More than any other time in history, our society and our businesses need leaders, the kind of leaders that care about the good of humanity and the good of planet.
You’re a leader, whether you call yourself that or not. You’re a leader, whether you’re helping one person or changing the lives of millions.
Because real leadership isn’t about titles. It’s about caring for the people you serve and creating new realities in business, in your life, and in the world.
If you ask most high performers, self-development experts, brain scientists, and spiritual teachers, one of the fastest and most effective ways to create new realities (for yourself and others) is through stories.
Sharing your story — and discovering other people’s stories — are key components of marketing to, communicating with, and/or leading a diverse array of people. (Essentially, you’re creating new realities.)
This can include any/all of the following:
- your prospects, customers, clients, audience…
- your employees, vendors, partners…
- managers, stockholders, co-workers, colleagues…
- the government, the media, your local community, and your board of directors…
- Basically, anyone (and everyone) that your business impacts.
When you share your story, people will take an extra moment to read your words or hear what you say.
When you listen to their stories… these same people will realize that you understand and care about them.
- Stories make ideas and concepts tangible… while making books fun to read, podcasts fun to listen to in the car, and speeches fun to hear.
- Stories are what helps make the learning stick… so the things that you discover become part of your “muscle memory”… so they’re available to use again and again.
- Stories help you move your clients, customers, colleagues, or audience from inspiration… to action… to satisfaction.
- (You’ll have an audience that will be hanging onto your every word… whether it’s 1 or 10 or 10,000 people.)Stories don’t have to take hours and hours. You can tell a story in an instant, with a gesture, or with a smile. You can tell a story with an image, a handful of words, or a tweet. You can tell a story through video, email, or any medium that connects you to the people who are important to your business.
This is so important… whether you’re teaching, coaching, selling, serving, training, speaking, or leading.
Because you’re inspiring people and connecting the dots… from your vision, to their goals and dreams. You’re educating and influencing your audience to take action, so it benefits them and benefits you.
That’s the power of story.
7 Things Happen When You Use Story
- Stories will help get people to your website, onto your list, calling you for a consultation, investing in your products and services — and telling the world about what you offer — because it’s changing their business or their life for the better.
- Using more story (which includes your signature story, case studies, client success profiles, testimonials, and even what you learned while riding the bus yesterday) willhelp make your business more profitable… so you can make a bigger impact. People will remember you because of the stories that you share.
- You’ll be influencing people to take action by appealing to reason… and emotion.
(This is what you want.)
- When you discover and listen to someone else’s story, you create the ongoing opportunity for them to know, like, trust, and see you as an expert, authority, or thought leader.
- When you share your stories, people will understand you AND your vision. They will be inspired to follow your lead.
- Although this is a world of different languages, cultures, and businesses, stories help people realize that we have much more in common than we have differences.
- You’ll be able to impact more lives every single day.
There isn’t a social change, movement, or paradigm shift that’s ever happened… without stories. When there are no stories, no one listens.
But when you share your stories, people can’t stop listening to you!
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