Ron Shaich, the influential founder and longtime CEO of Panera Bread, earned a reputation for his impactful talks that shaped the company’s direction.
“While every speech I gave was different, the underlying storyline was always the same,” Ron reflects in his book Know What Matters.
“Here’s where we’ve come from. . . Here’s where we are today. And here’s where we could be tomorrow—if we get a few … continue reading
Nicholas Epley looked around the commuter train he was riding to his office at the University of Chicago.
“It was just headphones and screens,” Nicolas reflects in David Brooks’s book How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.
A thought occurred to Nicolas. “As a behavioral psychologist, he was well aware that social connection is the number one source of happiness, success, … continue reading
1: To land the sale. . .
To win the deal. . .
To generate genuine excitement for what we are pitching. . .
We must find something that will give our presentation. . . an edge.
“The edge is a cool fact or anecdote that makes someone metaphorically (and sometimes literally) sit up and take notice,” Brant Pinvidic writes in his terrific book The 3-Minute Rule: Say Less to … continue reading
1: “We are going to revolutionize the healthcare industry” is a typical opening statement in many presentations.
The likely reaction: “Really? I find that unlikely,” Brant Pinvidic writes in his book The 3-Minute Rule: Say Less to Get More from Any Pitch or Presentation.
Even if the rest of our pitch lands with our prospect, the best we can hope for at the end of our presentation is, “Yeah, it’s … continue reading
1: We have a tall task.
Our goal is to persuade our audience to change behaviors and set out on a new course.
We begin by getting their attention. To do so, we go negative.
“Negative stories, questions, or challenges wake us up. They activate the reptilian brain, suggesting fight or flight,” writes Stephen Denning in The Secret Language of Leadership: How Leaders Inspire Action Through Narrative.
What … continue reading
Different goals. Different stories.
Yesterday, we looked a the power of a springboard story.
1: As leaders, we want to have many different types of stories in our leadership tool belt. We are wise to “employ a variety of narrative patterns for different aims,” Stephen Denning writes in The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling. “The point is that there is no single way to tell a story. Instead, narrative … continue reading
1: “Human communication has its own set of very unusual and counterintuitive rules.” Malcolm Gladwell tells us.
Exhibit one: If we want to inspire people into action, providing detailed scenarios doesn’t work.
Why? “Even if believable when disseminated, such scenarios quickly become discredited as the future unfolds in unexpected ways,” Stephen Denning writes in The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative.
1: “Organizations often seem immovable,” Stephen Denning writes in The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling.
The good news?
“They are not,” he notes.
So, how can we possibly move the immovable?
“With the right kind of story at the right time, they are stunningly vulnerable to a new idea,” he observes.
His book provides a guide to finding and telling the right story at the right time. His premise? The … continue reading
1: As leaders, one of our most important responsibilities is communicating new, sometimes complex ideas and inspiring action to implement change.
What’s the best tool we have to accomplish this critical objective? We tell a “springboard story,” writes author Stephen Denning in The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative.
In past RiseWithDrew posts, we’ve looked at key elements of this specific type of … continue reading
1: The year was 1984.
“Guy Laliberté, a former accordion player, acrobat and fire-eater in Montreal, looked at the existing circus industry and saw a losing proposition,” writes Stephen Denning in The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling.
Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey dominated the struggling circus industry, whose shows primarily attracted children. Expenses were high due to the cost of transporting and caring for the many animals. … continue reading
