Thursday's Leadership Insight: What Is Your Story? Writing and Sharing Your Leadership Story: How it Benefits Your Leadership and Those You Lead

Stories are powerful. Last week's newsletter shared the story of communities supporting local Teachers at the Northeastern Louisianna Teachers Symposium. It enhanced the story of NELA and all the organizations involved, from local to multinational. What about the effect of a leader's story on themselves and those they lead? , A leader who crafts their own leadership story benefits themselves and those they lead. This was studied and verified in two studies. Four Instructors, John Hinck, Steve Davis, Sara Kitsch, Jason Womack, and Robert Hinck, at Air University located at Marshall Air Force B, Alabama, studied storytelling and leadership development.

Their

research report, The Power of Storytelling for Leaders and Leadership Development, reported their study of using stories in a leadership development class. They write, "We studied data from twenty-six iterations of a leader development course over two years, including analyzing over 1,600 end-of-course surveys and conducting interviews with seventeen course instructors. Our findings revealed that in team-taught classes, stories had various effects and affects on students and instructors. Notably, stories 1) allowed deeper cognitive Learning, 2) provided models of authenticity and vulnerability that encouraged vulnerability mirroring, 3) helped instructors regain recoverable loss through the telling of their stories, and 4) anchored learning in the affective zone for students upon which further learning and group cohesion occurred. Please remember that the "students" they refer to are Air Force Squadron Commanders and civilian leaders in a leadership development program. They further write, "The stories shared by instructors in week one of a two-week course set an example for students to emulate when they developed and told their own stories at the end of week one. Finally, students and instructors reported that student stories reflected intentionality, authenticity, trust, unique leadership qualities, and vulnerability—showcasing how instructors set the example in facilitating skill transfer, which students followed. When used to understand how a leader develops and improves leadership development, stories can have a powerful impact that positively influences participants' head, heart, and hands—or cognitive, affective, and behavioral learning domains. This article will help unravel the affect and effect of storytelling for developing leaders." This well-documented process shows clearly how crafting and sharing leadership stories impacts the leader and those they lead. A Harvard Business Review Article What's Your Leadership Origin Story by Alyson Meister, Wei Zheng, and Brianna Barker Caza writes, "To better understand how leaders see themselves, we conducted in-depth interviews with 92 men and women to discover how they tell the story of their leadership origins, and then examined how their telling aligned with their present-day realities." They further write "in our study we discovered there is a strong and reciprocal link between the stories people tell about "becoming" leaders and their current leadership." They do note that a leader must continually review and reflect on their story to avoid becoming stagnant. They note the power of sharing stories: "This is important for people you manage or mentor as well. Ask them to tell the story of how they "became" a leader, and share yours. This will expand your shared understanding of leadership and may trigger opportunities for them to experiment with different behaviors."

This week's Leadership Insight Newsletter describes the power of developing a leadership story. It focuses on a guide to crafting one's leadership story using a five-chapter format based on The three  C's of leadership and five questions. Five benefits of developing a unique personal leadership story will be shared, as well as thoughts on sharing one's story effectively.

"What is Your Leadership Story?"

An authentic, well-crafted leadership story is a powerful narrative to connect with, engage with, and encourage learning for themselves and those they lead and impact their organizations. These stories tell a rich account of our leadership development, successes, failures, and learnings. The best public speakers, teachers, and trainers use personal stories to communicate effectively and connect and influence their audiences. Leaders have used stories and their stories for centuries. The Bible has over 150 stories; Jesus used over 50 stories or parables in the New Testament to build a leadership team and change the world. Abraham Lincoln was a master of storytelling in addressing a war-torn nation during the American Civil War. Franklin Roosevelt used stories to effectively lead through the great depression and World War II, especially in his "Fireside Chats." All leaders have a leadership story. A leadership story is a powerful, personal message that leaders can develop and share with those they lead and serve. The problem is that very few leaders craft and share their leadership stories. A leader who does not craft and share their leadership story is missing an opportunity to grow personally and connect with their team and organization at all times, especially in uncertain times; stories are critical for organizations.

In "Your Leadership Story: Use Your Story to Energize, Inspire, and Motivate," Tim Tobin writes, "Your leadership story is the collection of events, perspectives, and behaviors that represent who you are as a leader. It evolves from your unique experiences. Your leadership story is not like that of the person in another organization. Your leadership story communicates the message of your identity: who you are as a leader, what you believe in, what drives you and defines you as a leader, and how you act. An authentic leadership story is a leader's reflection on their leadership development. "

"The story is a powerful tool in a leader's toolkit."  

Howard Gardner, Multiple Intelligences,

Some leaders are reticent to develop and share their leadership stories. Some reported it is like bragging; they are too busy and don't see the value. Many may not feel qualified or see it as a sign of weakness to build and share their leadership story. Interestingly, these reasons sound similar to those I hear in my leadership consulting practice as an excuse for not using a daily practice of reflection. I often reply, citing John Dewey, who said, "Learning does not come from experience . Learning comes from reflection on that experience ".Stories can help leaders be self-aware and connect with those they lead. Well-crafted is an example of how to be a leader to the people they lead and serve.

A way to demystify this process of crafting a leadership story is to view it as a long-term reflection and craft it as a five-chapter story utilizing a leadership theory as a framework.

