Become a better leader by nerding out on "narrative intelligence"
I grew up as an outsider, navigating racial, religious, and political discrimination within my hometown. These experiences put me up close and personal with bias and where it comes from. As I would hear folks parrot the stereotypes they learned from stories they peeped on TV, books, podcasts, and educational institutions, I discovered our deepest beliefs begin with how our narrative intelligence is molded.
Narrative intelligence is the ability to create patterns and attach meaning to what’s happening in the world around us through stories. Think of your most loving and trusted relationships—you are a keeper of their stories, and they are a keeper of yours. The closeness you’ve created with those individuals unfolded over the gift of story sharing and disclosure, creating a new narrative of meaning and importance within your relationships. Storytelling is the oldest form of communication and has incredible power in how we adopt ideas and build relationships.
When we hear a story, the neural activity in our brains increases fivefold. This incredible feature of storytelling is the result of two cognitive processes. First, narrative transportation—a phenomenon studied and coined by researchers T.C. Brock and M.C. Green, immerses you into a story. Your brain creates visuals from the story being told, your senses and emotions fire, and your values and beliefs shift with the narrative. Essentially, you adopt the themes and values of that story as your own. This process creates trust with the storyteller.
The second process, neural coupling, causes the neurons in your brain to fire in the same ways as the storyteller, creating a connection and even more trust with the storyteller. When we hear an emotionally compelling story, more of our brains become engaged, triggering empathy, improving our memory and recall, and releasing the cuddle hormone oxytocin. Our brains live on and crave stories because they feel good and simultaneously engage so many of our senses.
Leadership is storytelling with a goal. Stories are far more effective for persuasion because people are psychologically numb to numbers alone. Stories provide the emotional connection necessary to make abstract concepts personal and influential.
Trust building through story has massive impacts on behavior and leading people to take action. Numerous social impact studies showcase this effect of story on behavior—from the impact of the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin on abolitionist movements and the institution of slavery to children who watch Sesame Street averaging 11% higher in educational attainment, to millions of rice farmers being influenced to use less pesticides on crops through a 104 episode installment soap opera. Story is the fastest way to build trust and move people to action.
I help leaders within organizations adopt new stories and practices on power and leadership to create better equity and innovation within their workplace relationships. Leaders with the most disengagement and distrust also have poor practices around narrative intelligence. There’s no shared vision of why the organization exists, how its goals benefit the individual employees or a narrative on why their daily actions matter.
To improve your trust-building with narrative intelligence, here are five essential practices you can begin using today:
There is growing uncertainty and anxiety churning with the many changes and issues we face as individuals and as a collective. We need great leaders and their ideas to be at the forefront of this massive societal change. Leaders who tap into their narrative intelligence to bring critical visibility and buy-in for their ideas to build the healthy relationships necessary to put their status-quo-breaking ideas into action.
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