Storytelling Role in Essay

Every leader’s first priority is to keep employees’ performance levels high while motivating and retaining them. Only effective leadership, though, can readily motivate their team to put out their best effort. Leadership storytelling is a technique that can effectively show and emphasize the company’s goals as well as the broad objectives necessary to attain them, which is one way to persuade people. According to Jack Harris, the CEO of Barnes and Conti Associates, storytelling leadership is “a way to express complicated ideas in a forceful and clear manner” (Adamson, Pine, Van Steenhoven, & Kroupa, 2006). When storytelling is used effectively, it can foster a sense of community among employees, resulting in a more all-encompassing, goal-focused, and upbeat work atmosphere. One key role of storytelling is to promote mental aggregation and processing of experiences. When a leader shares stories with his or her followers, especially familiar experiences like success or failure, the employees are able to relate to the situations and avoid the distances that exist between the leadership and workers (Marzec¸ 2007). It is argued that when leaders disclose their weaknesses or fears to the employees, they are considered more approachable. Such stories help to grab the employees’ attention and reinforce the power of leadership. In turn, the employees are able to trust their leaders without questioning their authority, and this creates dynamic listening, trusting, and learning processes (Harris & Barnes, 2006).

Storytelling is also considered a strategic means through which leaders can promote and provide long-term vision and employees’ investment in the vision. According to Adamson et al. (2006), most leaders use the “Just Tell Em” approach to provide information for long-term change. This method assumes that all employees acknowledge the fact that there is a need for change, and they will always accept the decision of the leaders. This always results in the denial of change or high turnover rates (Harris & Barnes, 2006). Storytelling, on the other hand, embodies change that leaders seek. Instead of advocating and counter-advocating arguments towards a specific change, leaders are able to create authenticity and credibility by telling stories which generate interaction, creativity, and transformation.

Various leadership skills are necessary in the information age where there is a shift from the traditional industry era to a more computerized system (Evans & Alire¸ 2013). Apart from storytelling, leaders must embrace follower-centered leadership style which entails working together with the followers through the company processes. It entails collaboration and centralized decision making, which provides employees with the opportunity to contribute effectively to the company’s decisions (Evans & Alire, 2013). Unlike the traditional transactional models, leaders have also embraced an authentic leadership style, which focuses on the followers. This creates trust among workers and articulates shared vision as well as effective performance. A good leader must be able to utilize different leadership styles depending on the situations in order to foster teamwork. As such, one needs to master different styles such as democratic, transformational, and authentic, and utilize them when they are necessary.

Language is usually perceived as a fundamental aspect of communication; it creates a link between the presented action and the unknown future. In the case of leadership, language is the key vehicle used to make decisions, enact culture and organizational values, measure results, resolve organizational conflicts, and share creativity and innovation. I believe that leaders must utilize different persuasion techniques to ensure that the followers feel they are cared for, and that there is compassion and passion towards their existence in the company. Ethos, pathos, and logos are relevant language techniques that should be utilized at all times to influence followers. Leaders must have open mind, will, and heart in order to have understanding and empathy towards the employees.

References

Adamson, G., Pine, J., Van Steenhoven, T., & Kroupa, J. (2006). How storytelling can drive strategic change. Strategy & Leadership, 34(1), 36-41.

Denning, S. (2006). Effective storytelling: strategic business narrative techniques. Strategy & Leadership, 34(1), 42-48.

Evans, G. E., & Alire, C. A. (2013). Management basics for information professionals. American Library Association.

Harris, J., & Barnes, B.K. (2006). Leadership storytelling. Industrial and commercial training, 38(7), 350-353.

Marzec, M. (2007). Telling the corporate story: vision into action. Journal of Business Strategy, 28(1), 26-36.