The idea of using storytelling as a tool in a leader’s arsenal has begun to sink in. Finally, stories are leveraged for things other than marketing or PR campaigns. Stories help get buy-in from teams or funding from investors. Stories provide a way to navigate bad news while keeping teams motivated. Stories can even be leveraged by the leader themselves to share a vision or articulate their value.

However, it is not just the stories we tell, it is how we tell them that makes them powerful and ultimately effective.

I could write a book about how the ability to tell great stories, effectively and authentically can be invaluable to a leader. As a matter of fact, I did cover much of it in my book Turbulence. But something is happening at the moment in how certain stories are told, which is heading in a bad direction.

Over the past two years without in-person events or conferences or very serendipitous meetings in the break room, everyone has resorted to telling their stories online. LinkedIn has shifted in tone and volume of content as everyone posts one-off stories and episodic narratives about themselves, their leadership, and their organizations.

Hey, I get it.

Visibility is not easy when you’re always sitting behind a computer. However, I have seen people I know and have known for years shifting how they tell their stories. It is no longer an authentic telling of a story but tweaked or even a complete reimagining of their stories. It seems the faking of Insta stories with Photo filters and green screens, has found a way into our professional presence.

Beware, leaders by their very job description are in the limelight. They are front and center and have the spotlight shining on them.

If your storytelling isn’t authentic, you will be found out. You may gain followers and rake up awards in the short term but lose influence in the end.

At the foundation of effective storytelling is Credibility. We can all think of a time when a great story told by a storyteller with little to no credibility fell flat. Credibility is all about trust. A leader’s ability to gain trust is important but their ability to retain trust is much harder and absolutely fundamental.

Trust once lost is hard, if not impossible to get back.

To tell your stories powerfully and authentically remember:

1. Stick to the facts.
2. Edit for your audience but don’t omit key elements.
3. Ensure you are telling the story for your audience, not for yourself.
4. Stick to the 3 R’s – Keep it Real, Relevant, and Relatable.
5. The most powerful leadership stories don’t sound like they were written by a PR team. They are campfire stories told by those who want to see others become great leaders too.

Credibility is a word used when talking about leadership. But let’s talk about what Credibility truly means.

We work in a world where individuals (notice I did not say leaders) talk themselves up online, celebrate wins, and tout their credentials. None of these things make one credible as a leader. At the end of the day, your credibility is not about what you say, how often you are interviewed on podcasts and panels, or even whether or not you get an exit for your company.

Credibility as a leader is determined by whether or not others follow you.

Will others be motivated because they trust your vision even when they don’t see it? Will others follow you when things get hard because they believe you have a path to success? Will others follow you because they know that they, not just the company, will be successful because your people are part of your motivation?

The events in Ukraine have highlighted what a credible leader does for those who follow him. But it is not new for Volodymyr Zelenskyy. His current circumstances have asked him to step up in ways most leaders in the world will never fathom. However, his credibility as a leader was evident long before.  In his inaugural address, he said “I do not want my picture in your offices: the President is not an icon, an idol or a portrait. Hang your kids’ photos instead, and look at them each time you are making a decision.”

This is absolutely what we want our political leaders to say and, more importantly, believe. However, why do we expect less of our business leaders? What if everyone leading a company wanted their team to believe that each decision they made, was going to make things better for them and their kids and not just their shareholders or investors? What if business leaders spent less time having a PR firm promote them as thought leaders and focused on how to make the members of their teams thought leaders who elevate the business?

Credibility is not about your confidence or your credentials or awards. Credibility is about what others think and believe of you. It is simply a different metric. Credibility as a leader is measured by the people, not profits.

No one can be confident driving down a road in heavy fog.

Even if you believe you know the road well. There will always be unexpected obstacles and dangers to your wellbeing just around the corner (the one you can’t even see).

Now, why in the world would it be any different in business? In my work, I see a lack of clarity, creating issues for leaders.

How can you engage investors if your vision is unclear?
How can you sell your product if the value to your customer is unclear?
How can you have a healthy team dynamic if the culture is unclear?
Why would anyone follow someone who wasn’t clear where they were going?

We move so fast these days. We don’t slow down, much less stop to ensure we are clear on our direction, our decisions, our strategy, or our goals. We think that to grow means we have to keep going and focus on simply doing more. But without clarity, you will be like that car in the fog.

All this lack of clarity can be perceived as a lack of confidence. And well, no one wants that.

The good news is that, unlike the metaphor, you can clear the fog and see clearly. It sounds simple, but I see how much my clients struggle to get into the habit of:

Slowing down – set time aside on your calendar to ask yourself if your plan, your team, your vision is clear.