Structuring Your Leadership Story

A way to demystify this process of crafting a leadership story is to view it as a long-term reflection and craft it as a five-chapter story utilizing a leadership theory as a framework. This framework will help the author fill in experiences, successes, learnings, and people who have affected you within that framework in appropriate chapters. This organization will structure a leadership story personally and help make sense of the story's evolution and direction. The way to structure this process is using an introduction and the three C's of leadership practice, ending with a summary. Leadership is a choice of acting to build people up and get things done. Leadership development starts with the leader first. In High Road Leadership, John Maxwell quotes leadership author Tim Spiker,  who wrote The Only Leaders Worth Following: "Three-fourths of your effectiveness as a leader comes from Who You are, Not What You do, and you must be inwardly sound and outwardly focused." The leader develops as a person who chooses to lead, developing core leadership principles. The leader then learns the content skills to enhance their practice. These core principles will guide these content skills and help them adapt to the context of the time and event leaders are leading.

The three C's of leadership are

1. Core principles of leadership

The core principles of leadership are who a leader is at Their core and who they are as a person. A leader's core principles are the values, mindset, purpose, and motivation to lead, which develop in many different ways, experiences, and models. These core principles are non-negotiables that guide leadership practice.

In matters of style, go with the flow. In matters of principle, stand  like a rock."

Thomas Jefferson

2. Content skills of leadership

The content of leadership practice refers to the skills leaders develop to best lead. These content skills will always have the core principle-driven guides of values, mindset, purpose, and motivation but are adaptable to be effective in one's leadership practice. These skill sets will achieve core principles based on the demands and conditions of the context in which a leader is developing and practicing.

3. Context adaptations  of leadership

 Leaders are guided by their core principles, using content skills to meet the demands of the context of the times. President Washington communicated by written orders, and Lincoln followed battlefield happenings in the Civil War using a telegraph. Teddy Roosevelt used long "Bully Pulpit" speeches to deliver his messages and influence those he led. Franklin Roosevelt used the radio to communicate with the American people during "Fireside Chats."President Obama watched the actual unfolding of the Osama Bin Laden raid in real-time and communicated the results via television and social media. All these leaders used media to communicate and persuade; it changed based on the context.

A leader crafting an authentic leadership story can use the five-chapter approach to crafting their authentic personal leadership story. The five chapters would be the introduction, core principles, content skills, contextual adaptations, and summary, which are current positions.

Your response to the seven questions below can enhance your leadership story.  

1. What events shaped your leadership practices? What did you learn and apply?

2. What failures shaped your leadership practices, and what did you learn to apply?

3. What people shaped your leadership practice, and what did you learn to apply?

4. What successes shaped your leadership practice, and what did you learn to apply?

5. What have been your most significant learnings in your leadership practice, and how do you apply them in your practice today

6. What do you want your followers to expect of you as a leader?

7. What are your values, and how do they affect how you lead?

To start crafting your leadership story, respond to as many of the questions above or add others. You are the author. Review how your responses would fit into the five-chapter structure of introduction, core principles, content skills, context adaptations, and current position described earlier. There will be lots of overlap. Yet, you will have a structure to organize your thoughts. The next step is to craft your story to share.

Crafting and knowing your leadership story can profoundly benefit personal development and organizational impact. Here are some key advantages:

1. Sharing your leadership story can help clarify and understand for you and your organization who you are as a leader and your leadership journey.

2. Sharing your leadership story creates a connection of trust and a model of personal transparency and authenticity in communication with your team and organization. Sharing your leadership story helps build trust and personal connections with your team. It humanizes you as a leader and makes you more relatable. James Kerr notes, "Storytelling helps leaders connect their people's personal meaning to their vision of the future."

3. Sharing your leadership story communicates what your team and organization can expect of you, your purpose, passion, and values. A well-crafted leadership story can clearly communicate your core values and vision. This helps align your team with your goals and fosters a shared sense of purpose. Seth Godin states, "Leadership is the generous act of helping others become who they seek to become. It involves creating honest stories that resonate and spread".

4. Sharing your leadership story provides a clear and mutual understanding of your expectations of how purpose, values, and actions will create a new future.

5. Sharing your leadership story gives a clear vision of how you see the future moving forward for you all as a team and organization.

How you live out your leadership story will create the story for your team and organization movement to thrive.

Sharing Your Leadership Story

"How do  you want to communicate the story." The key to all stories is honesty, authenticity, and emotion, and remembering great stories is crafted to guide the reader or listener. The structure and sharing your leadership story is an excellent strategy in the interview, selection, and introduction process because it starts human connections and relationships in the team or organization. Your leadership story can be so much more. Your leadership story can provide hope in uncertainty and comfort to those you lead because they connect with you. Your story can also provide reassurance in change efforts and facing challenges. This story gives you, as the leader, a very public measure of how your story matches your actions. This story allows a benchmark for you to reflect on and adjust as needed. Your sharing of your story and especially your vision is incredibly impactful in times of uncertainty. Those you lead and serve look to you and remember the leadership story you share as clarity, authenticity, connection, and a degree of certainty in uncertain times. Your leadership story practiced daily can help others follow your example and develop their own leadership story. How you live out your leadership story will create the story for your team and organization movement to thrive.

Here is an example of a leadership story presented by Lisa Doyle, VP of Global Learning at Booz Allen Hamilton  Lisa Doyle's Leadership Story. The podcast below from The Talent Champions will provide a more in-depth look at a leadership story by Lisa. Listen to episode 14.

The Leadership Questions for you are :

1. What will be the structure of your leadership story?

2. When, How, and where will you share your leadership story?