Importance of Telling Your Own Story
Remember your grandparents narrating bedtime stories when you were a kid? Some stories passed on history, some passed on traditions, and some passed on valuable life lessons. Be it ancient hieroglyphics or modern web series, stories have been an important part of human communication since the beginning of time. But what makes them so powerful?
The simple answer is ‘connection’. When you share your story with your audience, you give them something genuine to relate to. It increases engagement and helps them connect with you at a deeper level. Stories help you understand yourself better and guide your audience to make the right decisions. But how can stories help leaders?
A leader is responsible for motivating their team. As a leader, telling your own story builds your credibility and helps your employees connect with you emotionally. It is a great tool to drive a strong sense of team unity and improve the overall organizational performance. Additionally, stories help you paint a better picture of your goals and expectations.
Here are a few reasons it is important to tell your own story-
- Your Story is Unique
The experiences you’ve had, the fears you’ve overcome, and the dreams you had to give up are unique to you. Your story is one of the most invaluable assets you have and talking about your achievements and failures makes you human. No one has been in your shoes. Therefore, telling your story is a great way to inspire or educate your employees.
2. It builds a stronger connection with your employees
Sharing your emotions and experiences with employees allows them to build meaningful connections with their boss. It develops a sense of belonging in them and makes them more likely to relate to you. These personal connections can help employees adopt new changes positively and have a strong influence on their outlook and behavior.
3. It motivates your employees
There are countless motivational stories making the rounds but putting a face on one can make it more relatable. Talking about similar struggles and how you overcame them can motivate your employees to improve personally and professionally. It can help them understand the message and shape their opinion on the matter. Moreover, it is an excellent way to make your employees feel involved and valued.
4. It Brings Your Vision to Life
Storytelling is a powerful leadership technique to address critical subjects refreshingly. Communicating information in the form of a story can make it more engaging and easier to understand. You can use anecdotes from your life to explain the reason behind your vision and strategies. It can make them more meaningful and build confidence in your employees to achieve them.
5. It improves organizational performance
You can use stories from your personal life to highlight areas of excellence in the business and drive future success. These stories instill a sense of pride in employees and can be replicated to generate similar results. Additionally, this is an excellent way to drive new conversations about existing business excellence and how it was achieved.
6. It strengthens internal communication
By talking about your growth journey, you can motivate your employees to share their success stories, too. This helps in improving communication between the workforce and the leadership team. When employees can effectively communicate with the management, they are more likely to give valuable suggestions. This helps them take ownership of the company’s narrative and feel appreciated.
To Wrap Up
Telling your own story is an important part of your professional journey and the leadership process. When you understand and relate to your own story constantly, your team can empathize and build a stronger connection with you. It is crucial to bring the team together for regular meetings that involve sharing stories about recent successes and learnings. This enables your employees to share and listen to valuable stories.
Stories can hold a deep meaning in your employees’ minds and stick with them forever. They can help you present complicated concepts in a simplified way. You can share the lessons you have learned and help your team avoid making the same mistakes. A brilliant story can have a powerful influence on your employees, your company, and your entire career.
