Tell a Story

A general agreement as to one of the key aspects of leadership is the ability to cast vision. If you have ever heard a great speech that inspires you to action, that was an example of good leadership. Sounds a little daunting though, I mean ‘me lead, me inspire-you’re kidding right.’ Vision casting ranks with the big stuff right? Vision casting is a fancy term for storytelling. All you have to do is be able to tell a story. Now each of us is responsible for leading at least one person-ourselves. You can lead yourself by telling the story of how you want your life to go. You paint the picture for yourself of how things should be with the words you tell yourself all the time anyway, so you may as well be a little more intentional about it.

There are a few aspects that make a great story though. First it has to be believable. Believable means that you have to be able to imagine it happening. Many writers use great descriptions to paint such a vivid picture in your mind that it appears real to you (for a phenomenal example of such a writer read Anne Rice).

The other aspect of a gripping story is the aspect of tension. There is a discrepancy between what the protagonist has to do and what he is able to do-this creates a tension that keeps you hooked. If you tell a story of your future it needs to create a tension between where you are and where you want to be. It is the tension that will cause you to move.

Practice storytelling on yourself a bit. Describe the way you want your day to go before it starts, imagine it to be the way you want it, see yourself doing it. Once you can tell it to yourself, start telling others around you and watch the magic.