What’s The Story?
I really enjoy how the art of storytelling speaks to me personally and professionally. I really got a kick out of the Lancaster Story Slam… the concept, the challenges of telling a true story using a theme with a five-minute timeframe, and the variety of the stories you’ll hear on any given night.
You can learn a lot about someone when they are under pressure to deliver a story under pressure. What skills does it take to be a good storyteller and how does this relate to our being a good leader? Well, according to Improve Your Social Skills... it involves 3 main skills that also relate directly to Enabling Joy.
Storytelling Tips
Capture and Hold The Audience’s Attention
This might sound like a no-brainer: capture and hold the audience’s attention. You only have 5 minutes when you participate in the story slam, so you have to hook them quickly. I’m sure you’ll see how this is a lot like setting your team in motion on a new project. You have to do your best to hook them right away and engage them in the process.
Create and Build A Connection With The Audience
Doesn’t this sound a lot like the 3 C’s in Enabling Joy? Connection is the basis of being a servant leader. If you aren’t connected to your audience (or to your team)… how do you expect to win? Your purpose and your passion have to be strong enough so that you build a connection with those around you both in work and in storytelling.
Deliver A Satisfying Conclusion
We all love a good punch line in joke-telling, right? Many times our heads are already coming up with the possible punchlines before the joke ends because we are invested now — we’ve listened to the build-up and await a satisfying punchline. The same can be said about delivering the final directives in a team project. Your team is connected and engaged at this point and they need your help and guidance to take them to the finish line.
Let’s keep the conversation going about storytelling and leadership and how you can learn new talents that will take you further in your career. Contact Paul Armstrong at paul.armstrong@enthusaprove.com if you’d like him to facilitate a teambuilding exercise or meet with you one-on-one to help craft your leadership strategy.
The Winning Story
Watch Paul’s winning story at the Lancaster Story Slam. This was only the 2nd time Paul shared a story at the slam!
“What do you stand to gain or lose? Why is what happens in the story important to you? If you can’t answer this, then think of a different story. A story without stakes is an essay and is best experienced on the page, not the stage. Start in the action.”
