Author: lhhvn

Expert marketers advocate the use of storytelling in order to build a compelling marketing message. By making it easy for your target audience to relate to your products and services, you can gain an edge over your competition. Did you know that leaders can benefit from the power of storytelling, too? 

Stories are what unite us as humans. Every individual has a story to tell. To become a great leader, you can leverage the power of stories to make an impact on your team and the organization as a whole. 

The Importance of Storytelling as a Leader

Great storytelling involves a lot of hard work, attention to detail, and understanding your audience. As a leader, you need this particular skill in order to inspire change and motivate the people within your organization. It’s a tool that can be used to communicate ideas more effectively because you establish an emotional and cognitive connection.

You do not need to have scaled Mount Everest or built the next greatest invention in order to tell a great story. You can make anything interesting as long as you have the right tools and processes to communicate your story.

There are three reasons why the power of storytelling is crucial for effective leadership. 

Stories are memorable

If you want to make an impact on the people who follow you within your organization, you can leverage stories to make it easier for them to connect with you. Stories are a common ground for all humans, no matter your position or role in the organization. An effective leader is someone who can connect with everyone and make them feel valued within the organization.

Great stories last a long time

An effective leader is someone who can make an impact even after they are no longer around. Even if you move to a different company or leave the organization behind, you can still promote productivity and enthusiasm in others by sharing stories that inspire them to do better. The learning they get from you extends beyond the mere act of sharing stories; the stories live within those that you lead in the organization. 

Stories inspire action from others

The ultimate goal of leaders is to inspire and motivate others. It is a way of sharing experiences. Even if others are not involved in the story, sharing it with them can make them feel a part of that experience. You can leverage that to compel them to take your desired action. 

Moreover, stories are based on experiential learning. It is an effective way to convey ideas and showcase the potential for human accomplishment. 

How to Develop the Power of Storytelling in Leadership

Do you want to become more effective as a storytelling leader? 

It doesn’t take rocket science to become a better storyteller. Here are a few things that you need to know in order to develop the power of storytelling as a leader.

1. Collect stories

As a leader, you do not need to travel the world and collect unbelievable stories to share. All you have to do is collect stories that you can share. How do you collect people’s stories? 

When you meet new people, you can get to know them by letting them share an inspiring story or two. You can also read a lot. Reading about other leaders’ stories can inspire you, and will give a few insights that you can share with your team. 

By collecting stories, you develop the ability to discriminate and identify stories that make an impact or add value (versus those that do not). Immerse yourself in others’ stories so you have a bank of them to share when the situation is right.

2. Dissect stories

One of the best tips to become a better storyteller is to dissect what makes a good story. If you believe a story is good, find out why. What is it about the story that makes it powerful and compelling? What characteristics are in the stories and characters that resonate with you? 

This is an essential step in identifying a good story. In the end, it helps you identify how to create stories that make the same impact on others.

3. Dissect the bad stories, too

In order to be a great storyteller, you need to analyze not just great stories – you must do the same with bad stories, too. 

It’s easy to say that a certain story is terrible. But why is it terrible? What elements about it don’t work? How can you improve on it? List the reasons why a story may be considered bad so you can avoid it when you are the one having to tell the story. 

4. Ask for feedback

A good leader is someone who is able to take and learn from any kind of feedback. A little constructive criticism never hurt anyone. If you want to harness the power of storytelling to become a better leader, you need to be open to getting feedback from others. 

An important tip to remember when telling a story is that you must provide context. This context will increase the relevance of the story that you share and make it easy for the audience to relate to. 

The Power of Storytelling: Is It Worthwhile?

Becoming a great storyteller is not a walk in the park. It takes a lot of work. However, putting in the time and effort to learn what makes a good storyteller is worth it, especially if your leadership style relies on it. 

There is a growing body of research and evidence that explains the impact of storytelling on the human brain. The best stories are the ones that can make the audience more empathic – it should make them feel care and connection.

If that’s not enough, this study concludes that most people forget about 40% of new information they receive. By telling a story, people will more likely remember what you had to say. This is very important if you want to make an impact as a leader. Stories can be leveraged to deliver a message clearly, stir emotions, and inspire action. Emotions are what motivate others to act on your message, especially if it has something to do with your organization. 

The old saying “if you want something done right, do it yourself” can be applied to almost everything in life. However, when it comes to leading an organization and managing people, this is called “micro-managing.” In most cases, this can do more harm than good. If you find yourself with a never-ending to-do list and continuously struggling as you juggle multiple tasks, projects, and people, it is time to discover the benefits of delegation. 

