Perhaps I would explain leadership to an alien in the following way: "Imagine you meet a person with an irresistibly magical charisma. Leadership is this special ability to captivate and inspire other people. To convince them of a common, desirable goal and to overcome all obstacles unwaveringly."
The film "E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial" by Steven Spielberg in particular tells a great story and appeals to great emotions. The blockbuster was released in 1982 and is still one of the most popular films of all time.
The world is currently upside down in pink. Barbie, the most famous plastic doll of all time, is currently straying into the real world in cinemas.
You may be asking yourself the question now:
But why do rational people go for such obvious nonsense?
Because a story is aimed directly at emotions.
Emotions create connection; nothing connects people more.
Stories connect people. Stories tell of good and evil. Of winners and losers.
And the human brain loves exciting stories about heroes and heroines. We live and thrill with them. Their adventures get under your skin. How else can you explain the fact that films such as "Avatar", "Titanic", "Star Wars", "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings" have achieved such unimaginably high box office takings and have drawn huge numbers of people to the screens?
Stories also help you in your day-to-day management work.
After all, they are your magical source of motivation and inspiration for your employees. So that you and your team can pull together to achieve the goals you have set yourself and the targets you have been given with a great deal of enthusiasm and fun.
Figures, data and facts alone do not motivate. Instead, they build up immense pressure. Fear of failure, burnout and inner resignation can become permanent guests in your team.
Now you may be asking yourself
- How can I find such motivating stories?
- Above all, how can I use them to retain employees?
- Where can I find stories that move people? Pulling them by the hair?
No, quite the opposite:
It's best to dig deep into your own history!
Remember what it was like for you. What stories can you think of? Record the facts and include them in conversations with your employees. In conversations with your customers, superiors and other business partners, a little story from your life will also help you to establish a connection with your counterpart.
You can be sure: Everyone has buried treasures in his or her past.
Hence my recommendation:
Find and use your buried treasures. Use them to become the confident, efficient and empathetic leader you always wanted to be.
Turn your employees into heroes. Put your team at the center. Let your team feel your appreciation. So that they bring out the best in themselves, stand loyally behind you and are happy to contribute to the company's success.
Why do your stories help your team?
- To spur your team on to top performance, it is essential that they know the goal and the big WHY behind it. Make it palatable to your team in the form of an exciting story.
- Explain to your employees specifically WHAT needs to be done. Because if someone doesn't know what needs to be done, they won't be able to successfully complete the project or the task at hand. The brain can remember facts better if they are packaged in a visual story.
- "Together we are strong!" Weld the team together. This increases implementation discipline and helps them to stay on the ball.
- Be a mentor for each of your team members. Because you are the person who has already walked the path. You know the Achilles' heel in every project and know how to react most intelligently in critical situations. You lead the way and keep your team on course.
A long time ago, there was no internet, no Google, no books to gain knowledge. Knowledge, traditions and tribal histories were packaged in visually stunning and instructive stories to prepare the next generation for the challenges that awaited them.
An infinite amount has happened technically. Knowledge has accumulated. It continues to accumulate at an incredible rate every day.
But that has remained the same: People are connected by a story. Nothing has changed in this respect. And successful managers use the magical power of their own history to lead their aspiring teams to success!
