Why Leaders Fail to Tell Stories that Influence
Why do business leaders use data-speak and rhetoric to inspire and influence people?
Because that’s what they learned to do.
Stories, however, are much more effective.
Many of my leadership coaching clients ask to include effective story telling in our work. They need, and want, to tell stories that influence as a way to lead change, and more. At the outset of our work on this topic, we review the key elements of stories for leading change.
Six Story Elements
- Information that helps people understand why this change matters
- Emotional appeal
- Mission (optional)
- An appeal to the listener’s sense of self
- Vision and/or immediate goals
- Call to action
These six elements are illustrated in the story that radio broadcaster Ralph Edwards told listeners about Jimmy, the boy for whom the Jimmy Fund was named. Edward’s telling of Jimmy’s story moved thousands of listeners to action. Their contributions far exceed the $20,000 goal that Edwards announced.
Listen to the broadcast and imagine that you’re in that audience on that day. Then come back and we’ll discuss the six story elements.
INFORMATION:
Cancer strikes children.
The informational part of your story quickly tells people what’s happening, not happening, or about to happen, such that the change you’re leading is critical.
EMOTIONAL APPEAL:
As each a baseball player enters Jimmy’s room, did your mind’s eye see his face light up?
Throughout the broadcast, Edwards describes scenes that pull at your emotions. At times, you can hear the emotion in his voice.
MISSION
“Let’s make Jimmy and thousands of other boys and girls happy by aiding the research to help find a cure for childhood cancer.”
SENSE OF SELF
“Our charge is to help little boys and girls win the prize of life. A cause so worthy it’s hard to describe. I know you won’t let Jimmy down.”
You can be a person who ‘gives the gift of life’, someone generous who cares about children. Alternately, you can hold onto your spare change and let Jimmy down, along with all the other boys and girls who suffer from cancer. Which of the two a narratives about yourself do you prefer?
IMMEDIATE GOAL
“One of the things Jimmy wants most is a TV so he can watch the baseball games. If over $20,000 is contributed to this most worthy cause, we will see to it that Jimmy gets his T.V.”
The cure for cancer is far away. It’s hard to visualize. But can you see that TV in Jimmy’s room and the smile on his face as he watches it? That picture is more immediate. You are a person who can help make it a reality.
CALL TO ACTION:
“Send your quarters, dollars and tens of dollars and together we will achieve two goals. We will buy Jimmy a TV and make him happy. We will help find a cure for childhood cancer. We will help boys and girls win the prize of life.”
Edwards tells you what you can do to help make Jimmy happy, while helping the longer term mission of finding a cure for cancer. At the same time, you have a choice about how much to do.
While these six elements are key to telling stories that influence, there’s more to being an effective and influential story teller. It a story worth learning.