My daughter Isabella is currently attending University in the US on a soccer scholarship where she is also studying film. She is currently on her summer break, so we have been spending time together attending the Sydney Film Festival.
Watching a movie with a film student provides a greater depth of understanding as we discuss and analyse it. We’ve watched some great films, had some great discussions and ate a bunch of popcorn!
A movie is a story. The director is the story teller and they are using film to tell the story in a way that moves the audience. The budgets for many big films can be as big as $150million, all to help someone bring an idea to life.
This has made me start thinking more about leaders and their ability to tell stories and paint the picture for their people. Some leaders do this really well, whilst others completely miss the mark.
So how can you become a great story teller? Here are a few ideas:
Make it Personal. Too many times I sit in client meetings and they present a series of PowerPoint slides that show results from the previous year. Whilst this is OK, the challenge is that they take about 30 minutes to talk about this. The problem is they don’t make it personal. They don’t share or reflect on some of the challenges and some of the things that are needed to allow this to happen. They keep it clinical – not personal.
Make Sure Your Story Has a Point. How many times have you sat in a business meeting and someone told a story, but you did not know why? Whenever you share a story, make sure that people understand the point that you are trying to share with them. This may require you to be more specific about the point you are trying to make and relate it to your audience. Just a side note, if your people can’t remember it the next day, it did not have a point!
Share Your Story with Passion & Movement. Some of the best leaders that I have seen tell a story are the ones that you can see are passionate about what they are sharing. They don’t just stand behind a lectern and talk at people. They physically embody the story that they are sharing and have a way of bringing it to life to the people they are sharing it to. Remember enthusiasm and authenticity is contagious!
So the next time you need to share an idea, remember to tell a story like a movie director. Make sure that it engages your audience, provides insights and is memorable. Click here to find out more about my EOFY Programs that enable you and your people to improve their communication and storytelling.
