Dad of Divas' Reviews: Book Review - Lead With A Story

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Book Review - Lead With A Story

Lead with a Story: A Guide to Crafting Business Narratives That Captivate, Convince, and Inspire
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About the Book
Storytelling has come of age in the business world. Today, many of the most successful companies use storytelling as a leadership tool. At Nike, all senior executives are designated "corporate storytellers." 3M banned bullet points years ago and replaced them with a process of writing "strategic narratives." Procter & Gamble hired Hollywood directors to teach its executives storytelling techniques. Some forward-thinking business schools have even added storytelling courses to their management curriculum. The reason for this is simple: stories have the ability to engage an audience the way logic and bullet points alone never could. Whether you are trying to communicate a vision, sell an idea, or inspire commitment, storytelling is a powerful business tool that can mean the difference between mediocre results and phenomenal success. "Lead with a Story" contains both ready-to-use stories and how-to guidance for readers looking to craft their own. Designed for a wide variety of business challenges, the book shows how narrative can help: define culture and values; engender creativity and innovation; foster collaboration and build relationships; provide coaching and feedback; lead change; and more. Whether in a speech or a memo, communicated to one person or a thousand, storytelling is an essential skill for success. Complete with examples from companies like Kellogg's, Merrill-Lynch, Procter & Gamble, National Car Rental, Wal-Mart, Pizza Hut, and more, this practical resource gives readers the guidance they need to deliver stories to stunning effect.


My Take on the Book
I enjoy reading books that tie leadership to real life. This book does just that and more. The book is filled with so many stories that simply draw you in and help you to see how using illustrations and stories in your own leadership can not only make you a more effective leader, but also can help you to inspire and develop a stronger team altogether. The book is practical and down-to-earth and I do not know anyone that is in a leadership position that could not build upon their own skills through the words of this book. I know that personally I was not using many stories in my work with the people that report to me, but this book has motivated me to try this more as I can now see how powerful this tool is and how it can work to engage my staff even more than I was in the past without providing these visual, practical tools. This is the type of book you will not want to put down!


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