HMMM... THAT'S FUNNY

I used to think the best communicators always INSPIRED their audiences.

I shared examples of all the usual: Steve Jobs, Brene, JFK, MLK, Obama, Sinek to make my points.

I have long believed that the role of a storyteller is to make an audience FEEL something so that they DO something.

Partly true…

But when I was off work for 7 months I collated years of my research from studying hundreds of business leaders, and I saw that this was rarely the case.

I looked at the data and thought that’s weird…

“The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not “Eureka” but “Hmmm. that's funny...” 🚀 Isaac Asimov

The best BUSINESS communicators (especially CEOs who we might expect to be visionary leaders) are more likely to INFORM than INSPIRE.

They EDUCATE more than they ENTERTAIN.

They're PROBLEM SOLVERS rather than provocateurs who CHALLENGE their audience.

Left brain not right brain communicators.

I analysed well over a million words from transcripts conference keynotes, earnings calls, memos, panels and TV interviews to try and understand why they don’t lead with emotion, if that is what drives decision making. 🤷🏻‍♂️

My biggest takeaway?

⚡️ People are not persuaded by what you say, but by what they UNDERSTAND.

The best business leaders simplify complexity, and they help their folks understand where they are - and where they need to go.

• Jamie Dimon (JP Morgan Chase)

• Jensen Huang (Nvidia)

• Andy Jassy (Amazon)

• Arvind Krishna (IBM)

• Brian Moynihan (Bank of America)

• Ed Bastian (Delta)

Navigation is everything.

Business storytellers are like guides.

Most great stories have a “GUIDE” who helps the protagonist get to where they need to go. (Yoda, Gandalf, Morpheus, Aslan, Doc Brown, Glinda)…

That’s why I created “The Story Compass”.

A simple device to remind us that THE AUDIENCE IS ALWAYS THE HERO.

🛑 We need to STOP being so obsessed with what we want to say (and how we want to say it.)

🟢 Focus instead on what your audience needs to hear…

And where they need to go…

And then write the story that will help you take them there. 🧭