Day 18 · Act III — Lead Performance
Storytelling for Leaders
Narrative structure · Strategic communication
~30 minutes
Data informs; stories move.
The Core Idea
Strategy that cannot be told cannot be followed. People remember stories far longer than slide decks.
A leadership narrative connects where we came from, why change is necessary, and what future we are building. It must be truthful — stories that overpromise destroy trust.
The Mental Model
Situation – Complication – Resolution
Barbara Minto's structure: set the context, introduce the tension, show the path forward.
At work: 'We grew 40% on one product (S). That product is commoditising (C). We will build a platform around it (R).'
The Case Study
Kennedy's 'moon' speech
DocumentedIn 1962 at Rice University, President Kennedy framed the goal of a crewed lunar landing within the decade.
Interpretation: a concrete, ambitious story aligned thousands of engineers toward a shared deadline.
Cinema & Story
Darkest Hour (2017)
In crisis, words can be strategic weapons that rally a nation.
The Reading Room
Made to Stick
Chip Heath & Dan Heath
Why some ideas survive and others die — and how to make yours stick.
Further reading: Resonate — Nancy Duarte
The Journal · Portfolio output: Leadership narrative
The Field Experiment · within 24 hours
Open your next update with a 60-second story rather than a chart.
The Evening Review
Lead the story, or someone else will.