The Leader's Guide to Storytelling[Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative] [LEADERS GT STORYTELLING REV &] [Hardcover]

by StephenDenning

The Leader's Guide to Storytelling[Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative] [LEADERS GT STORYTELLING REV &] [Hardcover]

Genres: Business, Leadership, Nonfiction, Communication, Management, Writing, Self Help

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Frank Calberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some interesting extracts from the book:

What is the purpose of stories:
- End of preface: Stories generate meaning. They embody our values. They give us the clues from which we can discover what ultimately matters.
- Page 10: Stories supplement analytical thinking by enabling us to imagine new perspectives. Storytelling is ideally suited to communicate change and stimulate innovation.
- Page 37: Studies show that information is more quickly and accurately remembered when it is first presented in the form of an example or story.
- Page 287: Modern management has fallen in love with a demonized version of Apollo. We have got the order, but in establishing order, we have lost music and beauty. An elegant story can bring back beauty in our work lives.

How are stories structured?
- Page 20: Aristotle said more than 2,000 years ago that a story should have a beginning, a middle and an end, and that the storyteller should be engaged with the story.
- Page 81 and 241: Negative stories get people's attention. They can play a role as a burning platform. They can shake people out of their complacency and force them to think of alternatives. Action comes from positive stories that show the way forward. Use the negative story, for example a problem people in the audience have, to explain to people that the situation is grim. Then follow up with the positive story that shows how to solve the problem. Then use neutral stories to explain what, when, why, and how.
- Page 103: The telling of an experience of pain and difficulty can be lightened by a touch of humor. By referring to painful events in a humorous way, you demonstrate that you have mastered the experience and taken control of it.

What do you include in your story?
- Page 34: There is no single right way to tell a story.
- Page 44: Stories need to be focused, simple, and clear.
- Page 64-65: Using a concrete example, through which you can explain where the change idea has already happened, is powerful.
- Page 67: Communicating the date and place signals to listeners / readers that it is a true story. Also, an individual person needs to be a key part of the story. The author writes the following example: "In September 2009, a software developer in Denmark..."
- Page 100: The turning points in life are a fruitful source of stories. These are moments of disruption when some incident gives us a glimpse of the regions of deeper feeling.
- Page 146: Examples of topics that can be used to prompt stories that reveal values: 1. Your best day at work. 2. Your worst day at work. 3. Times when two values conflicted.
- Pages 177 and 212: Southwest Airlines tell stories, which express a culture that puts value on fun and friendliness. The airline also encourages people working for the company to weave their personal stories into the airline story. A steward told passengers on a flight why his name is Bingo: My parents desperately wanted a boy. Their first 4 children were all girls. When I came along, they shouted "bingo."

How do you end a story?
Page 141: To end a personal story, try, for example "What I learned from this experience.." and/or "How this experience influenced the way I make decisions is...."

[André Gomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have built some slides about it as a book review: http://www.slideshare.net/andrefaria/...

[Nadya Ichinomiya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy Steve Denning's writing, "The Age of Agile" is brilliant and I found this book really useful for my work.

Storytelling, as a leader's tool, is highly underutilized in the corporate setting as well as in the learning setting.

One of the best chapters was on interactive and transformative leadership, very interesting.

[kartik narayanan]

Introduction

Storytelling is a powerful means of communication within organizations. This is the premise of the "Leader's Guide to Storytelling".

Stephen Denning has crafted this book on the following hypotheses. Organizations tend to favor the quantitative & analytical. While this approach favors the reasoning part of our minds, it is poor at changing our emotions. Storytelling make communication by mixing the analytical and the emotional. Storytelling, in this context, deals with working in professional organizations.

The author, Stephen Denning, is a person who has written a few books on story-telling. I happened to read this book as part of a "Leadership Development" program in my organization.

The "Leader's Guide to Storytelling has three parts. It starts off with an introduction to storytelling. Then, there are chapters devoted to various narrative patterns. The book ends by linking the storytelling virtues with innovation & effective leadership.

The author talks about storytelling in the short video linked below. http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxHo...

Recommendation

The ideas presented in "Leader's Guide to Storytelling" are novel and thought provoking. The book is let down , ironically, by the mediocre communication of its core ideas.

In the end, I felt that reading this book was a chore and I had to force myself to read it in chunks. Very few books can claim to have that distinction. Hence I would warn people to be prepared for a struggle if you want to get some value from the book.

