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Engaging
Inspiring

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The Art of the Tale

Engage Your Audience, Elevate Your Organization,
and Share Your Message Through Storytelling
Steven James and Tom Morrisey • HarperCollins Leadership © 2022 • 368 pages

Social Skills / Communication / Storytelling

Take-Aways
• Stories can bridge divides, steer decisions and inspire a sense of wonder.
• Practice sharing your story until you can recite it naturally.
• Understand the difference between an anecdote and a story, and their roles in personal branding.
• Be audience-centric by monitoring listeners’ needs and reactions.
• Tell compelling, truthful personal stories without framing yourself as a hero or a victim.
• Embrace honesty, transparency, diversity, inclusion, humor and equity in your stories.
• To deliver a strong presentation, draw inspiration from fight scenes in kung fu movies.
• Bring dry facts to life by communicating them with stories.
• Connect your personal stories to universal themes that resonate with your audience.

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 Recommendation
A story, well told, is the most potent form of communication. Steven James and Tom Morrisey – a storyteller
and a speechwriter, respectively – demystify storytelling, providing leaders with the tools, strategies
and tactics they need to share a meaningful message. Replete with examples and anecdotes, their useful
reference guide teaches story structure and explains how you can leverage the power of narrative to build
your brand image and connect with your audience.

Summary

Stories can bridge divides, steer decisions and inspire a sense of wonder.

Individuals immerse themselves in stories every day by tuning in to the news, scrolling through social
media, watching TV, going to the movies or the theater, or reading a book. Each story presents fresh
perspectives and guides readers and listeners toward discoveries. All humans have a tale to tell. Sharing
stories builds bridges that connect people to one another.

“We’re like fish who don’t notice the water. We’re so immersed in the stories that swirl
around us that most of the time we aren’t even aware of how they influence our thoughts,
our hearts, our lives.”

Storytelling is one of the best tools a leader can use to guide and teach: A story not only captures your
listeners’ attention but helps them to retain and relate to the information you’re sharing. Neuroscientist
Antonio Damasio found that while people may believe they’re logical decision-makers, emotions actually
govern most human decisions. So rather than simply presenting people with facts to prove a point, lead with
emotion and follow up with logic. Appeal to their sense of wonder and curiosity by sharing a powerful story.
A strong three-dimensional story contains the following six elements:

1. Character – Whose experiences are you describing? Give your audience someone to root for.
2. Setting – Where and when does the action unfold?
3. Struggle – Describe the adversity or an unmet desire that your character faces.
4. Pursuit – Follow your character’s journey toward his or her goal.
5. Pivot – Include an unexpected twist to prevent your audience from growing bored. A pivot should move
the story forward, propelling your character toward a satisfactory and logical resolution. To craft a pivot,
examine moments in your life when you experienced something surprising, gleaned an insight from an
unexpected source, dealt with derailed plans or got caught unaware.
6 . Payoff – Why does your story matter? How can audiences or readers benefit from it or gain insight? Is
your ending thought-provoking? Does it contain a deeper meaning?

Practice sharing your story until you can recite it naturally.

When presenting to an audience, don’t rattle off words from a script; practice your story – first on family and
friends, then on co-workers and acquaintances. Hone it until you can share it in a natural, conversational
way, while looking at your listeners to gauge their reactions.

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 “Never tell people what they already know in a way they already expect.”

If presenting in a business setting, eschew jargon and buzzwords. Talk conversationally using everyday
language. Avoid exhibiting extreme emotions, such as crying or laughing uncontrollably, which can make
audiences feel uncomfortable. When demonstrating a point, pique your audience’s interest by telling them
something that they don’t know or by reinforcing something that they already know by recounting it in an
unexpected way. Reflect on how you can apply storytelling to help your listeners discover something new,
experience it and teach it to others.

Understand the difference between an anecdote and a story, and their roles in
personal branding.

Stories and anecdotes are powerful tools that can help you strengthen your brand image. Stories are self-
explanatory; they contain their own point and don’t need you to clarify your point further. They offer a deep
insight into your personality, your brand and what you stand for. A story “encourages your audience to adopt
your brand.”

“People can take issue with your propositions, but not with your discoveries. So, if you
want to start an argument, tell folks what to believe. If you want them to listen to you,
share with them what you’ve learned.”

