The title of this topic comes from Howard Gardner’s book “Leading Minds.” Gardner asked if there were any common characteristics shared by individuals who were without question leaders in their field.  He considered leaders throughout history in many different fields of endeavor.  He found one common characteristic shared by every one of his subjects from Gandhi to Hitler.  That common characteristic was the ability to tell a story.  He also found a characteristic that separated leaders into the Gandhi’s and the Hitler’s of this world.  I’ll leave it to Gardner to fill in the details when you read his book.  It is essential reading for the change agent and for anyone who would understand how Society works.

It makes sense that if you want to change something about our organizations you need to tell people a good story as to why.  But for it to be the only common characteristic and present in every one of Gardner’s selected individuals is perhaps a little surprising. 

From the point of view of a theory of society it makes sense that the ability to tell a story, i.e.  to spread memes is a critical characteristic.

Neither Gardner’s book nor my theory of society tells you how to tell a story.  You will need to go to other sources for that.  I think you can divide the sources into three categories; 1) writing and speaking skills, 2) techniques for persuasion, 3) the successful stories others have told.

I believe all three are important, but reading the successful stories others have told is the most important.  Only by doing this can you evaluate if the advice in the other categories is any good.  Remember that the books and workshops promoting the first two categories are to a greater or leaser extent commercialized for profit.  Some will have great content and value.  Some will not.

I suggest you do not focus on sources that are directed toward marketing, entertaining, or how to use a presentation tool.  These may be useful to know about, but if you have to dress up your ideas in a marketing pitch, be entertaining, or a professional PowerPoint user then you do not have much of a story to tell.  Certainly the stories that have changed minds did not use such approaches.

Readings:

Gardner “Leading Minds”

Exercises:

1.       Grasp any opportunity to speak or write about something.  But before you stand up in front of a group take time to prepare.  The key to becoming comfortable, knowledgeable, and convincing is preparation.  No one has ever been effective without preparation.  When someone appears to be able to speak on a subject without preparation, it is because they prepared long before the specific occasion you see occurred.

2.       Find a mentor or people who will give you feedback.  Getting comments after a presentation is relatively easy.  Just ask.  But, be selective about who you ask.  If you ask people who are good observers and good at giving feedback, be prepared to learn something you may not like.  And, be prepared to act on it.

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