Learnings
Storytelling mixes the quantitative and qualitative aspects of communication. This makes it more effective than presenting facts or figures.
Different purposes need different types of stories.
The four key elements of effective storytelling are Style, Preparation, Truth & Delivery
Style - Tell your story as if you were talking to an individual. Avoid hedges and keep your storytelling focused, simple and clear. Present the story as something valuable in itself, be yourself
Truth - proceed on the basis that it is possible to tell the truth, tell the truth as you see it,
Preparation - be rehearsed but spontaneous, choose the shape of your story and stick to it
Delivery - Be ready to perform. Get out from behind the podium and connect with all parts of your audience. Speak in an impromptu manner, use gestures and be lively. Use visual aids judiciously. Be comfortable in your own style. Know your audience and, connect with them
There are 8 narrative patterns
Motivate others to action
Build trust in you
Build trust in your company
Transmit your values
Get others working together
Share knowledge
Tame the grapevine
Create and share your vision
Generally, organization issues will involve using multiple narrative patterns to solve them

[David]

Put away the PowerPoint slides: Getting things done in business requires much more than hard facts and PowerPoint presentations -- it requires the ability to persuade, motivate and convince. Denning does a fantastic job demonstrating how to do this through storytelling - making your audience (your boss, teammates, customers) get involved in your idea, allowing them to put themselves into your story. Presentation slides have become a frustrating crutch -- few remember (or even trust) your numbers and unending bullet points. Put your audience inside your story - allow them to apply their own context to what you are explaining and they will start listening and participating.

Good leaders persuade through what often appears to be spontaneous narrative. They build credibility and respect. This book gives you the tools to strategically target and build your narrative to accomplish specific objectives. It spends time explaining purposeful communication and storytelling methods for different situations.

I thought the section on Values was a little out of place, as more of a lesson on values than as a storytelling method.

This is a book I will go back and read several times as I try to put it to practical use. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to succeed in business, especially given our overload of information from every angle. It will help you to find a way to stand out and be heard.

[Les Hollingsworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. It tried to present a cookbook type of approach to business storytelling and, on the main, I suppose it mostly achieved that goal. Where the formula breaks down will be as soon as you move out to the margins and any leader with experience will quickly recognize that the margins are where most leaders need sound guidance. So, interesting -- sure. Largely helpful to improve one's ability to lead -- not so much.

[Nosemonkey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this are extremely good - I agreed with much of it. Dropped to three stars only because its focus is storytelling via speech, not in any broader corporate contexts - largely because this is as much about promoting a particular leadership style (“interactive leadership”) as it is about storytelling.

[Kristin]

I saw this in BN. It obviously continues on my storytelling theme. We'll see what he teaches me that Annette Simmons didn't!

[Mohammed AlHelaibi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good read definitely. I tell stories differently now. Rather than telling people a story of how they should do it, I inspire them to write their own.

[Colin Pearce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not convinced that business is really ready for narrative. I like where Denning is coming from but my experience says it's an uphill battle getting anyone to swallow the pill.

[Ryan Barretto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I bought a book on storytelling, but it's so much more.

For me, this is a standout book on developing into Leadership roles, while harnessing the power of storytelling. Storytelling is the way you can convey your message and convince other people. Data alone never does the trick no matter how rational and sensible it seems. This is something that always struck me as strange, because didn't people have more sense? Particularly if educated beyond a base level.

One of the chapters that took me by surprise was the one on Values. I realized that values can only be communicated via stories of real examples, especially when you walk your talk.

Another interesting point was when the author did a comparison of leadership theories vs Interactive Tolstoyian leadership (as he has termed it). This was interesting to me because I am familiar with these models, something almost always stopped me from going with them in a full-fledged approach. I'm saying this even though I am a Certified Situational Leadership Trainer. The comparisons made by the author enabled me to articulate what I thought was missing from those models. Grateful for this.

I'm really surprised by the low ratings. Some seem to be put off by the datedness of the examples, which is strange as the publishing date is mentioned in the book. Others found it lengthy (300 pages is proper for the details given by the author). Still others felt the text to be academic in nature (which I disagree with as it would have taken me constant effort over a year at least to read it). It's hard to understand what audiences want.

This one is strongly recommended by anyone who wants to improve their visibility as a leader. It doesn't matter about the number of years of experience you have, or the number of people you lead.

[Nitin Jain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stephen Denning’s The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling provides a structured approach to using stories as a leadership tool, with sections that are insightful and thought-provoking. However, the book falters in defining its target audience.

For beginners, it is overly theoretical and lacks practical storytelling examples to teach effectively. Denning could have used more engaging stories to demonstrate his concepts. For intermediate readers, the material feels redundant, offering little beyond what they may already know.

