Storytelling Over Output
The Oldest Tool in the Book Still Works
Before content strategies, before personal brands or LinkedIn even existed, leaders told stories because they had to.
They needed a way to explain uncertainty; to help people understand why a decision was made; to bring others with them when the path wasn’t obvious.
That hasn’t changed.
What has changed is the amount of noise around it.
Somewhere along the way, we started mistaking volume for value. We told leaders to post more, explain more, and say more. And now we’re left with a lot of content that’s technically good and emotionally empty.
Storytelling is back, not because it’s trendy, but because it still does one thing content can’t: it explains what you did and what you learned. It’s perfectly imperfect. No one wants to see polished and squeaky clean solutions and decisions; they want to understand how you learned and what you did.
Why Story Feels More Honest
Good stories don’t try to convince you of anything.
- They don’t lead with conclusions or polished edges. They let you see the situation as it actually was, uncertain, incomplete, unresolved, but real.
- Authenticity isn’t about sharing everything. It’s about sharing what mattered in the moment. The pressure. The doubt. The trade-off didn’t have a perfect answer.
- When a leader explains how they thought about a decision, not just what they decided, people listen differently.
Not because it’s impressive, but because it’s recognisable.
There Isn’t One Way to Tell a Story
One of the reasons storytelling feels awkward is that people assume there’s a correct format. There isn’t. Leaders tell different kinds of stories depending on what they’re trying to make sense of.
Over time, a few patterns show up, not as frameworks, but as familiar shapes.
Once you start noticing them, storytelling stops feeling like a performance and becomes more like a reflection.
The Decision Story
Use this when you need to explain judgment.
These stories start at the point where the choice wasn’t clear.
Not: “We decided to do X.”
But: “At the time, both options felt risky, and neither aligned perfectly.”
When you tell a decision story, slow it down. Walk people through what you were weighing up against each other:
- What you knew
- What you didn’t
- What you were worried about getting wrong
Don’t rush to the outcome. The value is in the thinking, not the result.
Use these stories when:
- Explaining a strategic shift
- Talking to peers or boards
- Sharing a leadership perspective publicly
These stories show how you think under pressure, and that’s what people remember.
The Assumption That Broke
These stories usually begin quietly: “For a long time, I believed…Then reality intervened.”
The key here isn’t the mistake. It’s the moment you realise the old assumption no longer holds.
When telling this story:
- Name the assumption honestly
- Describe what challenged it
- Be specific about what changed in your thinking
You don’t need to dramatise it. Just be precise.
These stories are powerful because they show learning without defensiveness. They signal adaptability, a trait senior leaders value deeply.
The Tension Beneath the Surface
Use this when something felt off before it was obvious.
Not every story has a single moment. Some are about what has built up over time.
- A pattern you couldn’t ignore.
- A conversation that kept getting postponed.
- A signal you noticed but didn’t act on immediately.
When you tell these stories:
- Focus on what
felt unresolved
- Explain why it was easy to overlook
- Share what finally forced the issue into the open
These stories help people recognise early warning signs in their own environments. That’s why they resonate.
The Turning Point
Use this to illustrate the importance of small moments.
Turning point stories aren’t about big announcements.
They’re about:
- A question someone asked
- A piece of feedback you didn’t expect
- A small decision that quietly changed direction
When Telling These:
- Keep it simple
- Don’t inflate the moment
- Let the impact speak for itself
These stories work because they feel true. They remind people that leadership often turns on subtle shifts, not grand gestures.
The “Still Figuring It Out” Story
Use this when clarity hasn’t arrived yet.
This is the hardest story to tell and often the most trusted.
It doesn’t end with a lesson. It ends with honesty.
When you use this method:
- Share what you know so far
- Name what’s still unclear
- Resist the urge to resolve it prematurely
These stories show respect for the audience. They don’t pretend complexity has neat answers.
In times of change, this kind of storytelling builds credibility faster than certainty ever could.
How to Know Which Story to Tell
You don’t need to cycle through all of these.
Just ask:
What am I actually trying to help people understand right now?
- A tough call → a decision story
- A mindset shift → an assumption story
- Ongoing uncertainty → a still-figuring-it-out story
The story should serve clarity, not content.
And This Is Where Personal Branding Appears
When leaders consistently tell stories like this, something forms over time. People begin to recognise:
- How you approach uncertainty
- Where to slow down
- What to question
- How do you change your mind
That recognition becomes trust, and that trust becomes reputation.
Not because you set out to build a personal brand, but because you kept explaining your thinking when things weren’t simple.
Storytelling isn’t about being visible. It’s about being understandable, and in a world full of noise, that’s what lasts.
