Storytelling is an incredible effective leadership devlopment tool. Why is this the case?

Here is my reasoning? As a trainer and coach of business presentation skills in the corporate arena, I strongly urge the use of telling stories when presenting to an audience.The key to leadership is to connect and stories that are relevant to our topic connect us to our audience. Why? Becausee storytelling is the premise behind our social interaction. If we are meeting a friend for dinner, we are spending much of our time telling our stories from the time we have last seen them. The simple question.." how you been" ? is an example.

From a listening standpoint, we are attending a lecture but a relevant experience connected to the topic. If we study the delivery of motivational speakers, we will discover that a great amount of time is the telling of stories to engage the audience and encourage them to take appropriate actions.

When telling a story, we will also discover that we are suddenly animated in our delivery and therefore more believable. Participants who previously felt they were not animated begin to see that storytelling makes us not presenters but conversationalists.

Here a few suggestions for effective storytelling: 1) The story must be connected to the topic and understood by the audience. If the story is delivered skilllfuly without relevance, we are reduced to saying nothing well.2) Keep the story short preferably within a minute by presenting a few facts coupled with a closing that makes it clear why you shared it 3) Engage the audience by telling the story without power point and from the heart keeping eye contact with as many people as possible for a few seconds.If the audience exceeds 35 participants, use general eye contact to the left, center and right.

Also, one of the componnents of leadership development is mentoring a future leader. Stories are a non threatening way to teach and gain rapport and respect with the mentee. People, particularly those with leadership potential,are not interested in theory but in practical relevance that experiences aspires to.

In addition to your own experience, do not be afraid to share the experiences of others as a way to inspire and help develop leadership. I have used many stories. Here is one of my favorite: Medical science clained that it is physically impossible for a human being to run a mile in less than four minutes. Many gifted runners bought into this myth. Then, Roger Bannister broke the myth with the first sub four minute mile. Since Mr. Bannister's accomplishment, 4,000 people have run the mile in less than four minutes.

In our education system, the classroom teacher is a leader. How many our our teachers are using stories as " teachable moments" that will inspire studnets way beyond the academic subject matter quickly forgotten. Storytelling is the gateway not only to our mind but to our heart!

Learn more about this author, Joseph Wardy.
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