As a leadership storytelling coach, I've witnessed how powerful stories can transform success in personal and professional areas. Whether you're presenting to customers, motivating your team, or building your personal brand, storytelling is a life skill that can elevate your message. But here's the catch: not all stories are created equal. Many leaders unknowingly harm their storytelling abilities. Correct these mistakes and you’ll be on your way to creating and delivering stories that connect, influence, and drive action.
The Most Common Storytelling Mistakes
1. Sharing Too Many Details
Picture this: You're at a conference, and the keynote speaker starts sharing detail after detail in their life story. Your eyes glaze over, and you start thinking about lunch. Sound familiar?
Many leaders fall into the trap of overcomplicating their stories. They believe that more details equals more impact. But here's the truth: simplicity is the real superpower.
The Fix: Keep your stories simple. The clarity of your message is most important. Focus on the core message and strip away unnecessary details. Remember, your goal is to connect, not to impress with your vocabulary. Non-native audiences must be able to follow your simple story.
2. Failing to Structure the Story
“David wakes up at 5 am, eager to be at work for the big meeting. 30 minutes into the drive…thud…thud…thud. The End.”
What’s wrong with this story? It leaves the audience hanging on a cliff. What happened? Many leaders jump into storytelling without considering the basic elements of a good narrative.
The Fix: Every story you tell must have a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning is where you grab the audience’s attention with a fast start. The middle is where you mention the main struggle. The ending is where you state the outcome and lesson of your story. You need all four elements for a complete story.
A consistent storytelling structure ensures the audience follows along logically, using the left side of their brain.
3. Avoiding the Audience's Background
Imagine telling a group of football fans that basketball is the best sport in the world. No love, right? That's what happens when you ignore your audience's perspective.
Different groups have different experiences, challenges, and interests. A story that resonates with C-suite executives falls flat with junior employees.
The Fix: Before delivering your story, ask yourself: Who is my audience? What matters to them? You can use the same story content, but tailor your message (takeaway) to their world, and you’ll see how this increases engagement.
4. Ignoring Feelings and Emotions
Facts tell, but emotions sell. I can't stress this enough. Too often, leaders focus solely on data and logic, forgetting that humans are emotional creatures. People may not remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.
A story without emotion is like a cake without frosting. It might have substance, but it lacks that deep connection we crave.
The Fix: For every story you tell, understand what feelings and emotions you experience. Connect with the right side of your audience’s brain, the feeling side, by describing your vulnerability, fear, excitement, happiness, uncertainty, and more to be more memorable. The audience may not be able to relate to your specific experience, but they are more likely to relate to how you felt.
5. Only Focusing on the Words
Have you ever listened to someone deliver a story like they're reading a news bulletin? Boring, right? Yet many leaders fall into this trap, presenting their stories in an unappealing way.
The Fix: Words are just the tip of the iceberg. When we communicate the meaning behind our feelings and emotions, words are only 7% of the impact. 38% comes from how you say the words aka vocal variety. 55% comes from body language through facial expressions, gestures, and postures. Bring your stories to life by pairing specific words with different vocal elements (e.g. volume or speed) and body language (e.g. specific hand gestures) to maximize your impact.
6. Telling Stories in the Past Tense
“I was 7 years old…afraid…I was staring death in the eye.” What’s wrong with this line?
99% of people tell stories in the past tense because the events occurred in the past. That’s the most natural way for them to describe it. But this fails to pull in the audience.
The Fix: Always tell your stories in the present tense. This way you pull the audience into the story as it unfolds. Build suspense and immediacy. Be more present in your story and relive it with the audience. "I am 7 years old...afraid...staring death in the eye."
7. Lacking a Clear Takeaway
I’ve seen so many leaders conclude a story without a clear takeaway. This is like sailing on a ship without a destination. It may be interesting for a while, but eventually, the audience will wonder, "So what?"
The Fix: Before you tell your story, ask yourself: Why am I telling this story? Is it to inspire the audience? To get them to see a new perspective? And remember to tailor your takeaway to each unique audience.
8. Not Being Authentic
Some leaders try to copy the style of other storytellers. This is not an effective practice because it’s not authentic and the audience will see through it.
The Fix: Own who you are. Embrace your unique qualities and let those shine when you tell your story. Your personality can be a magnet that pulls your audience in. Don’t try to be someone else, be yourself!
9. Winging It
Ah, the temptation to wing it. I get it – you're confident, you know your stuff. But trust me, when it comes to storytelling, preparation is everything.
The Fix: Practice, practice, practice. Rehearse your stories, get feedback, and refine them. Delivery is the most challenging part of storytelling. The more prepared you are, the more natural and impactful your delivery will be. Continue learning to optimize your delivery so your audience connects to your message.
10. Showing Off Not Showing Up
Some believe storytelling is about putting you, the hero, in the spotlight. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The audience does not want to listen to someone feed their own ego.
The Fix: Your purpose as a storyteller is to show up for the audience. Instead of focusing your attention inward, focus on the audience. Your story is a gift for them. Make everyone there feel that you're there for them. Show up 100% with an open heart and mind. If you do that, the audience will open their hearts and minds to you.
When Done Right, Storytelling is a Superpower
Avoiding these common mistakes can transform your storytelling abilities from average to amazing. Just like great leaders, great storytellers are molded through practice, self-awareness, feedback, and continuous improvement.
As you create your next story, keep these tips in mind. And if you find yourself struggling, don't hesitate to seek help. After all, even the greatest storytellers had mentors and coaches along the journey.
Ready to fast-track your career development? Let's connect and explore how storytelling can elevate your leadership and communication skills. Your next great story might be unfolding right before your eyes.
Happy storytelling!
David Ghodsizadeh is the founder and storytelling coach at Storytelling 4 Success.
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