Product Description

In his best-selling book, Squirrel Inc., former World Bank executive and master storyteller Stephen Denning used a tale to show why storytelling is a critical skill for leaders. Now, in this hands-on guide, Denning explains how you can learn to tell the right story at the right time. Whoever you are in the organization CEO, middle management, or someone on the front lines you can lead by using stories to effect change. Filled with myriad examples, A Leader’s Guide to Storytelling shows how storytelling is one of the few available ways to handle the principal and most difficult challenges of leadership: sparking action, getting people to work together, and leading people into the future. The right kind of story at the right time, can make an organization “stunningly vulnerable” to a new idea.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22387 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04-22
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

Download Description
In his best-selling book, Squirrel Inc., former World Bank executive and master storyteller Stephen Denning used a tale to show why storytelling is a critical skill for leaders. Now, in this hands-on guide, Denning explains how you can learn to tell the right story at the right time. Whoever you are in the organization CEO, middle management, or someone on the front lines you can lead by using stories to effect change. Filled with myriad examples, A Leader's Guide to Storytelling shows how storytelling is one of the few available ways to handle the principal and most difficult challenges of leadership: sparking action, getting people to work together, and leading people into the future. The right kind of story at the right time, can make an organization stunningly vulnerable to a new idea.

Review
"...there are good stories here...all used to make leadership points..." (Times Educational Supplement, 23^rd September 2005)

Download Description
In his best-selling book, Squirrel Inc., former World Bank executive and master storyteller Stephen Denning used a tale to show why storytelling is a critical skill for leaders. Now, in this hands-on guide, Denning explains how you can learn to tell the right story at the right time. Whoever you are in the organization CEO, middle management, or someone on the front lines you can lead by using stories to effect change. Filled with myriad examples, A Leader's Guide to Storytelling shows how storytelling is one of the few available ways to handle the principal and most difficult challenges of leadership: sparking action, getting people to work together, and leading people into the future. The right kind of story at the right time, can make an organization stunningly vulnerable to a new idea.

Customer Reviews

Get Where People Are Coming From and They'll Go Where You'd Like Them to Go
This is THE book on using story telling to effect any change or influence you want to have on anyone in a company or organization. Without using the term "emotional intelligence" the book overflows with it in a direct and practical way. Denning basically says that the selection of what kind of story to tell is based on your intention and knowing the mind set and intentions of your audience. In other words, by thinking of what you want to accomplish and thinking of what your audience wants to accomplish and furthermore thinking of where they're coming from, you will be more effective. I am already using his practical and usable information to become a more effective speaker. It really works.

- Mark Goulston, M.D.
"The Leading Edge" at Fast Company
author Get Out of Your Own Way at Work...And Help Others Do the Same: Conquer Self-Defeating Behavior on the Job

thnking outside the box
I thought that this book showed a different aspect to leadership. A very interesting book that is for everyone in everyday life.

Go directly to the end of each chapter
This is a very scholarly book that really sheds light what it's like to be a business leader. Then Denning shows how storytelling can be part of an effective leadership tool box.

Each chapter ends with a couple of pages of great instruction--how to craft and deliver the story that chapter was devoted to. I found the table on page 18 to be a helpful overview of the eight types of stories, their uses and what reactions they should elicit from the audience.

However, business speakers who want to add stories to their presentations TODAY need to work with a presentation coach. In much less time, and with much more fun, your coach will get you to actually be a storyteller, not just think about telling stories.