Delegation benefits everyone involved in your organization. Discover what these benefits are and how you can maximize them. 

Benefits of Delegation

Delegation means sharing responsibility, entrusting work and authority, and taking accountability for the outcome. This typically happens from leaders and superiors (employers or team managers) to subordinates (employees or team members). 

When it comes to managing people, delegation allows managers to make the best use of their time, skills, and resources. As you delegate, you ensure that employees and staff are supported in their development and growth while building confidence and trust. 

Delegation is a critical skill, especially for employers. Though it can be difficult to give up control and entrust other people with certain tasks, it is incredibly important, especially for those who work in teams. 

Benefits of Delegation for Leaders

It helps you manage and develop your staff

If you are unsure of what to do, or you do not have the ability and resources to develop your team, then you can start with delegation. More often than not, you know exactly what you want to accomplish on certain tasks and projects. Learning to delegate to certain people will help you hone your managerial skills and develop your team. 

It gives you more time to organize and plan more important things

Planning and organization requires a lot of time and it is even more difficult to do when you are managing several things at the same time. If you wish you had more time to do the more important things, then free up your time from less important things. 

It inspires confidence

Whenever you delegate to your team, you need to keep an open mind for questions and suggestions. Listening to what your team has to say will make them feel trusted, and that inspires confidence which you will see in their work. A good team is built on communication and trust. 

It keeps you from doing everything at once

Having too many things to do at once is not only detrimental to you, but for your team and the organization, as well. This is because there is so much room for error you may overlook the smallest details. Sometimes, those small details could spell the difference between failure and success. 

Spread the load around your team; work smart, not hard.

It can help you come up with better ways

You may have a good idea of how things should be and what outcomes to expect. A good leader knows when to listen because your method of doing things is not always the best and sometimes there may be better ways to get things done. Delegation opens you up to ideas from different perspectives. 

You could also benefit from different ideas and find ways to improve your own ideas. 

Benefits of delegation for your team

It builds morale

One of the best ways to inspire your team and build their confidence is to make them know you trust them. Most people will find it gratifying to know their manager believes they are capable of success. While a pizza party is a sure way to make your staff happy, delegation motivates and builds morale. 

It boosts initiative and creativity

If your employees feel empowered from your trust, they will be more willing to think outside the box and look for different ways to finish the tasks you delegated to them. Consequently, their initiative and creativity will produce positive results. 

Managers who fail to adequately delegate are left with employees who are afraid to take initiatives or feel uneasy about suggesting new ideas. When people feel their skills and talents are being put to good use, they will feel better about their work and their role in the organization. 

Personal initiatives and creativity can inspire breakthroughs, and this benefits everyone involved.

It improves their skills

Skill development of your employees is an important recipe for the continued success of your organization. Delegation helps them acquire or develop new skills which can be beneficial for you and the business. 

It allows them to contribute to the organization’s success

It is human nature to relish recognition for doing something significant, especially if it is successful. This experience brings a sense of accomplishment and pride. 

Benefits of delegation for your organization

It creates a positive work environment

Delegation benefits not just the managers, but also the department and the whole organization form a positive work environment. It boosts efficiency, productivity, cooperation, enthusiasm, and morale. All of these things are crucial for the organization’s bottom line. 

A positive work culture also minimizes turnover rates, safety risks, and ensures that the company keeps highly qualified employees who are good at their job. 

Parting tips

Delegation does not only make it convenient for managers to assign tasks and shuffle personnel, it is not about giving tasks and projects to people and micromanaging them at each step of the way. Rather, delegation is about providing your staff a job to do and work within the given parameters. It is about giving them the creative license, autonomy, and authority to make their own decisions. It is about trusting them to make the right decisions to achieve desired results. 

For delegation to be effective, you also need to know how to do it correctly. Thus, you need to provide guidelines, tools, and resources to help them on their tasks. 

Though you need to be clear about your objectives and expected outcome, you also need to ask for their ideas and suggestions. More importantly, you need to know your employees individually. Understand that each person has his/her own set of strengths, skills, and talents. 

Lastly, know that delegating doesn’t eliminate accountability. You are ultimately accountable for the failure or success of your employee.

When you think of a visionary leader, what or who comes to mind? You could point out some of the most creative thinkers of the modern times like Steve Jobs or Elon Musk. In fact, they might have inspired this style of leadership. Over the years, there are many styles of leadership that have emerged but none as compelling or as revolutionary as the visionary leadership style. 

Many would agree that this particular style of leadership is vital for organizations to thrive and achieve long-term success. But how exactly do they achieve that?

What is a Visionary Leadership Style?

