Stories are a powerful tool to connect with and be inspired by others. As such, they are the best, most impactful way to persuade someone. A compelling, well-crafted narrative unites an idea with an emotion, motivating and influencing listeners much more than statistics and data.¹ For example, a story of one starving child can inspire action to a greater degree than simply sharing about the number of hungry children in the world.

Memory

Leadership messages will lack influence if forgotten. During lectures, talks, or meetings, dates and facts are difficult to recall, but a story and its takeaway might be memorable. This is because stories cause the brain to release dopamine, which, when combined with neural coupling and mirroring, improves memory by 22 times compared with data alone.⁸ Further, the brain can remember and connect distant and disjointed events into a cohesive narrative when told through stories.⁹

Trust

Listening to a story causes the brain to release oxytocin, creating trust in and increased empathy toward the storyteller.¹⁰ Vulnerability also builds trust. Leaders connect best with their team when they talk about their mistakes, challenges, and lessons learned. Heads of large departments can use narratives to develop trust since it may be impossible to get to know each employee.

Framework

Telling a story does not need to entail some miraculous feat. A simple framework involves setting the scene, defining the main character, stating the problem, explaining how it was overcome, and sharing the lesson learned.¹¹

Setting

Listeners need to visualize the story in their minds. Anchoring the narrative to a location can capture the audience because it helps them feel as if they were there. This is a key distinction between a story and a recitation of facts.

A story should begin with a detailed and descriptive account of the setting. For example, instead of saying, “I called a staff meeting to discuss a new policy,” immerse the audience by saying, “I’m sitting at the head of a conference table surrounded by my command staff, and I can feel my face turning redder and redder.” This helps listeners stay engaged and interested.

Main Character

Ideally, this would be the leader. Telling an authentic story about a personal or professional experience increases vulnerability and helps to connect with employees.¹² The result is increased trust, familiarity, and understanding.

At times, the most appropriate story is someone else’s, especially one from history. If such is the case, leaders should let their audience know it is a secondhand story to avoid losing trust.

Problem

Every impactful story contains a problem the main character attempts to overcome. An account about how awesome the leader is will not motivate anyone. The problem or challenge makes the narrative interesting. This is also a time to build curiosity. It is important for the storyteller to illustrate the struggle and how they felt about it.

The leader should describe the steps taken to overcome the problem. Continued failure during this step adds texture to the story.

Lesson Learned

Stories must contain a moment of transformation or realization.¹³ A simple anecdote involving a typical occurrence (e.g., leaving headphones on an airplane) can be compelling and effective if there is a meaningful lesson for the audience. Leaders must tell their team what they want them to take away from the narrative. Otherwise, the story’s purpose may be misinterpreted.

Considerations

To tell effective leadership stories, there are a few best practices and derailers to consider.¹⁴

Leaders should also empower others to tell stories that align with the organization’s intended culture. For example, before a meeting, someone could be invited to tell a story about a time they witnessed the agency at its best, an ethical dilemma, or why they chose a career in law enforcement.

One bestselling novelist gave the key to telling a great story: “It cannot be about anything big. Instead, we must find the small, relatable, comprehensible moments in our larger stories. We must find the piece of the story that people can connect to, relate to, and understand.”¹⁵

Example

A surveillance team leader shared the following story during a team meeting because the cases had become slow and tedious. He sensed that he, along with the rest of his team, was becoming complacent.

Sitting on my cot at the end of the day, I still need to clean my weapon before finally getting some sleep. In the morning, I leave for my first combat mission as a U.S. Marine deployed to western Iraq. It has been an exhausting day ensuring the platoon is prepared.

I open my weapon, visually inspect the bolt, and run my finger inside looking for dirt. I think to myself, “It’s clean.” Slamming the bolt back, I replace the pins and set the weapon aside to go to sleep.

The following morning, as we leave the base at “zero dark thirty,” we stop at a large dirt berm. Everyone exits their trucks and loads their weapons. I walk up to the berm, pull back on the charging handle, release it, and the bullet jams. A wave of fear, anger, and adrenaline flows through my body. I dislodge the bullet and try again. But, to my chagrin, the bullet jams again.

Most people have returned to their trucks. As a leader, I failed to lead by example. For the third time, I clear the jam, pull back on the charging handle, and success! The fear I once felt changed to relief, and I return to my truck.

As the convoy exits the base, I see the phrase “COMPLACENCY KILLS” spray-painted on a cement barrier. After my embarrassing and potentially dangerous experience at the berm, these words left an indelible impact on me.

As a team, we must ensure that we are not complacent like I was in not thoroughly cleaning my rifle. The cases are slow, but we must do our best.

After the leader shared this story, the team’s collective attitude immediately changed. People remembered the story and brought it up months later. If he had just said, “Let’s make sure we are not complacent out there,” that statement would not have left the same impression. Several years later, a team member foresaw an operational issue. The leader asked what motivated him to act, and he responded that he did not want to be complacent like the leader had been in his story.

Conclusion

Developing storytelling skills will enable leaders to make a positive impact. The mission and vision become clearer, change initiatives are better understood and embraced, and employees are more inspired by the work. A team is more likely to trust its leader and remember the intended message when it is conveyed through a story.