The Day I Stopped Giving Instructions
There was a time when I thought leadership meant giving instructions. Clear, precise, bullet-pointed tasks. Do this, then this, then this.
But the results were always mixed. People forgot. People disengaged. People delivered half-heartedly.
Then one day, almost by accident, I explained a project differently. Not as a list, but as a story. I said: “We’re in Scene 1. Here’s the tension. Here’s where we need to end up. Here’s how your role moves the plot forward.”
And everything shifted. The team leaned in. They remembered. They cared.
That’s when I realized: leadership isn’t about tasks. It’s about story.
The Problem: Instruction vs. Inspiration
Traditional leadership leans on instruction. Step-by-step clarity. But instruction doesn’t inspire.
- Tasks explain. Stories persuade.
- Instructions tell people what to do. Stories tell people why it matters.
- Lists fade. Narratives stick.
What stats say:
- Stanford research shows stories are 22x more memorable than facts alone.
- Harvard Business Review found that leaders who use storytelling are rated 50% more effective at inspiring teams.
- Neuroscience research shows stories activate both the language and sensory parts of the brain, creating empathy and retention.
People don’t follow instructions. They follow stories.
Personal Anecdote: Story as Leadership
When I was designing decks for a pharma client, I noticed the same pattern: teams tuned out when we explained compliance rules as instructions.
So I reframed them as stories. Instead of: “You must follow this regulation,” I said: “Imagine a doctor in front of a patient, making a decision. This regulation exists to protect that moment. Here’s the story.”
Suddenly, compliance wasn’t abstract. It was human. And teams not only remembered it, they cared about it.
That was the leadership shift: from managing tasks to guiding through narrative.
Framework: Storytelling as Leadership Tool
Here’s how I now use storytelling in leadership:
Start with Scene.
Where are we now? Frame it like a beginning.
Define Tension.
What’s the challenge, the obstacle, the risk?
Paint the Future.
What does success look like? Give people a vision.
Assign Roles.
Show how each person contributes to moving the plot forward.
Rehearse Together.
Leadership is performance. The team needs to feel the arc.
This works with teams, clients, even executives. Because everyone wants to know the story they’re in.
Data: The Persuasion of Narrative
- A London School of Business study found that people retain only 5–10% of Data: but 65–70% of stories.
- A 2021 Deloitte report named storytelling one of the top five leadership skills of the future.
- Neuroscience (fMRI studies) shows that stories trigger mirror neurons, literally syncing the audience’s brain with the storyteller’s.
Storytelling isn’t soft. It’s hard science.
ADHD and Story Leadership
For me, ADHD makes storytelling a natural leadership style.
Linear task lists bore me.
Narrative arcs energize me.
Pattern recognition helps me.
I see storylines in chaos that others miss.
Emotional sensitivity fuels me.
ADHD rejection sensitivity makes me hyper-aware of team dynamics: which makes my stories more empathetic.
Where instruction failed, story worked. Not just for them. For me.
Actionable Takeaways
If you want to lead through storytelling:
Translate Tasks into Scenes.
Instead of “Phase 1,” say “Scene 1: The Battle We Must Win.”
Use Metaphors.
People remember images, not jargon.
Give Everyone a Role.
Make each person the hero of their subplot.
Repeat the Narrative.
Anchor every meeting in the story arc.
Close the Loop.
Celebrate the ending before starting the next arc.
Conclusion: Leadership Is Story
The day I stopped giving instructions and started telling stories, my leadership transformed. People remembered. People cared. People acted.
Because leadership isn’t about authority. It’s about narrative.
And when you embrace storytelling as leadership, you stop being a manager of tasks and start being a director of meaning.
That’s when work stops being routine, and becomes undeniable.