It was Daniel Goleman, in his book “Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence,” who popularized the concept of adopting various leadership styles. In this book, he identifies six leadership styles and visionary is one of them. According to him, the most effective form of leadership must possess all six styles. 

However, the visionary leadership style is the one that has seen tremendous amounts of adaptation and success by organizations of different kinds. According to Goleman, this style of leadership is most effective when blazing new paths. This is most effective in settings wherein creativity, innovation, and experimentation are allowed to thrive. 

Visionary leaders are ones with a compelling vision for their business. They are fuelled by their own inspiration and are willing to chart a new course for the future of their organization. 

In doing so, they inspire the members of their team to adopt that same vision. But at the same time, they provide their subordinates the freedom to carve their own path to realize this shared vision. They do not dictate or seek control. 

Visionary Leadership Style: Key Attributes

These are the 7 defining attributes that make visionary leaders different from the others:

1. Inspirational

A visionary leader believes that having a shared goal will increase your odds at success. This is why visionary leaders do not work alone. Instead, they inspire the members of their team to adopt the same goal. 

Your goal is to ignite the same passion within every member of your team. Having this shared goal will drive their emotions toward the right direction – towards achieving your goal. It will light the fire in everyone to give it their best and to support one another. 

2. Innovative

With inspiration comes the desire to innovate. 

Visionary leaders are not afraid to think outside the box. Since they are naturally creative thinkers, their minds are always wandering with possibilities about how they can realize a vision that some people might not have.

And yet, they are not afraid to speak their minds or be different from others. In fact, being different and doing something that others have not done before is what drives them to innovate some more. 

The best part is that visionary leaders inspire others to think outside the box as well.

3. Open-Minded

The desire to innovate comes with it a sense of open-mindedness. When you are open to new possibilities, your mind is not limited in terms of what it can achieve. This is the mindset that visionary leaders possess. 

They do not limit their perspective to one; they love to explore different mindsets and perspectives. Their ability to see the big picture also means they are highly flexible and adaptable. 

They do not let any setbacks stop them in their tracks. They are not afraid to carve out a new path in areas where one does not exist. 

4. Collaborative

Visionary leaders are team players. This is what sets them apart from other types of leaders. The visionary leadership style is all about getting each member of the team involved. This type of leader likes to bring out the best in every member of the team.

Visionary leaders know that they cannot achieve a vision on their own. They need to rely on the help of their subordinates. 

Therefore, they work on putting together a talented team with each member having a vital role to play. It is their goal to harness every skill or gift that others possess. 

In doing so, they foster an open environment wherein everyone is free to learn and use their skills to their fullest potential. 

5. Magnetic

You can identify a visionary leader just by talking to one. Their energy is magnetic; you feel inspired just by talking to them or listening to them speak.

This is why visionary leaders experience a lot of success. They are about making others feel included. They invite you to aspire to make your own vision. This is why many young and talented individuals are drawn to these types of leaders. They exude a lot of passion in what they do, and that can be very infectious. 

Visionary leaders foster an innovative culture within their organization.

6. Emotionally Aware

Visionary leaders establish an emotional connection with their subordinates. They are not distant; instead, they cultivate relationships on a personal – not just professional – level.

This empathy towards their employees or members of the team makes them feel valued. By recognizing the contributions that your subordinates make to an organization, you will find they repay that trust and recognition with more effort and commitment.

7. Goal-Oriented

Visionary leaders have a laser focused attention towards their goal. The moment they set a goal, they utilize their time and resources towards achieving that. They are resolute enough to not let anything get in their way of achieving that goal.

Their optimism helps them to succeed in any situation. They do not dwell on the difficulties and challenges of the task; instead, they are inspired by them to work even harder.  

Why Is This Leadership Style Important? 

All organizations go through a period of constant change and uncertainty, especially as you try to grow your business. However, the visionary leadership style can help you overcome these challenges by remaining focused on the task at hand and having a clear vision of your end goal. 

By holding that vision of your goal, you facilitate commitment from every member of your team. You can also use your visionary leadership to inspire everyone to rally towards your common goal. The ability to align every member of your team towards a shared vision will give you a competitive edge in the market. 

Communication permeates every aspect of human existence. It plays a huge role in the establishment of relationships, cultures, and civilizations. New-born babies announce their arrival in the world using the only form of communication they know – by crying out loud. For businesses and organizations, good communication is the glue that holds things together. Despite the advancement in technology however, many businesses and organizations still struggle in this aspect, and this lack of communication leads to a host of problems in the workplace. 

How Lack of Communication Impacts the Workplace

What are these problems? How can you avoid these problems and have better communication? Here are the important things you should know. 

