#47: Why Narcissists Rise to Power and What Self-Aware Leaders Do Differently
The StoryBrand PodcastShow Notes
Get free marketing videos from Don every week at WeeklySoundbite.com
Leadership success often hinges on a trait many people misunderstand: self-awareness. In today's fast-paced world, leaders are surrounded by noise: social media flattery, AI-generated validation, and constant feedback loops that create more confusion than clarity. And while confidence is essential, when it crosses into narcissism, the fallout can be devastating. Think Enron, Lehman Brothers, or any organization led by someone blind to their own flaws. Narcissistic leaders may get results, but the cost is often burnout, chaos, and shattered trust. So how do you know if you're headed down that path? And what does true, effective leadership actually look like in a world addicted to ego boosting?
This week, Don and Kyle sit down with leadership advisor and former White House speechwriter Les Corba to unpack the nuances between healthy confidence and dangerous self-absorption. You'll learn how to spot narcissistic messaging, build trust, foster honest feedback, and create a culture of self-awareness, starting with yourself. Listen in to discover how to lead with the kind of self-awareness that earns real trust and has a lasting impact.
Click HERE to get in-person help creating your marketing at the next available StoryBrand Your Business LIVE event.
Buy Les' book "Aware: The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly" on Amazon HERE.
--
Click HERE to get in-person help creating your marketing at the next available StoryBrand Your Business LIVE event!
Click HERE to find a StoryBrand certified marketing coach to help you grow your business!
Unlock the power of a framework that works—the StoryBrand Framework at StoryBrand.ai. It's like having the world's best copywriter create high-converting marketing whenever you need it. Start your free 7-day trial at StoryBrand.ai.
Learn how to make your marketing and messaging work using a proven framework in the updated book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0. Order it now on Amazon or wherever you buy books!
More from The StoryBrand Podcast
It's a ridiculously common misconception that you should be telling people YOUR story. You shouldn't.
If people can't quickly and easily understand what your product can do for them, they'll skip you and move on.
Your tagline is probably the most important piece of marketing collateral you can write. And most businesses get it wrong.
Do you know exactly what to say when someone asks you about what you sell? If not, you need to. But it's easier than you might think. In this episode you'll learn the five short soundbites that you can use to get people to quickly understand and engage with your product. The five soundbites are: 1. Problem 2. Empathy 3. Answer 4. Change 5. End Result Once you have these soundbites figured out, it will actually be easy to use them to write your company's tagline, elevator pitch, website, and all the other marketing collateral you've been struggling to get right.
How do you know if your marketing is going to work? Most people fly by the seat of their pants: they rely on a gut instinct or a general consensus, but those aren't actually very reliable. They're certainly not worth risking the future of your business on.