I have facilitated numerous workshops, strategy days, narrative sessions, and conference experiences. Regardless of the setting or participants, a consistent pattern emerges. Typically, the most senior, outspoken, or confident individuals are the first to contribute, filling the room with their perspectives. However, as the session transitions to deeper reflection, it is often a quieter participant who introduces a profound idea, causing everyone to pause and absorb the insight.
Tag: Storytelling
If Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast, Then Narrative Is the Cook
At the end of a period of strategic thinking and planning, I normally hear from leaders who want a narrative strategy. When they start managing the process of rolling out the strategy. They ask to tack stories onto the strategy. But this is not ideal. The stories should be embedded in every step of the process. From listening, collecting, collating, and activating your narrative. Especially now, in this time of convergence of changes. AI is reshaping how work gets done. Instability is rewriting assumptions about markets, supply chains, and workforce planning. People are carrying personal disruption into professional spaces in ways that are hard to ignore. Change is not arriving from one direction. It is arriving from everywhere at once.
Every Great Storyteller’s Practice Includes Boredom
What truly separates those who reach mastery from everyone else is not talent, but the ability to keep going when the work feels unremarkable. The consistent effort during ordinary moments is what drives mastery.
Why I Don’t Teach the Hero’s Journey
Why I don't teach the hero's journey in business storytelling — and why a framework built around one white male Western perspective was never universal.
Transforming Stories into Strategic Narratives
The surge of storytelling: What it means and what it doesn't. Storytelling is everywhere, featured in job titles, strategy documents, conference themes, and LinkedIn posts. It’s touted as critical in business communication, culture, and leadership. There’s a lot of excitement and commotion, for good reason. As much talk as there is about storytelling, there is…
Lo fi, No AI
When I teach storytelling, two letters are constantly popping up. A & I. Surprised? No, me either. Whether I am teaching pitching, values-based messaging or storytelling, I have to talk about using AI. Or, more specifically, how not to use AI in writing.
30 Days and Nights: Tales from a Storytelling Challenge
It began with a WhatsApp message from Arne, the creative genius behind the Future Skills Academy, a global learning community. He had an idea: “Let’s run a 30-day storytelling challenge.” It was a brilliant concept. I got to work, sketching out 30 days of prompts to help people tell a story each day. We launched…
You Open the Door… and Discover Second-Person POV
When it comes to storytelling, most of us are familiar with first-person ("I did this") and third-person ("They did that") stories. But there's another oft-overlooked and engaging point of view: second-person storytelling. Let's explore what second-person storytelling is and why it's a fantastic tool for communication professionals who want to put their audience in the driver's seat.
Telling Sloppily Human Stories in an AI World
One of the greatest tragedies in the world is not getting what you want, and the other is getting it. I believe that was Oscar Wilde. Like most of his one-liners, it hits hard. It feels more true today than ever before in this rapid age of AI.
