Everybody has a story. Told in the right spirit, yours can inspire others to greatness.

Each of us has a story to tell. For entrepreneurs and executives, this personal story becomes more important every time it’s told. Remember: Because of your role, people will repeat your story and share it with colleagues and customers. If it’s inspiring, that story can help shape how those colleagues and customers think about you and your company.

Consider the beginnings of Microsoft— a now legendary story about some kids hacking their school computer, steeping themselves in new technology, eating pizza and working out their ideas in a college dorm. Why is this story so powerful to communicate to staff and
customers? Because it has become a legend. Legends tap into our collective human spirit. They also help us relate to a brand. Many of us understand what it’s like to be a young person dreaming of the future, wishing we could create something that would change the world.

How about the story of Oprah Winfrey? A poor African-American girl growing up in rural poverty, abused by her family, saw Diana Ross on television and knew she could do something important with her life. Oprah’s story could be one of victimization, but instead she turns it around and makes it a story of overcoming obstacles to meet her destiny.

And how about you? What history has brought you to this moment? What challenging experiences in your life have enabled you to forge new skills and abilities? What story are you telling yourself, and how is that being communicated to other people?

Your guiding story

Sarah (whose name has been changed) was an advertising executive with a destructive story. A top creative director in her field, she would always tell people, “I’m only doing this for the moment—I’m really a screenwriter, and when I sell something, I’m out of here. I hate advertising.”

Think of the impact that story must have had on the people around her, especially her staff. Unconsciously, Sarah was taking all the joy and creativity out of her guiding story. The tale became about her failure as a screenwriter, rather than her success as a creative director.

How to tell your story effectively

Sarah needed to change the way she looked at her career—and at the story she
was telling about how she got there. Her executive coach helped her achieve this
turnaround by asking Sarah a series of powerful questions.

1. What natural talents were you born with?
2. What setbacks have you experienced that have taught you valuable lessons?
3. How have those setbacks and talents gotten you to the success you have now?
4. How do you use what you’ve learned to contribute to your organization or customers?

As Sarah considered these questions, she began thinking about her story in a different way. Her answers guided her to this new version:

“I was a born writer and communicator. By the time I was 12 years old, I was creating plays with my sister and acting them out, and making my own painted sets for the background. I have always loved creating stories. As a college student, I wrote my first screenplay and tried to sell it. I was rejected many times and told that I needed to start over. Instead of being daunted, I was motivated to persevere. I still write screenplays and carry that dream with me. In my professional life, I’ve been hired to use my natural creativity and love of communication and storytelling to tell brand stories. I lend my creative intensity to the work, and I try my best to communicate a love of creativity and storytelling to my team, who are all great artists and should be proud of what they do for a living.”

Sarah had the occasion to facilitate a teambuilding session with her group. To start the meeting off right, she decided to talk about storytelling, beginning with her own story. After hearing Sarah’s new story, her team became more enthusiastic about her leadership and management—and, as she tells it, Sarah became more comfortable with her identity as an executive. Contemplating the origin of her talents and career validated Sarah’s desire to be a screenwriter without making her job, her company and her industry the “lesser” option, thus making her more confident about her life choices.

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KARLIN SLOAN, M.A., is founder and president of Karlin Sloan & Co. (karlinsloan.com), based in New York City and Chicago, which provides executive coaching, team-building and leadership development services.

Recommended reading:

The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative, by Stephen Denning (Jossey-Bass, 2005)