The other day I attended a presentation by the CEO of a major corporation.
He smiled and greeted everyone, then proceeded to talk about the numbers. Profit and loss. Trends.
The audience listened, but I could tell that nobody was getting very excited about any of this.
Some were yawning.
Many were checking their phones and watches.
Why?
Because, when all is said and done – we human beings are emotional creatures.
We’re motivated by inspirational stories. Not numbers.
We like to laugh.
Sometimes, we don’t mind feeling sad.
We just need to feel something.
Look at the great leaders of history: Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln and Gandhi.
They were story tellers.
A strong narrative beats a spreadsheet review any day.
If you’re leading a team, a department or an entire corporation – sure, give people a status update on the financials. But keep it short. Spend most of your time telling stories.
That way, you’ll actually be looked upon as a human being.
More importantly, you’ll acquire the buy-in you need.
Cory Galbraith 