It makes workplace more stressful 

Lack of communication creates a sense of negativity in the workplace which amplifies stress among your employees. 

When people do not have the knowledge or the right information they need to do their job, their productivity suffers. Consequently, disconnected and uninformed employees can cause unfavorable effects on the business and its bottom line.

Often, a workplace that suffers from lack of open communication and constructive interaction has no defined strategies for communication. This leads to misunderstandings, and while misunderstandings happen all the time, regular misunderstanding in the workplace can cause serious issues such as conflict between colleagues, wasting company resources, failed tasks, failure to meet deadlines, unsuccessful projects, etc.

One tell-tale sign of poor communication is that people in the workplace are feeling tensed, overworked, and stressed. Subsequently, employees who are constantly stressed go home to their families worn out, and this deeply impacts their relationship with their families. This stress stays with them until the next day, and so on, and it can be really hard to get ahead.

Misunderstandings, arguments, and distrust

As said earlier, lack of communication can lead to misunderstandings between colleagues. This could lead to arguments and distrust between co-workers, which is the last thing you want when leading and managing a group of people.

Employees feel connected with their organization through their co-workers. You want your employees to work together towards your company’s goals. If they feel disconnected from each other, it opens a lot of room for misinterpretations, leading them to question each other’s motives, intentions, and ultimately leads to distrust. 

When this happens, most people will find ways to push back, even if they cannot do it directly or openly. And this results in a never-ending cycle of arguments. This could lead to an increase in absences as your employees may not want to be in each other’s company. 

Trust also goes out the window making it difficult for people to work together and meet deadlines.

Dissatisfied and unhappy clients

Superiors tend to feel frustrated and stressed when their employees miss important appointments, deadlines, and fail on important tasks and projects, but so do clients and customers. If someone from your customer service promised a customer the return of his phone services, but failed to relay the details of the problem to the technical department, that customer will end up frustrated. 

When clients are dissatisfied and unhappy, they will take their business elsewhere. This will cost your company a paying customer. 

It can cause the “Grapevine Effect”

Someone will share something; it just may not be exactly what you said. It probably won’t even be correct. This is called the grapevine effect – the spread of unofficial information, also known as gossip. Since gossip is often incomplete and incorrect, it is open to change and interpretation subject to the speaker and the listener. 

The dissemination of ambiguous facts associated with the rumor could lead to disarray and disaster in the workplace.

So how do you solve the problem of lack of communication in the workplace? 

Ways to combat lack of communication in the workplace

Improving communication is easier said than done, especially if you have no idea how to do it and what the right tools to use are. Don’t know where to start? Here are some tips to help you out.

Establish the foundation

As a leader of the team, you want each member of your team to trust you. The more they trust you, the more they are open to communicate with you. That is why you need to establish a rapport with your team first.

You can start by taking your team to lunch or dinner. Make it light and do not talk about business or work. Rather, try to learn more about each other. This small gesture will break the ice between you and your team and open the line of communication for everyone.

Prove you are trustworthy

Many employees do not trust their employer: that’s a fact. It is your job as an employer to earn their trust.

Show them you are trustworthy by being genuine to them. Prove this in words and actions by showing empathy to their dilemmas. Make sure you follow through on things you say you will, especially if they ask for your help. People will most likely communicate a challenge or problem when they know they can trust you  and that you can work with them to find a solution. 

Actually listen, avoid making quick assumptions

Communication is a two-way street; it is not solely about getting your message across, it is about actually listening to what they have to say. Listen carefully before responding. 

Make sure you are all on the same page. Ask for clarifications and give each conversation with each of your team members your full attention. 

Consequently, quickly formed assumptions that came from missed signals are a recipe for disaster. If a person is lagging in a task you assigned him, do not quickly assume he is slacking or simply does not care. Ask the person what is causing the problem and help him find a solution.

Learn their strengths and weaknesses

Part of knowing your team is knowing each of their strengths and weaknesses. You may find out some people accomplish things faster in concentrated bursts, meanwhile some do their best work in ordered and segmented blocks. 

Make their roles clear to them from the start

Make sure each member of your team understands their roles and responsibilities in each project, right from the start. What channels the project needs to go through? Who has the final approval?  Keep the workflow transparent and establish all the stakeholders in each project.

Be thoughtful in providing constructive criticism and compliments. 

When giving your feedback, make sure you do not sound aggressive. Subsequently, give them a chance to share their thoughts and how they can work on the criticisms you just shared.

When giving compliments, break down how and why their work impressed you. Be as specific as possible. 

Solving the problem of lack of communication in the workplace may be challenging, but it is worth it.