The art and business of
storytelling
Yet, when I started almost 15 years ago, back
then no one knew what I was talking about. Even
storytelling was actually quite disruptive. But over
last the 15 years people have started realising
more and more how storytelling actually is the DNA
source code of our humanity. It’s the foundation
layer to the age of the internet when we’re all
creating new things, we are all expressing ourselves
in new ways. So, thankfully it has made storytelling
a kind of an increased currency, where lots of
organisations are really interested in storytelling, a
lot of individuals are realising that storytelling is a
language or a way of thinking that is actually really
important for advancing their career or being able
to communicate a vision, a strategy, raise money
and so on. It’s an exciting time to be doing story
work.
Q. Apart from the feeling of being
uncomfortable while talking about yourself,
what are the difficulties/challenges people face
while creating and telling their story?
When it comes to one’s career story, the hardest
story to tell is always our own. We can be really
good with other people and coaching them on their
story, but when it comes to talking about our self,
most of us kind of get shy and we get afraid and
it’s almost like you don’t want to hear the sound
of your voice. So when it comes to telling our own
story, a big part of it has to do with answering the
following question: Are you telling the right story for
the future you want to create?
6
AGSM
Interview by Divya Mathai
(MBA cohort 2017)
Photo Credit: Benjamin Fan
Q.
What is it about the world of storytelling
that has kept you driven for more than a
decade?
I used to suck at telling my story. I’ve always been
good with words and ideas, but I’d often find myself
tongue-tied and really insecure in high-pressure or
high-stake situations. That is, in many ways, what
brought me into storytelling, especially around
innovation, when the very nature of what you’re
doing is disruptive and challenges the status quo.
It’s a scary place to be in or to take that kind of
stand and that’s what brought me into storytelling.
Michael is fascinated by how ideas are socialized into reality.
He began his career as a social entrepreneur, with funding
from the Rockefeller Foundation before the age of 23 and
currently a global nomad on a #StoryWorldTour with trainings
in the U.S., India, Australia, and Europe.
As the CEO of Get Storied, Michael leads one of the world’s
leading schools for business storytelling. His work and ideas
have been featured by TED talks and TIME Magazine.
Sign-up for a free storytelling mini-course at
www.getstoried.com/redpill
You have to think about the end in mind. The
trajectory. Where do you want to go? And then, are
you sharing a story in a way that is actually going
to be a good stepping stone towards that? Is it the
right transportation vehicle? Because story works
two ways. Your story is a location device. It helps
us figure out where you are and helps other people
to figure out where you are as well. And story is a
transportation vehicle. The question is, is that story
taking you where you want to go?