Practice Makes Hard Things Look Easy: The Key to Becoming a Spontaneous & Engaging Storyteller
Like so many others...I recently watched the finale of Ted Lasso. It was a real treat over the last 3 seasons to get to know the characters as their stories unfolded.
One of Ted's lasting leadership lessons was how he seamlessly used storytelling to make a point. He led by example and those around him not only came to understand the benefits of his storytelling... they learned how to apply it for themselves.
How to Tell a Great Story
So what prompts this thought this week? Well... I'm glad YOU asked!
Our next group mentoring session is ALL about story telling in our leadership journey. Part of our pre-work is an article by Carolyn O'Hara posted in the Harvard Business Review How to Tell a Great Story.
Carolyn outlines 6 things to turn storytelling to your benefit...
Start with a message
Mine your own experiences
Don’t make yourself the hero
Highlight a struggle
Keep it simple
Practice makes perfect
Sounds easy... right?
Take a Breath
The key to all of this is being able to do it in real time. To be able to take a breath...pause and recognize that a story is the best remedy. Not only that...but to be able to tell the appropriate one using all of Carolyn's points above.
Sure, there are rare occasions where you are asked to speak in front of an audience that you can prepare your stories in advance. For most of us...the truly impactful moments of storytelling come when asked an unexpected question or in the heat of a discussion where clarity is needed.
What Good Looks Like
As Ted's handwritten note reflects in the last episode...
It's not about me.
It never was.
This is the true impact of storytelling if you ask me. It's about those consuming the story seeing themselves in it to hit the point home or to see things differently. It's about coming to your own conclusions rather than someone telling you what to believe.
Since it's NOT about Ted...I won't use one of his stories to make the point...rather here is the scene that exemplifies not only what good looks like in storytelling but also the moment the reluctant student became the master.
** please note if you watched the show it goes without saying... there is some inappropriate language in this scene **
Practice Makes Hard Things Look Easy
Inspiration for our leadership journey and best practices can come in all forms and from different places. In this case... it comes from a spontaneous application of storytelling in a brilliantly scripted...well planned and thought-out Apple TV show. I'm not going to let the irony of that get in the way of my point.
The best storytellers may appear to be spontaneous in their use of this tool, but they really are not. It should come as no shock to you that Carolyn's last point "practice makes perfect" is there for a reason.
I have taken this to heart over the years and consider myself a student of storytelling. It has taken me 167 LinkedIn articles...and counting... to hone my storytelling to the point where I can joke "there is a blog post for everything".
It is for this reason that I advocate in any forum for others to capture their stories in a blog...in a video...in a podcast...in a journal... or wherever YOU are most comfortable. In capturing them we can refine them and mold them into the story that you tell in an unexpected moment that appears as if you just thought of it when in fact you have practiced it many times before.
In Closing...
I wish I had all the answers for how...when...where and why to use stories in our leadership journey. I do believe that when "done right" it is very powerful to create connection with others...and helps us to learn and grow.
I also believe we can ALL do it and in our own way. WE all have stories to share. Some of us may be more reluctant to share our stories or feel we are not as good at it...some of us may be over-sharers and folks might wish we didn't share as much as we do. (You can check out more in my post My Best Tip for More Effective Story Telling.) In either case it is about "mining our experience"..."keeping it simple" and picking your spot.
After all it's The Lasso Way... The Richmond Way!
Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:
If YOU watched Ted Lasso...what are YOUR best tips or observations about storytelling that we can all learn from? Do YOU have a favorite story he told?
What do YOU take away from Carolyn O'Hara's article? Do YOU have a favorite point?
How do YOU incorporate storytelling into your leadership interactions?
What is YOUR best advice to others on how to capture or practice storytelling so it adds to a conversation not distract?
Who is YOUR role model for storytelling and what do they do that we could all learn from?
Thanks for reading….and remember…YOU make a difference!
Please continue the conversation by liking…commenting or sharing this article. You can also follow me on twitter @marciedwhite or LinkedIn.
