Have you considered telling your story in a new way?

Jerome Deroy and I have conducted over 100 + podcast interviews since we embarked on this endeavor during the COVID-19 lockdown. Every time we log on to Zoom for our session, I look at the bookshelves and think, “I wonder what’s in those boxes?” So I finally had the opportunity to use that question as a podcast theme and put my “ask one more question” practice to good use. This is what I learned in the process.

In a world where leadership often prioritizes bottom lines and efficiency, I believe that the art of storytelling provides a refreshing perspective. As a co-host of Narativ Leadership Story Talks, I’m excited to invite listeners into conversations about the transformative power of storytelling in leadership. In our latest episode, we explore how leaders can utilize storytelling to build trust, foster connection, and inspire action.

We kicked off the episode with a captivating exploration of the metaphorical ‘boxes’ we all carry. Jerome shares a personal story about a literal box that had a profound impact on his career trajectory. This box, filled with papers and potential, symbolizes the unknown risks and rewards of venturing into a new business. It was a gift from the founders of Narativ, Murray Nossel and Paul Browde, and contained the seeds of what would eventually become a thriving company. His story really highlights the importance of embracing the unknown and the courage it takes to open the ‘boxes’ in our lives.

I complemented this narrative by discussing the internal ‘boxes’ we carry—our hidden talents, forgotten dreams, and untapped potential. I emphasized the significance of asking the right questions and granting ourselves permission to explore these inner treasures. By unlocking these boxes, leaders can uncover new insights and forge deeper connections with their teams.

This episode serves as a powerful call to action for leaders to embrace storytelling as a tool for personal and professional Growth. It challenges us to reflect on the stories we tell ourselves and others and to consider how these narratives shape our leadership journey. By opening the metaphorical boxes of our lives, we can discover new paths, inspire our teams, and lead with authenticity and purpose.

For anyone interested in the intersection of storytelling and leadership, I highly encourage you to listen to this episode of Narativ Leadership Story Talks. It offers practical insights and inspiring stories that can help navigate the complexities of today’s workplace dynamics. Tune in and discover how storytelling can transform your leadership style and create a lasting impact.

Listen NOW and discover how to unpack those boxes.

Happy Holidays!

The post Unbox Your Story! – What If We Opened Up to Others and Found a New Way to Tell Our Story? appeared first on jryanpartners.com.

Originally Published on https://jryanpartners.com/feed/

Julienne Ryan Humorist, Speaker, Trainer, Facilitator, Coach

Julienne B. Ryan began her professional career at age five when she did TV commercials and learned important things like “the teamsters always eat first,” her social security number and how to endorse checks for bank deposit.

Ryan studied psychology in college because she wanted to understand humans. She conducted her “field work” in a variety of roles, hearing the phrases “merger synergies, reorganizations, downsizing and rightsizing for change” more times than she cares to mention.

Later she enrolled in an Ivy League graduate school where she paid oodles of money to validate her prior on-the-job learning experiences. However, she did learn to name drop up-to-date theories and trendy psychologists with alarming ease.

Ryan evolved into working in “Talent Management,” a fancy way of saying “try to find people and keep them moderately happy.” With inadequate budgets and staff allocations, she had to find creative ways to encourage her staff to work effectively. These ranged from begging and borrowing resources, improvising childcare, telling stories and even giving snacks as rewards. She tried to convince herself that working a bazillion hours and “multi-tasking” equaled achievement.

Her work took place in cubicles, conference rooms or, with luck, in offices with a door. Occasionally she would make the time to emerge from her allotted real estate to really talk to people. Ryan learned something transformative in the process:

Yes, she was effective. But not because she used fancy theories – or gave great snacks. Ryan’s success, her staff believed, was a result of her uncanny knack for weaving storytelling with humor to motivate and encourage them. Crucially, they encouraged Ryan to de-emphasize “that normal HR stuff” and focus on bringing her unique storytelling skills to a broader stage.

Thanks to them, Ryan continues to collect, connect and tell stories in her work helping people find their “true selves in the world of work.

She is the author of the humorous, all true "The Learned It In Queens Communications Playbook - Winning Against Distraction!".that now includes a workbook and is available at booksellers across the globe..

She is a guest contributor to The Procurement Foundry, LifeBlood, and the global storytelling community.

Certifications include
Accumatch (BI) Behavior Intelligence
Narativ Applied Storytelling Methodologies
Collective Brains – Mentorship Methodologies