The more I learn about the power of Story, the more I am convinced the organizations, the companies, the governments, the leaders, the individuals who are going to make an impact in improving our world, is going to do it through the habit of Storytelling.

In conference rooms, event halls, street corners and board rooms, I’ve heard the constant rhetoric of fact and figures. “I think this is right…” and “Here are the reasons why…” are most often followed by sanguine narrative that when finished, you just want to respond, “Say what?”

Next time someone gives you an opinion or expresses a perspective that you can’t quite get your head around, ask them, “Can you tell me a story about how that would work?” or “Give me an example of that playing itself out in real life. What would that look like?”

“If you can’t say it simply, you don’t know it well enough.” – Albert Einstein

To take an idea and tell it in a simple story may not be easy, but it’s impossible if you don’t have a clue about what you are saying.

And just because someone can give you a valid story, doesn’t make their point valid. But it will give you additional insights you may need to form an opinion or offer an alternative perspective (story).

You can tell a culture by listening to its stories. You can change a culture by changing its stories.

Listen for stories. Create better stories.  #StoryMatters

And if you’re interested in stepping up your story game, join me at Story2017 in Nashville.