The power of interaction among story, teller and listeners – part 2
Read moreIn our example from last time, we discussed how Martin Luther King was growing into new stories of identity, framed by the narrative he began telling at the time of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. As the boycott unfolded and he spoke in a variety of formal and informal venues, Dr King’s own life story was increasingly becoming a tale
The power of interaction among story, teller and listeners – part 1
Read moreIn the next two posts, my plan is to highlight several concepts from recent entries, and review them through the lens of a single example. In particular, there are three points I would like to emphasize: 1. how the act of story telling helps the teller evolve, both as a speaker and as a leader 2. the valuable benefits of audience
Dynamic interaction of story, teller and listeners
Read moreAs I wrote in the last post, it was my coaching of others that caused me to discover how powerful the interaction between story, teller, and listeners can be. Of course, I had done doctoral study and written a dissertation, focusing specifically on the link between storytelling and leadership. Nonetheless, it was using the concepts from my research in my client coaching
Reflections on storytelling and self-image
Read moreIn the last post, I made reference to one of the core concepts of both my consulting work and my teaching, regarding the connection between storytelling and self-image. In fact, much evidence supports the view that our sense of identity is framed by the stories we tell, and come to believe, about ourselves. My own research has shown that many people of
Stories create leaders as much as leaders create stories
Read moreIf one studies the great leaders of history, one often observes a synergistic relationship between leader and story. As we have seen before on this blog, people of influence express themselves and inspire others with their personal stories of identity. These stories are in fact constructions; we build our self-image based on the stories we come to believe and tell about ourselves.
The stories we shape will also shape us
Read moreThis week, one of my favorite reflections about storytelling—from the recently departed British novelist Terry Pratchett (1948-2015)—came to mind: “People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact, it’s the other way around.” While I find Pratchett’s words extremely interesting and thought-provoking, I cannot say that I agree with them completely. Whenever I am asked if we shape our stories, or if our