Why Leaders Should Share Personal Stories with Their Teams

Feb 3

You might think that personal stories have no place in the workplace, but you'd be surprised at how powerful they can be. Sharing personal stories in a professional setting can significantly enhance your leadership and strengthen your team's cohesion. Here's why.

Building Trust and Connection

When leaders share personal stories, they allow their team members to see them as real people, not just authority figures. This humanizes the leader and fosters a sense of trust and connection. Team members are more likely to feel comfortable and open up when they see their leader doing the same. This can lead to a more cohesive and collaborative work environment.

Enhancing Communication

Personal stories can be a powerful tool for communication. They can help convey complex messages in a relatable and understandable way. For example, an executive once shared a story about a dinner with their daughter to illustrate the importance of paying attention to details. This story resonated with the audience and helped them understand the message more deeply than a straightforward explanation would have.

Demonstrating Vulnerability

Sharing personal stories often involves showing vulnerability. This can be a powerful way to demonstrate authenticity and humility. When leaders show that they are not perfect and that they have faced challenges and made mistakes, it can inspire their team members to be more open about their own struggles and to take risks without fear of judgment.

Reinforcing Values and Culture

Personal stories can also be used to reinforce the values and culture of the organization. By sharing stories that highlight key values, leaders can help embed these values into the team's daily work. For instance, a story about overcoming a challenge through teamwork can reinforce the importance of collaboration within the team.

Inspiring and Motivating

Personal stories can be incredibly inspiring and motivating. They can provide real-life examples of overcoming obstacles, achieving goals, and making a difference. These stories can motivate team members to strive for their best and to believe in their own potential.

Practical Example

Consider the story of an executive who addressed a disgruntled sales force by sharing a personal story about a dinner with their daughter. The story was about the importance of paying attention to details, and it resonated deeply with the audience. This simple, personal story helped bridge the gap between the corporate office and the sales force, leading to a significant improvement in their relationship.

Sharing personal stories can be a powerful tool for leaders. It can build trust, enhance communication, demonstrate vulnerability, reinforce values, and inspire and motivate the team. So, don't hesitate to share your personal stories at work. They can make a significant difference in your leadership and your team's success.

Kindra Hall

Wall Street Journal bestselling author and Award-Winning Storyteller Kindra Hall, MA, told her first story in the spring of 1992.

Since that time, Hall has become the go-to expert for storytelling in business and beyond. She is the best-selling author of Stories that Stick, which debuted at #2 on the Wall Street Journal Bestseller List, and companies like Forbes and Gartner say it “may be the most valuable business book you read.” Kindra’s newest book, Choose Your Story, Change Your Life is one of the Next Big Idea Club’s top 10 happiness books.

Kindra is a sought-after keynote speaker trusted by global brands to deliver messages that inspire teams and individuals to better communicate the value of their company, their products and their individuality through strategic storytelling. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, young son and daughter.