TRANSFORM YOUR STORY INTO LEADERSHIP STRENGTH: THE BEST STORY TO LEAD OTHERS IS YOUR OWN

What is leadership? We all know by now it is not to command and control. It is not a top-down approach to getting things done. Ultimately, leadership is about raising people to their highest level of performance. It is about providing them with the confidence, tools, and support to deliver at the highest standards, to innovate, create, deliver, and exceed objectives – even during times of uncertainty. Before you can establish a purpose document that includes vision, mission, and values; or establish measurable objectives—you must start by connecting with people. That connection is your personal story.

The Story That Leads People 

By authoring your story, you create a ready-to-share version of your experience, a version that is well understood, fully accepted, and already has lessons determined. Your story is not a sob story in search of pity and tears. It is a story of resilience and courage, with insights and lessons that others can relate to and learn from – a story that can lead all of you into a better future.

This is the power of authoring in the context of leadership. It does not matter if you are a CEO with formal power or a team member with informal power trying to get your team to make a certain decision. Your personal story will enable you to connect with people and sway them in your direction. When sharing your story, it does not mean you need to strip it down to the most embarrassing version. You need to share a story that will be authentically human and uniquely you, but also effective. It should not burden people with your pain but lift them to your gain. A well-authored story is distilled down to its inspiration with less desperation.

Leadership is about making choices. We demonstrate who we are and what we stand for not by what we write, but rather by the decisions we make. Value statements on the wall do not drive better decisions.  Stories of actions taken, mobilize people to follow.  Asking other people to take certain actions is asking them to make choices and actively stand for something. That is where your authored story comes into play. People follow people. More accurately, people follow people’s actions. There is no better way to demonstrate your intentions and vision than by demonstrating the choices you made in the past (as you ask others to make a choice). It establishes you as a true leader of action, not just words.

Sharing your personal story is not a method of touchy-feely engagement. It is not about becoming vulnerable for the sake of vulnerability.  It is about using past vulnerability to create greater strength in you and the people you lead. It is a demonstration that you do what you ask others to do. More importantly, it shows that you understand the difficulties and pain that those choices may require. Your authored story is the ultimate role modeling.

How Should a Leader Share Their Story? 

Like other forms of storytelling, your story needs to connect to the audience emotionally and not just rationally. It cannot be a dry description of a problem and solution. Take the time to really tell it to your people. Consider this checklist of personal stories that, when shared at the right time with the right message, can create an authentic leadership narrative that will make your team want to follow you:

• A threat or difficulty you faced
• The choices you were considering during the threat or difficulty
• The fears you were experiencing during the consideration
• The other voices you heard during deliberation
• The power you didn’t have and the sense of helplessness you experienced
• The courage you mustered to make a decision and/or take action
• The risk you took to make the decision
• The ultimate outcome following your taking action
• The lessons you learned
• What you would recommend to someone in a similar situation

Remember, this needs to be both an effective and emotionally connecting story. It is not an exercise in vulnerability for the sake of it. You can drop unnecessary details, but make sure to share the ones that can make the story more alive (such as place, time, names of people, your role, and other relatable details). For example, if this was about your first job out of college and you made that choice despite all the challenges, some of the junior members of your team may find this helpful. They may recognize that they have permission to lead right now and not in a decade. This leadership may inspire people to rise to a level of performance they never knew they had.

Stories and the Power to Rise 

As you share your story and see the impact it makes on people, you will recognize how powerful your authoring has become. The story will serve as a center of gravity, in which others are the impacted individuals of your experience. This amplifies the power of your story and your purpose. There is nothing more gratifying than to help people reach new heights. We all read about coaches who lead failing teams to championships and wins that they never dreamed of accomplishing. Your story is a superpower to do just this with the friends, and colleagues. Just beware of coming across as bragging and arrogant. When shared authentically, the impact of your story will transform your personal pain into many people’s gains.

Written by Lior Arussy.

Have you read?
World’s Best Countries To Invest In Or Do Business.
World’s Most Startup-Friendly Countries.
World’s Best Countries For Quality of Life.
Largest Economies Europe In 2024.
GDP of the BRICS countries (2000 to 2028).