Beyond Storytelling – When Stories Lead Leadership

The new book, „BEYOND STORYTELLING” provides a platform for transdisciplinary dialogue on the function of stories in organizations. It brings together authors from fields as diverse as leadership, marketing, (e-)learning design, knowledge management, change and organizational development under one cover to explore the potential of these approaches within organizations.

Storytelling is a management buzzword. Becoming a better storyteller seems paramount for leaders that want to reach their markets, stakeholders and employees in the age of complexity, volatile markets and data abundance. While storytelling is a key component of what makes a message stick, there are many more ways in which organizations can profit from narrative approaches.

In an essay entitled: “When Stories Lead Leadership. Narrative Perspectives on Leadership, Leaders and Their Development”, LEIZ visiting researcher Dr Angelica Marte and LEIZ director Prof Josef Wieland tell stories about leadership and leadership-development programmes, and how they are narratively embedded in organizations. Presuming that narratives play a crucial role before, during, and after the devising of such programmes, this article demonstrates how such narratives determine leadership and leadership development.

The volume is a project of the BEYOND STORYTELLING NETWORK which runs an annual conference bringing together experts and practitioners to explore and connect their different approaches to working with stories.

Check out the results of their 2017 conference here