One of the greatest tools we have in leadership is stories. Yet, it is also one of the most overlooked and underused avenues of leadership today. Jesus understood the value of stories. We have recorded more stories and parables in His teachings than any other teaching/leading technique.

Stories are truly imperative in helping people to learn, grow and grasp the task at hand. Here are six imperatives of why you should include stories in your leadership.

• Stories motivate people to action – Stories of people overcoming obstacles motivate people to stronger performance. Stories of pushing through adversities motivate people to keep going, pushing through difficult times and circumstances. Stories motivate people to action.
• Stories give a tangible relational illustration – Stories are relational, giving the listener something he/she can connect to causing them to strive for a strong outcome. The more I can relate to what you are telling me, the greater opportunity I have to connect it to the needs before me. People find a personal connection to a relational illustration.
• Stories paint a mental picture – Your mind thinks in pictures. Not sentences, words or even letters. I remember a time walking on the beach, miles of water to my left, miles of sand in front and behind me, miles of hotels on my right. Your mind just painted a picture of a beach scene based on your own experiences. Yours is different than mine but everyone reading this painted your own picture. Use stories to paint a mental picture for greater effectiveness of desired outcomes.
• Mental pictures are stored in our memory bank – These mental pictures are stored in our memory bank and can be drawn upon to learn new material. You can learn nothing new until you can attach it to something already stored in your memory. Use stories that connect the new, desired outcomes to information already stored in memory (as in the beach illustration).
• Stories can appeal to every type of learner – There is not a person alive who does not respond to stories. Stories may have varying levels of appeal to different people, but stories appeal to everyone. The appeal of a story draws people to strive for the desired outcomes.
• Stories Stick – Facts and figures are great, but when put in story form statistics (facts & figures) stick in the mind of the listener. When facts are put into a story, we are 20 times more likely to remember. Stories stick!

Stories can be encouraging, enterprising, and fun, bringing effective outcomes for your leadership and your organization’s productiveness. Jesus’ stories have been affecting lives for over 2,000 years.

For illustrations and examples to accomplish each of these or for training in learning to use stories, contact George Yates.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.