their teams, and drive business success. Remember, every story has the potential to make a difference. So, go ahead, share the stories in your arsenal, and let them ignite the world as you grow your business, your confidence, and your revenue!
Want to learn more about leadership, influence, and the power of storytelling? Follow VLynn Hawkins on social media and subscribe to the Vegan Visibility Productions Channel on YouTube for exclusive insights and practical tips to accelerate your business growth. Also, subscribe to the Veganpreneur Revolution™ Podcast Channel on YouTube for the interview conversations with plant-based vegan leaders, change makers, and entrepreneurs sharing about health, wisdom, and wealth to create a more compassionate and sustainable future for all!