Lead with a Story - by Paul Smith (Hardcover)

About the Book

Storytelling has become the latest and greatest tool for effective, inspirational leadership. Learn how a stunning delivery can result in phenomenal success.

Book Synopsis

LEADERSHIP STARTS WITH STORYTELLING

With clarity around your message, you will energize those you lead and create a vision they can buy into. But first, you must first write the story that will get them excited and ready to execute.

Clarity is key for any successful leader, so much so that top corporations, such as Micorsoft. Nike, Proctor and Gamble, Kimberly Clark, and many more, have incorporated storytelling into their leadership training programs. These companies know that before you can become a strong leader, you must first master the art of storytelling so you can communicate your vision to your team and inspire them to execute on objectives.

The power of storytelling will allow you to:

• Envision Success- lead change by identifying goals in your story and building team commitment.
• Create an Environment for Winning- create a team culture and identify values that encourage collaboration and value diversity.
• Energize Your Team- use your story to help others find passion for their work by building courage, inspiration, and motivation.
• Inspire and Educate- teach your employees key lessons and provide coaching and actionable feedback.
• Empower Others- use storytelling to delegate authority and encourage targeted innovation that supports your vision.

If you want to be a leader others want to follow, you must master storytelling and use that skill to communicate a vision that your team can support.

From the Back Cover

In the world of business, storytelling has emerged as a vital skill for every leader and manager, with major companies encouraging its use as a means to sell ideas, communicate a vision for the future, and inspire commitment. Whether it's in a speech or a memo, communicated to one person or a thousand, using stories to convey your ideas allows you to engage others emotionally and to effortlessly make them remember and "experience" your ideas on a tremendously powerful, personal level.

In Lead with a Story, you'll find over 100 ready-made stories, organized by 21 tough leader-ship challenges, that will help you:

- Define culture and values

- Engender creativity and innovation

- Foster collaboration and build relationships

- Provide coaching and feedback

- Lead change

- And much more

Packed with exercises to help you leverage the stories and practical advice on crafting your own, the book introduces you to the six key elements you'll need to turn a good story into a great one: metaphors, emotion, realism, surprise, style, and, most important, putting your audience into your story to have the most impact.

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR LEAD WITH A STORY:

"Stories are flight simulators for our brains, and in this book Paul Smith brings you a story for every important challenge you and your team will face at work. If you master these stories, you'll master your challenges."

-- Chip Heath, coauthor of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

"A compelling book that will help bring alive the power of storytelling to make a meaningful difference in your business or your life."

-- Sara Mathew, Chairman and CEO, Dun & Bradstreet

"As a marketing consultant, I'm constantly looking for great stories that bring clarity to new ideas. Lead with a Story is now my go-to source for stories that inspire change across a broad range of business challenges. This is a must-read book for any leader who wants to up their game by leading through inspiration."

-- Andy Murray, Founder, Saatchi & Saatchi-X and Mercury11

"This book offers the most storytelling success stories I've seen between two covers. It is invalu-able for any leader who wants to inspire, motivate, or persuade."

-- Annette Simmons, bestselling author of The Story Factor and Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins

"Over a hundred stories--ancient and modern, funny and poignant--and all of them thought-provoking. A great resource for any businessperson looking for new and innovative ways to tackle leadership challenges."

-- Margaret Parkin, UK-based training coach, speaker, and bestselling author of Tales for Trainers

Review Quotes

..".full of ideas on how to use narratives to engage your listener." --Financial Times

..".anyone could pick up the book, understand the actionable advice, and begin telling their own stories right away." --SalesEngine.com

..".brilliant...filled with rare insights and 'you had to be there' style stories, this book lives up to its promise of using storytelling to deliver powerful lessons." --Rohit Bhargava blog

..".offers interesting, engaging and practical advice for effectively crafting your own stories to better accomplish your personal and organizational goals." --The Journal of Healthcare Contracting

..".outlines a comprehensive, yet very practical guide to telling stories in business...a must read for anyone who engages with customers, stakeholders and employees." --CMSWire.com

..".provid[es] the literary tools to create great stories that can teach, motivate and lead." --Wharton Magazine

..".shows readers how to tell stories that build bridges into their future. If you want to go far, combine your competence with storytelling." --Leadership Freak

..".this practical resource gives readers the guidance they need to deliver stories to stunning effect." --Abduzeedo Design Inspiration

..".thoughtful, meaty, comprehensive and seriously useful... profoundly straightforward and helpful..." --Authentic Organizations

..".touts the value of story telling as a communication tool for business people." --800-CEO-Read

ExecRank Distinction Awards for Business Books 2012

Masters in Communications 100 Influential Books Every Communications Major Must Read 2014

NOOP (Exploring the Networked Economy) 40 Best Influence & Persuasion Books 2013

The Influential Marketing Book Award 2012

27 Gen: Generational Learning Works Both Ways 12 Best Books 2012

"getAbstract recommends that managers, salespeople and presenters read this charming compilation, from its useful instructions all the way to its happily ever after." --getAbstract

"[Smith's] depth of understanding on how to craft great stories...has him doing some of the most important work of our time on the subject." --Ryan Powell blog

"Buy this book and let it help you find your story. Let Paul Smith show you how to tell that story." --PCB007

"By taking Smith's instructions to heart and becoming master storytellers, we may all avoid fidgeting, glassy-eyed audiences in the future." --ABA Banking Journal

"Get a jump start on developing your own bank of leadership stories and check out Lead with a Story today." --Seven Story Learning

"I truly adore this book and recommend it to busy executives who want a quick source of material to use in their presentations and communications." --Speaking Practically

"I've been searching for an excellent book on storytelling in business. And I found it: Paul Smith's Lead with a Story." --Speaking Practically

"If you are a speaker, a teacher, a friend, a pastor, a worker, a leader...you will learn from this book! PICK IT UP!" --I'd Rather Be Craving blog

"If you brief people, make speeches, or give presentations to your board or other groups, the book is worth your time." --Musings from the CU Suite

"Packed with a wide variety of stories and scores of key lessons on leadership, Lead with a Story is an engaging and informative resource for any leader." --Soundview blog

"Paul Smith is the consummate storyteller, but he is also a generous, sharing teacher who imparts a great deal of wisdom in his book." --ForeWord Reviews

"Take your leadership skills to a higher level by crafting business stories that captivate, convince, and inspire!" --Management is a Journey

"The book is chock full of great stories and clear, simple techniques you can use to be a better storyteller." --thoughtLeaders

About the Author

PAUL SMITH is director of Consumer & Communications Research at The Procter & Gamble Company and a highly rated leadership and communications trainer for P&G's management training colleges.