The book is also unnecessarily lengthy, with repeated points that dilute its impact. A more concise and practical approach would have made it far more effective. While it offers value for reflecting on storytelling’s strategic use, it ultimately misses the mark for both novices and experienced practitioners.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me a long time to read this, as it had a lot of good stories and theories to remember and try to put in place. I love the premise of how stories transform a leader’s ability to motivate, encourage, and drive progress. This book had so much content though that it made it hard to put into practice as it was very thorough. Probably would have liked to have read an article rather than a book, or done a workshop on it instead of a whole book. But great concepts.

[Derrick Trimble · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have picked up and sat down The Leader's Guide to Storytelling numerous times over the past decade. After reading Denning's The Leader's Guide to Radical Management, I decided to finish Storytelling. I am pleased that I pressed through.

One of the reasons I was deterred in my reading was my perception of recurring content. After brushing that aside, I found enough nuggets to hold my interest.

[Quinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In this radically different mode of managing, the firm still has structures and processes, but the structures and processes create a space to liberate rather than stifle the talents and energies of those doing the work."

Dennig has a vision. I'm very much in alignment with his vision of how businesses could look and work.

Storytelling is a key tool for an effective leader. Great read.

[Louise Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a guide on how to use storytelling as a leader. While it was groundbreaking when first published, it does stand the test of time. The focus on the benefits of storytelling to an organization are not my primary interests. How an individual creates a narrative and what he/she does with that narrative informs relationships.

[Tara Brabazon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book does confuse 'narrative' and storytelling,' but it demonstrates the value of shaping a story for leadership, vision development, and collaboration.

It is over a decade old now, and so much has happened economically, socially and politically since it was published. But if a leader wants to explore how to take an idea and move it through an organization, it is a valuable book.

[Connie Collins Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story telling is a great tool to use both in leadership and public speaking. While not a new book, Stephen Denning gives some good templates/phrasing to help you to frame your stories to your cause. Its a quick read, but worthwhile.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best way to communicate with people you are trying to lead is very often through a story.

I think this is a great complementary book after "Five Stars: The Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great" by Carmine Gallo

[Ovidiu Oltean · Rating 1 out of 5]

Una din cele mai plictisitoare carti pe care le-am citit.
Un limbaj de lemn, hiper tehnic, abundand de concepte abstracte.
Cica e despre povesti, dar nu am gasit mai mult de 3 exemple cu adevarat utile in cele 450+ pagini.
E pierdere de vreme.

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard going. Found myself often having to re-read very long sentences. Lots of theory, but not a lot of detail for putting it all into practice. Felt like quite a bit of repetition, both within the book and from across the author's repertoire.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a slog.

[Prahalathan KK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rambling

[Natansh Dubey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Content too lengthy and a bit out of tune. Could have been more precise, ROI was not proportionate to the time invested. Some points are good but it gets boring at times...

[J D · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rubbish. An incredibly long and dull example of a book that could have been an article or quite frankly an email.

[Sophia Exintaris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Lots of excellent points. An early obsession with the World Bank, where the author worked and discovered the value of getting people to believe in stories to buy into big initiatives. The lesson felt fuzzy, as did many of the examples.

Even though I know, and have alwayd known, that the strongest force in the universe is the story.

[Hongbo Shi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great leaders tell stories. We learn through stories when we were kids. The small "me" like to hear stories.

More interesting is from another book, sounds familiar with agile/devops.

7 principles of continuous innovation ( from book the leaders guide to radical managemnt)
1. the goal of work is delight clients
2. work is conducted in self organizing .teams
3. team operate in client driven iterations (delight client can be approached only through successive approxinations)
4. Each iteration delivers value to customers ( enable frequent feedback)
5. Managers nurture radical transparency
6. managers nurture radical self-improvement
7. managers communciate interactively through stories, questions and conversations

[Ron S · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent resource for purposeful communicators! I'm looking forward to using these concepts in my own presentations and speeches. It's easy to see how great storytelling communicators (elected officials, business leaders, pastors, etc.) rise to the top of our awareness.

[Stefaan Ponnet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mastering the art of narrative is a skill everyone should invest time in learning. For me this book contained a well structured approach to improve your story-telling skills. I apply these techniques throughout the day - both in my job and in my private life.

[Bryan]

Similar to what we read in the The Storyboard Approach, but less applied. This is a good read for someone who is not already bought into the fact that stories are how humans have communicated/engaged/compelled for thousands of years.