Tell the Story of Your Organization

Tell me a leadership story — one that embodies the very core of where you and your organization are headed. There may be spread sheets and profit margins. Metrics and shortfalls. But, stories paint an engaging  portrait of any organization or institution.

All businesses possess a rich history and leaders play a pivotal role in that developing story. Whether a start-up or established venture, leaders have a story to tell.

Leaders can provide a compass for change, can align vision with talent and have the power to exert a tremendous influence upon an organization (whether positive or negative). A leader can catapult an organization to the forefront of an industry or bring it to an early demise. Just as great presidents have helped shape our country — leaders help define an organization, for better or worse. Tell me a leadership story — especially those of the leaders that have failed. We can learn from that, as well.

Leaders that takes the helm of an organization at a given point in time, can reveal volumes about the state of that organization and where it might be headed. Each phase of an organization’s development required a very different type of leader — and that’s a lesson in itself. Tell me about that.

However, there is another story we need to hear.

Tell me your organizations leadership story.

We can all to this. So what is your story. What has been left untold?

Telling the tale of an organization’s leaders can serve as a powerful learning tool — one which can leave a lasting impression on an employee.

• Onboard history. Speak of the leaders who were present in the early phases of the organization’s life cycle. Explain their vision and how it shaped the organization.
• Failure 101. Reflect on leadership failures and what was learned in the process. How did these failures change the course of the organization?
• Who is at he helm? Introduce current leaders and the expertise they bring to the organization. Explain how their current vision has been translated into strategy and action.
• Strategy review. Discuss key inflection points that influenced the organization. How did leadership impact the outcomes? What did we learn, going forward?

With a look to the past,  we can improve the future  and possibly avoid costly mistakes that have already been made. Take the time to discuss the rich history of leadership in your place of business and offer your employees the advantage of perspective.

Tell the story of your organization. It’s a tale that needs to be told.

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a Workplace Psychologist. You can find her on Twitter and Linkedin.