Anecdotes, on the other hand, are “snippets of narrative” that illustrate a point without fully encapsulating
it. They provide a glimmer into your life and personality. Anecdotes can help you grab attention when
opening your speech, but you need to frame them with context. That said, avoid being overly didactic when
building upon anecdotes. Listeners want to join the dots themselves; let them arrive at their own conclusions
and simply share examples of what you’ve learned to guide them.

Be audience-centric by monitoring listeners’ needs and reactions.

When designing your presentation, keep your audience in mind. Consider what they need to hear and how
you should tell them. You should tweak your speech to reflect the needs of each audience you address. When
delivering your speech, pay close attention to your listeners. Set their expectations. Explain what you will
discuss and whether you will require any audience participation. Watch their faces, body language and
reactions as you speak. Does your audience appear mentally alert and physically comfortable? If not, provide
a break. Reflect on whether listeners are emotionally prepared for the content you want to share. If not,
consider altering your story or anecdote to better connect with them.

“An effective storyteller understands his audience, addresses their needs, and prepares
his material with them in mind.”

Don’t try too hard to sound polished, literary or erudite. You’re more likely to win people’s trust by being
your authentic self. When you practice, concentrate on your stage presence – you want to come across as
confident, comfortable and composed. Display genuine passion for your subject, because listeners won’t care
about your topic if you seem disinterested or lack zeal.

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 Pay attention to your environment. Stand in front of a well-lit neutral background (as opposed to, say, a
window, which could steal your audience’s focus), ensuring people can easily see and hear you. Turn off
any background sounds. Adjust the room temperature so that it is not too hot. Dress appropriately formally
for the event. Empty your pockets of items that could distract you or others (for example, keys and cellular
devices) before going on stage.

Tell compelling, truthful personal stories without framing yourself as a hero or a

victim.

Avoid some common pitfalls when telling a personal story: First, don’t borrow other people’s stories or
anecdotes without their permission. They are not your tales to tell. Second, prepare thoroughly. Listen to
inspirational storytellers, speakers, comedians or other gifted speakers, and adopt their good habits. Practice
until you know your material well enough to deliver it with ease, but don’t memorize your speech word for
word, which will sound stiff and overpolished.

Don’t be tempted to make yourself the hero of your story, to use the opportunity to be vain or self-indulgent,
or to brag about your accomplishments. Rather than casting yourself as the person with all the right
answers, explain how you struggled and what you learned on your journey. Similarly, don’t depict yourself
as a victim. Work through any residual resentment before delivering a story to an audience, and remain in
control of your emotions. Remember that embracing vulnerability isn’t synonymous with being fragile.

“Storytelling isn’t therapy. Deal with your issues before you get onstage.”

Don’t bore your audience by running too long. Focus your presentation, and be generous with your
audience’s time. Don’t be too predictable. If you use a structure whereby you list what you’re going to say,
say it, then recap what you’ve said, you’ll lose your audience’s interest and attention. Instead, drop some
clues and build toward a revelation. As your audience listens to you, they’ll try to predict what you’ll say next,
so be sure to add a satisfying element of surprise or a twist to your stories, as you guide them toward new
insights or revelations.

Embrace honesty, transparency, diversity, inclusion and equity in your stories.

Reflect on whether your approach to storytelling aligns with your values related to diversity, inclusion and
equity. Are you, for example, demonstrating an awareness of your own privilege, or that of others, when
talking about opportunities to which people from different identity groups will have different degrees of
access? Be mindful of telling stories that exist in cultures of which you’re not a part, asking for permission if
you do so.

If you’re sharing someone else’s story, make sure you actually get permission to share it. Claiming another’s
experience as your own is stealing. That said, sharing an urban legend or folktale can be considered public
domain (though someone’s unique approach or take on a public domain story is still that person’s property).

“Stereotyping overlooks the soul, while storytelling seeks it out and touches it.”

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 When you tell stories about your organization, be honest and transparent. Brands can no longer hide past
mistakes from consumers, as anyone can go online and act as an investigative reporter who discovers
information about your organization’s shortcomings. Take ownership of your missteps, positioning your
company as one that admits its flaws and is endeavoring to overcome them. Doing so will frame the leaders
(past or present) at your company as fallible characters, which can, in fact, make them more relatable to
audiences, while giving you the opportunity to control your narrative.

To deliver a strong presentation, draw inspiration from fight scenes in kung fu

movies.

