S7 E4: Why Leaders Need to Tap into the Power of Stories with Patricio Larrea and Athulya Pulimood
The Inspire PodcastShow Notes
In this episode, Bart welcomes two members of The Humphrey Group to talk about the rise of storytelling as a leadership imperative and why great stories exist inside you.
Patricio opens the conversation by sharing why storytelling has become an increasingly critical skill for leaders in this day and age. A trend that the rise of AI has only accelerated. Athulya builds on this by explaining why storytelling has always been something that is more memorable and impactful than just sharing information and data. Together, they introduce the STORY framework, a new tool developed by THG at the heart of The Power of Stories program, and break down how both Star Wars and real-life business stories can follow the same powerful structure. They show how even those who feel like they don’t have stories can tap into meaningful experiences and turn them into powerful narratives.
Whether you're a seasoned executive or just starting your leadership journey, this episode will make you a more effective and confident storyteller no matter what role you hold or what industry you are in.
Learn more about The Power of Stories program here: https://www.thehumphreygroup.com/storytelling-for-leaders
Show Notes 1:17 Welcoming guests to the show 3:10 When did you first realize how important storytelling was? 7:23 Why stories are powerful 7:27 Our brains are wired for stories 7:42 The research behind it 8:47 Why is storytelling more relevant now than ever before 9:03 Social media has changed the way we connect 9:32 15% of social media posts — influenced by AI 10:07 When you tell a story, you connect 11:00 Building trust as a leader 11:21 Showing vulnerability 12:07 Stories stick 12:27 People remember stories, not data 15:16 A framework for building storytelling skills 15:45 A lot of stories SUCK! 16:38 S: Situation 16:58 T: Tension 17:21 O: Opportunity 18:07 R: Result 18:23 Y: Your Learning 18:43 Take a movie plot and break it down 21:37 Business story 22:06 The Steve Jobs story 25:19 An executive says, "I have no stories" 26:20 Is it appropriate to share stories? 27:39 Stories you probably shouldn't be telling 28:40 How to find your stories? 28:41 You don't have to have gone through James Bond scenarios to have good stories 31:07 The 'why' determines whether a story is useful or not 31:25 Tips for finding your own stories 32:32 The four plots that every leader needs 32:51 The hero's journey plot 32:59 Overcoming obstacles plot 33:08 Discovery plot 33:20 The rise and fall and rise again plot 34:09 Doesn't working at your stories kill the authenticity? 34:31 Making sure you're present in the moment 34:48 Do you practice stories? 39:45 How telling a personal story created connection 41:36 Thank yous
More from The Inspire Podcast
Only about 1 in 5 Canadian employees are engaged at work. So what’s causing so many people to check out, and how much of a difference can leadership really make?
Trust is at the heart of every strong professional relationship, but it isn’t built overnight. It takes time, intention, and a willingness to invest in people long before you know what the payoff might be.
What really motivates us? And why can some environments bring out the best in us while others slowly drain our energy?
In this episode, Bart welcomes Dr. Julie Morris to explore why psychological safety is so closely tied to employee engagement and high-performing teams. Julie shares her journey from earning a ThD in ethics at Duke to working in technology and ultimately at Glint, Microsoft’s employee engagement platform, where her work led her to explore psychological safety and what it looks like in practice. Drawing on that experience, Julie discusses the six pillars of employee engagement and explains how psychological safety is woven throughout them. She also shares insights from the psychological safety program she developed for managers, including three practical strategies leaders can use to foster it on their own teams.
In this episode, Bart speaks with Rabih El Khodr, author of The Way Out of Burnout, about what burnout really is, how to recognize it, and what it takes to overcome it.