One of the things I’ve learned from my years of being a Disney enthusiast is that at the foundation of all success is a great storyline. Disney is a master at that. Aside from the cartoons, movies, musicals, and other presentational devices that they utilize, everything they do begins and ends with a great story. If you want people to buy tickets to an event: tell a great story. If you want people to stand in line for hours to ride an attraction that lasts 3 minutes: tell a great story. If you want to sell merchandise: tell a great story. You get the picture. It’s the same in every business, organization, and even government programs. Everything that succeeds at telling a great story greatly increases the chances of people responding enthusiastically to whatever you are offering.
I recently read a book about the well-respected consulting firm of McKinsey. In it, the author stated, “At the end of the day, the story is what matters.” They stated, “The storyline is essentially the outline for the final presentation at the end of the project. This is one of the secrets of efficient problem solving: you begin working on the final presentation story very early in the project – almost on day one.” Another way it is said is that any project or effort should begin with the end in mind. Before too much effort is spent the leader needs to have a clear picture of what they want to accomplish, then they need to skillfully communicate that to the team members.
What’s the story you are working to bring into realization? Can you describe it in detail to your team? Can you inspire and enthuse those who will help you get from where you are to where you want to be? These are questions great leaders have the answers to, not only organizationally, but personally. If you aren’t clear in your own mind where you are headed, it’s pretty sure that your team doesn’t know either. So, if you need to, get away from the daily grind and figure out exactly where you want to take your team, organization, career, or family. Write down all the details. You may not get it 100% accurate, but you’ll be a lot closer than if you just drift, hoping that you end up somewhere awesome. Unfortunately, awesome takes effort, intentionality, and persistence. But mostly, awesome takes knowing the story you want to tell before you get too far into the story-telling process.
Go tell an awesome story. Lead well.