Exceptional leaders are not just strategists or visionaries—they are master storytellers. The ability to craft and convey compelling narratives is increasingly recognized as a pivotal skill for climbing the corporate ladder. Narratives shape our understanding of the world, influence our decisions, and forge emotional connections. Personal and corporate narratives form the bedrock of brand identity and customer loyalty for businesses.
A leader’s personal story—highlighting their background, values and vision—can humanize them and make them more relatable. This authenticity can differentiate them from competitors and build a loyal following, both internally and externally.
A 2022 study found that leaders who use storytelling effectively are 22% more likely to exceed their performance goals compared to those who don’t. Additionally, in 2023, storytelling remains a critical skill for leaders, with 87% of executives believing that storytelling is an essential leadership competency.
Meet Nikki Barjon
The founder of The Brand Shoppe, Nikki Barjon, built her business on crafting branding narratives that shine a light on leaders. The storytelling expert is behind some of the most popular global brands, including Bentley, Marion Jones, Lifetime Networks and Martin Luther King III.
Barjon worked on the 50th anniversary of the I Have Dream Speech and the march on Washington. She was tasked with handling global communications for all the leaders flying into the capitol and hosting community initiatives to celebrate the monumental speech. She helped King think through his messaging, strategy, tone and what he wanted to deliver. Most importantly, she helped him continue what his parents started in the 1960s.
“The person that tells the story has enormous power,” Barjon states during a phone interview. “There’s a level of responsibility that comes with telling a narrative; many people don’t realize that. If you’re building a brand, you better be who you say you are.”
She started working as a communications crisis specialist at a traditional public relations firm. Barjon then scaled to a niche market focusing on multicultural and urban promotions. From there, she pivoted to the music industry, ultimately leading to entertainment and sports. As she advanced in her career, she realized that many people don’t know how to tell an engaging story.
“For me, it’s never about me telling you to think this about this situation or this person,” she explains. “I have always accepted the responsibility of giving you something to look at and allowing you to then decide if this is important to you or allowing you to then decide what you think about it. I think that’s part of what good storytelling does.”
As Barjon’s career excelled and having worked with professional athletes, she imagined that there had to be a better way to train young athletes. She opened a 15,000-square-foot sports complex, the Brxnd, specializing in developing young athletes physically and mentally. Additionally, her philanthropic endeavors brought her to launch Crownville, a charitable program whose mission is to create a nurturing and supportive environment where children feel heard, valued and understood. The organization specializes in crisis intervention, character building, growing mindset and communications.
There are two main questions to ask leaders who want to bridge the gap between who they are now and who they want to be—to help them lay the foundation of the narrative they want to share about themselves as leaders:
- If you were a car, what car would you be? This gets people to start thinking about the value they hold and the qualities they possess.
- If you were an animal, which animal would you be? Again, this gets people thinking about their attributes and how they want to grow.
Communicating Vision, Values And Strategy
Internal Communication
Within an organization, storytelling can be used to articulate a shared vision and foster a sense of purpose. Leaders who share stories about the company’s origins, challenges and triumphs can instill a sense of pride and motivation among employees.
External Communication
Externally, storytelling can differentiate a brand in a crowded marketplace. Leaders can build strong emotional connections and drive brand loyalty by sharing stories that resonate with customers’ values and experiences.
Authenticity And Trust
In an age of information overload, authenticity has never been more crucial. Consumers and employees alike are quick to detect insincerity, and trust is easily lost.
Authentic storytelling involves being transparent, genuine and consistent. It’s about sharing not just the successes but also the failures and the lessons learned. This honesty builds credibility and trust, which are essential for long-term relationships with stakeholders.
Adaptability
Leaders who adapt their narratives to the changing landscape get ahead of their competition and reflect changes in the market, technology and consumer behavior. Adaptability and innovation in storytelling are necessary to stay relevant and competitive. This might involve adopting new storytelling mediums, such as social media or virtual reality, to engage audiences in novel ways.
Barjon concludes, “One thing that is extremely important to me, and this has actually placed me in my career, when I talk about responsibility, there is a level of accountability that if you are not what you say you are, do not say it.”