The Importance of Telling a Good Story
The most effective communicators have been great storytellers, from Aesop to Jesus to Abraham Lincoln to Mark Twain to Garrison Keillor to Ronald Reagan. Why? Everyone loves a story. Stories are like windows to the truth.
Leading through storytelling requires more than just spinning yarns; the stories must make important, relevant points. Through parables, Jesus imparted many of his most vital messages. Leaders need to appreciate this impact and prepare their own repertoire of parables that relate to their own particular enterprise.
Jesus both established and perfected the use of parables as a leadership methodology. Just think of the heroes he created who continue to inspire us—the good Samaritan, the good and faithful servant, the wise virgins, the poor widow, and others. As a leader, you need to teach through relevant stories that create heroes, build legends, and help establish the kind of culture that inspires your followers to excellence. Too many tell stories in which they are the hero. But Jesus was not the hero in the parables he told...others were. So make the heroes of your stories, not yourself. Build them up through your stories. If you aim to be a hero then do what it takes to be a hero in the stories others tell.
—Adapted from The Leadership Lessons of Jesus: A Timeless Model for Today's Leaders
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