If you want to give a great presentation, these six “kung fu moves” can help:

1 . “Grab ’em by the throat” – Hook people’s attention by sharing something surprising that you can
connect to a relevant story – for example, “The first time I tried cognac was in a Ukrainian prison.”
2 . “Tickle ’em in the funny bone” – Make listeners laugh. Highlight truths they haven’t yet observed,
use self-deprecating humor or exaggerate eccentricities in a manner that doesn’t lack sensitivity to
people’s identities. If you feel comfortable doing so, use physical comedy to help audiences connect to
your story. Avoid trying too hard to be funny or telling jokes at the expense of others.
3 . “Hit ’em in the head” – Challenge your audience’s intellect by taking a position with which some
might disagree or one that flies in the face of popular opinion.
4 . “Sock ’em in the gut” – Tell short stories that communicate a powerful message. For example, one of
Aesop’s fables about a dog and a wolf ends with the wolf refusing the dog’s life of captivity by saying this
powerful line: “I’d rather be hungry and free than well fed and in chains.” You can frame the truth in a
manner that can shock, inspire, anger and transform those who hear it.
5 . “Touch ’em in the heart” – If you connect with a story emotionally, chances are, your listeners will,
too. Leverage the power of emotion as a change pathway.
6 . “Let ’em show some backbone” – Inspire listeners to take values-aligned action at the end of your
speech by appealing to their desire to change some aspect of the world or their lives.

Bring dry facts to life by communicating them with stories.

Film director and screenwriter Jean-Luc Godard once said, “Sometimes, reality is too complex. Stories give
it form.” Breathe life into the information you’re sharing by employing a story format rather than a simple
recital of facts. Prioritize any information that audiences will find novel. If you’re not sharing anything new,
try to present your information in an original way. For example, select one person whose life improved as a
result of your work, and tell his or her story.

“Stories are easy to find, but difficult to choose. Pick the ones that will lead people to feel
and act the way you want them to at the end of your time together.”

To bring a story to life, find the right balance in five critical facets of your delivery:

1 . “Recite less, respond more” – If you overpolish your speech, it’ll become rigid, and you won’t be able
to adjust it to reflect the nuances of the occasion. But your delivery should consider four factors – the
story, the audience, the context and the storyteller – and adapt accordingly.

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 2 . “Concentrate less, relax more” – Athletes practice drills so that, come game day, they can get in the
zone of peak performance without overthinking. The same is true of storytelling.
3 . “Pretend less, believe more” – Step into your story. Become the character whose tale you’re
imparting. If you truly believe the words you’re saying, you’ll appear natural and at ease.
4 . “Explain less, evoke more” – Let your story speak for itself. Don’t insult your audience by trying to
explain the moral of the story.
5 . “Imitate less, embody more” – Embrace your uniqueness. Don’t try to mimic someone else. Let your
authentic self shine through.

Connect your personal stories to universal themes that resonate with your audience.

If you sift through your memories, you’ll discover ample fodder to shape into a profound story. Do any
memories that feel more poignant than others? Examine them closely. Did you face a crisis or moment of
personal transformation? What important discovery or lesson did you glean? Communicate your shift in
understanding or perception by describing a way in which you acted differently, demonstrating your inner
changes through outer action. The best stories are those that audiences can relate to; they tackle universal
human themes of struggle, love, loss, and so on. Keep yourself out of the spotlight, and put the focus on the
story – the struggle, the transformation, the journey.

“Listeners don’t want to hear how great you are; they can’t identify with that. Reveal
your vulnerabilities instead. They want to hear how you faced a problem and made a
surprising discovery. Be authentic by being honest, sincere, and vulnerable. Then they’ll
identify with your story.”

Craft your story by beginning at the end, working toward your desired result: How do you want listeners
to feel after your talk? Remember that bare facts have short retention, so find ways to communicate your
facts within a story. Use all the tools at your disposal – your voice, face, eyes, posture, movement, gestures,
imagination and presence – to tell your story naturally.

A story helps to shape a culture. According to an old Hopi proverb, “The one who tells the stories rules the
world.” Your story is waiting to be told. So set it free.

About the Authors

Steven James has written more than 40 books. He is also a public speaker and a professional storyteller.
Tom Morrisey is a speechwriter and executive engagement specialist. He has worked as a speechwriter
and communications consultant for Ford Motor Company and Disney.

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