Great Leaders Are Great Storytellers

By Beatrice Ngalula Kabutakapua

Once upon a time, if you wanted to understand what type of leader you were, you’d take a quiz. You’d receive a neat label, and based on that, you’d attend a training session designed to improve the management skills you were supposedly lacking.

The old way of thinking about leadership focused on telling people what to do. The new way is about telling people why they do what they do.

And at the heart of this new approach? Storytelling.

Whenever I speak about storytelling in leadership, many people assume I mean that a leader should be a natural-born storyteller. They picture someone charismatic, with an innate gift for holding a room. That’s the first misconception.

The second misconception is about style. There’s often an unspoken belief that to be a leader and a great storyteller, you need to be male, extroverted, a native speaker of the language you’re delivering your story in, and effortlessly charming.

Untrue, untrue, untrue.

Having spent decades immersed in the worlds of storytelling, diversity, leadership and communication, I understand where these misconceptions come from. But rather than dwell on their origins, I want to focus on what storytelling in leadership looks like and how leaders can tap into it using their lived experience.

At work, storytelling becomes business storytelling. This isn’t just about performing a compelling narrative. It’s about linking that story directly to organisational strategy, culture or change.

Leaders who want to leverage the power of business storytelling need to embark on a journey: finding their stories, owning them, and then sharing them in ways that connect both with their audience and the business.

Along the way, leaders build a crucial leadership skill: self-awareness. Greater self-awareness leads to stronger working relationships, clearer leadership styles and deeper empathy: all essential qualities for effective leadership.

Leaders aren’t robots whose sole purpose is to issue instructions. Great leaders inspire, motivate and engage. And if you think that sounds a little too soft, consider this: over two-thirds (67%) of UK employees have left, or considered leaving, their job because of poor management.

The most effective way to engage and motivate people? Storytelling.

And the best place to start is with the leader’s own stories. Research shows that when we hear a character-driven story, we pay closer attention and retain information more effectively. In other words: stories stick.

Great leaders make storytelling a habit.

Their stories. Not their histories.  Their stories.Not their trauma.  Their stories. Not their secrets.

When I tell leaders they need to share their stories, they often worry they’ll have to put everything about themselves out in the open. But that’s not the case. The audience and the business remain the focus.

Clients I work with often find themselves needing to present, talk about their careers, or share reflections. Here are three types of personal stories leaders can tell:

• The story of why they joined the organisation strengthens values and team connection.
• The story of a challenge they faced at work teaches a valuable lesson.
• The story of a personal trait humanises and deepens the connection.

As a business storytelling coach and international speaker on leadership and communication, I could write endlessly about the power of storytelling at work. But I’ll leave you with one last thought: working on a story to share with an audience doesn’t just benefit them, it shapes you, too.

The act of searching your lived experiences for stories encourages reflection. It builds self-awareness. It makes you more visible. And in a world that too often pushes down those who are different, we need more leaders who are visible, confident and clear.

Beatrice Ngalula Kabutakapua is an inspiring storyteller and award-winning journalist who helps organisations enhance employee engagement, foster authentic leadership and improve workplace culture. Through her innovative storytelling techniques, she has empowered clients like Aviva, Netflix, Booking.com, and Save the Children to drive communication and leadership transformation across their teams. Beatrice always tailors her talks so that they focus on the organisation, their needs and the audience.