On Using Storytelling to Express the Case for Change

Did you know that storytelling and OKRs are powerful tools in driving for change to achieve an organization’s strategic agenda? Telling the right story connects the leader with the team and the organization with the customers to bring strategic change. 

In this episode of Dreams with Deadlines, Jenny speaks with Ash Seddeek, Chief Excitement Officer at the Executive Greatness Institute. Ash coaches senior leaders at large companies on storytelling, executive presence, strategic communication, the importance of reflection and ‘meeting with self,’ leadership transitions, and OKR rollouts. 

Listen in to learn how OKRs as a model for managing execution provide a bridge between the case for change and the process the organization needs to go through. You will also learn how to create a cohesive result in the organization by connecting the focal leader’s point of view with the team’s different points of view. 

“People who are determined and they believe in the outcome eventually create success even if they see mishaps.” — Ash [18:28]

What you will learn

• [2:30] How Ash helps leaders find the sources of excitement with themselves and the environment they’re leading and tap into them to drive value.
• [3:16] Chief Excitement Officer – being strategic about the future as a leader and sharing with everyone.
• [4:35] Step into the white space as a leader and articulate your organization’s vision through storytelling.
• [6:29] How to develop stories that drive change on different levels of the organization.
• [8:46] Communication factors to keep in mind as a leader when driving for change.
• [11:52] How to use OKRs to build structures that will help an organization’s case for change. 
• [14:10] The power of storytelling in helping customers visualize their experience.
• [17:33] How to leverage a company’s past stories and use them to pass a point to customers.
• [21:55] The strategy of creating a cohesive result by connecting the focal leader’s point of view with the team’s different points of view. 
• [26:30] The communication effort needed to ensure the story is landing for customers. 
• [29:53] The challenge of working on the business and in the business agendas that leaders are facing. 
• [33:40] The serious practices that leaders need to take up to ensure OKRs succeed in the long term. 
• [37:40] Ash answers more quick-fire questions. 

Relevant links

• The Road to Success Vol 2
• Meaning: How Leaders Create Meaning and Clarity During Times of Crisis and Opportunity