The Most Powerful Way to Lead

The people you lead don’t want to be told what to do.

As a result, it is difficult and often frustrating to give instruction. You might hear yourself saying, “Why don’t they get it?” “I have told them a thousand times what our priority is and I’m just not getting through.”

Although there may be a number of systemic factors at play when people are not doing what you want them to, if the issue is communication then try a story.  The people you lead will never get tired of good stories – especially ones of you struggling.

To drive home a point, search for a personal story or vignette. Not a long one. If it’s a good story you don’t even have to make a point – the story makes the point and you can draw an infinite number of points out of a good story.

Here are the three ingredients of a good story:

1. It tells of a challenge.

2. It tells about how the challenge was overcome.

3. It has a break-through or transformative ending.

The more authentic and vulnerable you are when you tell your story, more powerful. Facts alone are not that useful. Facts in a story are.

Next time, tell a story. I bet you will start hearing a lot stories after you do.

Filed in: Leadership