Asking Questions – Sometimes we don’t even realize clarity is lacking until we ask others. There is a reason focus groups and surveys are a common tool in business. Metrics are a way to ensure the right questions are being asked and monitored on a regular basis. Informal, one-on-one asks can also provide even more valuable insights.

Own it – If you’ve slowed down and asked questions and things are still unclear, it’s important to state that clearly. No one expects a leader to always have all the answers. They just want to know that they are aware and always looking to bring clarity.

Here we are at the beginning of December and most of you are finalizing or have completed your strategic plans for 2022. Goals are set, metrics defined, and outcomes articulated to staff and board alike.

Now how about your personal Strategic Plan? Are you going to go through 2022 with no personal goals?

If your company, department, or your career are growing, then your leadership effectiveness must as well. Without a clear and well-crafted plan, you may find yourself encountering self-created Turbulence over the next twelve months.

So, craft your own Leadership Development Plan for 2022. Here are a few simple steps to follow.

1. Choose no more than two goals – This type of shift can take time and long periods of focused effort. Give yourself the chance to make a real shift and by extension gain the deep satisfaction of both seeing and feeling the results.

2. Break down what needs to shift in order to achieve that goal – This is often the hardest part. However, if you are honest with yourself, you can probably make quick work of it. What do you need to start doing, stop doing, or do more of to achieve your goals?

3. Identify the strength and opportunities for growth – Doing a personal SWOT analysis is important. Once you know the skills and qualities to leverage, you may need to mitigate to achieve your goals and make the next steps so much easier. There are many great assessments out there (DISC, Myers-Briggs, Hogan) to help get you started. But then be bold and ask others to weigh in. Mentors, sponsors, and peers can provide insight without the judgment that makes obstacles and challenges hard to accept.

4. List specific actions you can take to leverage your strengths more often – Limit the effects of qualities that may be getting in your way and build new skills and leadership muscles where needed. The list may include everything from taking an Improv class to becoming more comfortable contributing off the cuff or making more eye contact with the disruptive, contentious board member who keeps slowing things down. At least they will know you can’t be intimidated or shaken from your resolve.

Right now is a great time to start your plan. Even if you just set time aside on your calendar for later in the week or jot down some notes to get you started, don’t wait. If you are really bold and truly committed to your plan, share it with me and I’ll help keep you on track and accountable.

Here’s to 2022!

This year I have been sharing some highlights from my book Turbulence: Leaderships Unsexy Solution to Streamline Rapid Growth. Each chapter focuses on areas of leadership that can be improved to avert Turbulence. Here is an overview of some of the things covered.

If there is something on this list you think needs work, let me know. I’m here to help.

1. Learn to have effective and productive conversations with all stakeholders.

2. Clearly communicate a well-articulated vision: If you don’t know where you are going, you will end up nowhere. If you can’t articulate where you are going, no one will follow you there.

3. Embody your Internal and external confidence to show up and engage as a leader.

4. Leverage Storytelling for persuasion, influence, and inspiration!

5. Clearly communicate culture and expectations for successful hiring.

6. Lead rather than Do – The job of a leader is not to direct or micromanage. It is to coach, support, and inspire.

7. Stop avoiding conflict and learn to reframe.

8. Focus on Authenticity, not Likability, and lead with your ‘It’ Factor.

9. Be Self-Aware without being Self-Critical to help you assess and create a plan to scale your leadership.

This is a great time of year to slow down to self-assess and create a plan to make 2022 a turbulent free year. (and who doesn’t want that!)

You can get your copy of Turbulence on Amazon.

Research shows that leader authenticity can have powerful outcomes for organizations. One study found that “employees who perceived their entrepreneur/leader to be more authentic had correspondingly higher levels of organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and work happiness.” When commitment, job satisfaction, and work happiness are high, productivity and financial outcomes also improve, so there is good reason to pursue authentic leadership. When working with clients, I define authenticity in two ways. The first is “not copied.” I find this helps frame an individual’s authentic leadership style as unique and original to them rather than like anyone else. The second is “true to oneself.” This becomes an internal measuring stick to keep us authentic when work becomes hectic and turbulent. Essentially, your authentic leadership style is your own distinct and powerful language, which you can leverage to build credibility and influence. Leading authentically requires that you embrace who you are, what you lead with—your It Factor. Some people lead with humor, others with charm, still others with positivity. There are almost as many styles as there are leaders, and one way isn’t better than another. The key is to learn what you lead with, embrace it, and lean into it. *If you’d like to read more, you can find it in my book!