Core Stories Every Great Business Leader Must Tell Well

Leadership … is the art of getting someone else to do something you want to be done because he wants to do it.

-Dwight Eisenhower

Do you ever wonder what the most important core stories business leaders must tell? After over 35 years in the business world, I have given some thought to my experience as a business leader. I would say there are at least three that most business leaders would have on their top 5 list. Let’s examine these three stories:

Story about yourself

This would be a story about who you are, where you come from, what you stand for, and what you expect from people who you lead. While it certainly sounds like an ego trip, it is anything but that. If it turns out that way, you will fail miserably.

Instead, it is all about people needing to know who you are and what you stand for before they agree to be led by you … really led. Leadership is an agreement. You lead with their permission. If your story is not consistent and based on integrity, people will know it quickly and your leadership will not be effective. Tell the story showing your personality and enthusiasm.

Lincoln was once asked how long it took him to write the Gettysburg Address. He replied: ‘All my life’. Do you think this answer was consistent with Lincoln’s self-story? Sure it was and it added to his powerful story.

Story about organization

A second important story that every business leader must tell in a compelling fashion is about the organization. This story is about the organization’s mission and its purpose. It is also about why it is a great place to work, a great place to do business with, buy from, and/or invests in. This is perhaps the most difficult story to tell … again consistency and integrity are paramount. They are the reasons for making this story difficult to tell.

Making people feel essential

The final story of the three is one that you will tell most often. In this story, you need to make people feel they are an essential part of the business in the work they do every day. Knowing their part in your organization’s story engages people and motivates them with a sense of purpose. It is usually the case that the stronger their sense of purpose, the greater the potential of their contribution.

Perhaps you remember this mythical story of JFK while he was visiting NASA headquarters. In this story, he stopped to talk with a man who was holding a mop.

‘And what do you do?’ JFK asked.

The man, a janitor, replied: ‘I’m helping to put a man on the moon, sir.’

Now that was a man with a great sense of purpose.

Remember to lead is to measurably help others to succeed.

What about your leadership? What key stories do you tell? Do you have one to share with this community?

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