Great Leaders are Great Storytellers

Why Not You?

7th March 2013

Presented by Gideon F. For-mukwai, MA

Presented at a Chamber of Commerce in Singapore

About The Trainer & Presenter – Gideon F. For-mukwai, MA, CEM Gideon went into full time professional training business in 2004. He specializes in strategic storytelling. He has conducted strategic storytelling workshops for organisations such as the U.S. Social Security Administration, the U.S. Veterans Administration, Nanyang Technological University, and several other professional and academic institutions in Singapore and the State of Nevada, USA. For well over 14 years, Gideon has called Singapore home. Originally from Cameroon, he has worked and lived in South Africa, Singapore and USA. He was formerly a senior officer (instructor) with the Singapore Civil Defence Force. He considers himself a storyteller who likes to hangout with nerds and geeks. Tel. 65 9674 1088

5 Ways Leaders Are Using Stories to Connect & Communicate in Business

Everyday, business leaders are using stories to communicate important messages. They use stories to make their point(s) clearer and to stand out from the crowd. A story with a Point or a story that Points to a

new vision, is a strategic tool you can use in growing your business and boosting productivity. 1. Peculiar example

A peculiar story is one that is unique and it draws a ……….…….…..‘s attention. This gives you a very effective way

of ……………….,.. connecting and communicating important information with your audience. ………..…….……are

very suited for this. Do you have a repertoire of short stories you can use to gain your audience ‘s attention?

2. Offer a new Vision

For thousands of years, leaders have used stories to …………………….The bible is full of such stories. From

Jesus to Ghandi, Luther King to Mandela, these leaders have used …………….………..stories to sell their

……………………. of the future to their followers. When was the last time you used a story to paint a picture?

3. Inspire action

Sometimes, when the ……………………. leaders use stories to rally their troops to take action. This gives them a

platform to lay down …………………….,as they inspire their followers into action. They can do this by using

……………………. or ……………………… stories. Have you ever rallied your “troops” with a story?

4. Negotiate a new identity

When leaders………………………., very often, they ………………………… the conversation by using stories to

illustrate a different facet of their lives. When they do this effectively, they regain control of their public identify. To

accomplish this, leaders can use …………………………... stories.

5. Take ‘em on a journey

Life offers many ……………………….. and ………………………… that are worth sharing, however, very few

leaders do this. Life ‘s lessons are unique for everyone. Thus, they provide an opportunity for you to define yourself

or your company uniquely in the marketplace. To demonstrate change, …………………… or ………………………..

stories are very effective at this. What major challenges have you faced? Can you take us on that journey?