Great Leaders Tell Great Stories In 2004 Telling Tales, an article about organizational story telling by Stephen Denning, was published in the Harvard Business Review. According to Denning: A carefully chosen story can help the leader of an organization translate an abstract concept into a meaningful mandate for employees. The key is to know which narrative strategies are right for what circumstances. …it’s not always desirable (or practical) to launch into an epic that’s jam-packed with complex characters, cleverly placed plot points, an intricate rising action, and a neatly resolved denouement. …if listeners have time and interest, a narrative-savvy leader can use a vividly rendered tale to promote communication between management and staff, for instance, or even to foster collaboration—especially when the story is emotionally moving. ….However, if the aim is to motivate people to act when they might not be inclined to do so, it’s best to take an approach that’s light on detail. Otherwise, the particulars can bog listeners down and prevent them from focusing on the message. Great leaders should be able to tell great stories as part of their communication repertoire and Denning’s website (http://www.stevedenning.com/) has a plenty of ideas and resources for leaders who want to improve their story telling skills.

Mark Thompson was part of the roster of speakers at BIZ Bash 2007 that included Moses Namier (IdeaCity), Kevin White, director of production with award-winning event and destination management firm Empire Force Events.

The topic of Mark’s presentation was “event leadership” – the art of creating confidence in yourself an in others. Event leadership includes “creating such respect that others will willingly follow your direction, go beyond the call of duty, and model their behavior after yours.”

Some of the Principles of Leadership covered during the presentation include

• Know yourself and seek self-improvement
• Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions
• Make sound and timely decisions
• Set the example
• Know your people and look out for their well-being
• Ensure that tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished
• Train as a team

http://bizbashto.streampoint.biz/program.asp
http://www.bizbash.com/toronto/content/editorial/e7500.php