The Leader's Guide to Storytelling : Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative

by Stephen Denning (Washington, D.C.)

• ISBN13: 9780470893906
• ISBN10: 0470893907
• Format: eBook
• Copyright: 2010-06-01
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

In his best-selling book, Squirrel Inc., former World Bank executive and master storyteller Stephen Denning used a tale to show why storytelling is a critical skill for leaders. Now, in this hands-on guide, Denning explains how you can learn to tell the right story at the right time. Whoever you are in the organization CEO, middle management, or someone on the front lines you can lead by using stories to effect change. Filled with myriad examples, A Leader's Guide to Storytelling shows how storytelling is one of the few available ways to handle the principal and most difficult challenges of leadership: sparking action, getting people to work together, and leading people into the future. The right kind of story at the right time, can make an organization "stunningly vulnerable" to a new idea.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Role of Story in Organizations

Telling the Right Story: Choosing the Right Story for the Leadership Challenge at Hand

Telling the Story Right: Four Key Elements of Storytelling Performance

Eight Narrative Patterns

Motivate Others to Action: Using Narrative to Ignite Action and Implement New Ideas

Build Trust in You: Using Narrative to Communicate Who You Are

Build Trust in Your Company: Using Narrative to Build Your Brand

Transmit Your Values: Using Narrative to Instill Organizational Values

Get Others Working Together: Using Narrative to Get Things Done Collaboratively

Share Knowledge: Using Narrative to Transmit Knowledge and Understanding

Tame the Grapevine: Using Narrative to Neutralize Gossip and Rumor

Create and Share Your Vision: Using Narrative to Lead People into the Future

Putting It All Together

Solve the Paradox of Innovation: Using Narrative to Transform Your Organization

A Different Kind of Leader: Using Narrative to Become an Interactive Leader

Notes

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Write to the Author

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.