Narrative Leadership Style
Narrative leadership is interpreted as the leader who aspires to construct leadership by telling stories. Leadership is a task of persuasion, of winning people’s minds and hearts. Storytelling is thus inherently suited for the task of leadership. Learn about the narrative leadership style and how to use this style to inspire and motivate followers or to manage change.
What is Narrative leadership?
Narrative leadership is interpreted as the leader who aspires to construct leadership by telling stories. Because our lives are comprised of and lived in stories, leadership can be more effective when we take into account what those we lead are saying. The premise of narrative leadership is that storytelling has a significant role in leadership and organizational rationality. Narrative Leadership refers to the use of stories and narratives to increase employee morale, create a shared need to produce change, and lead collaboration. These stories, whether focusing on how the organization encountered and overcame difficulties or how it seizes new opportunities, are all designed to create a shared vision for those who are at present with the organization or those who will be employed in the future.
This means careful listening to the history and determining the boundaries erected by a story. Narrative Leadership is the willingness to learn the storied history of people and their organization then deliberately and cooperatively using those stories to fashion a future.
The breakthrough of the narrative approach in leadership and organization studies took place roughly two decades ago. Its theoretical underpinnings stem from the narrative paradigm, which says that all human beings are storytellers (homo narrans). Stories are engaged with power in organizations. Alongside knowledge, values, and emotions, stories convey leadership influence by mediating and shaping organizational reality. According to Bruner (1991), “most of our knowledge about human knowledge-getting and reality-constructing is drawn from studies of how people come to know the natural or physical world rather than the human or symbolic world.”
The application of the idea of constructing human and symbolic reality in David Boje’s study on narrative leadership (1991) became a kind of milestone in this field. He studied the dynamics of storytelling in a large office-supply firm and illustrated how people make sense of organizational storytelling. His empirical study indicated the potential of stories for leadership; and since the early 1990s, the discussion about storytelling and narrative leadership has meandered and increased greatly.
Storytelling leadership has become more popular in academic texts and particularly in normative texts that treat stories often instrumental in inspiring and motivating followers or to manage change. It is thus seen as a “managerial tool”. The stories make sense in the organizational flow, which takes place discursively in social interaction, both on formal and informal occasions.
Narrative leadership is a method and as such adaptable to all organizations. Generally, the term means two things. The first is to create or introduce change by relating the change initiative to stories. The second is to see that an organization has a story or stories that define it. In this use, before any change is initiated the leader will determine those stories and how they may impact what is proposed. Narrative leadership can be used in any organization. It is best used where change can take effect over time.
Narratives and stories are used to:
- Build trust.
- Create company branding.
- Instill organizational values.
- Encourage collaboration.
- Optimize knowledge sharing.
- Neutralize conflict.
- Create a shared vision toward the future.
Books to Read/References:
The Leader's Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative by Stephen Denning (2011)
Related Links
You May Also Like
-
Emergent leadership occurs when a group member is not appointed or elected as leader, but rather that person steps up as the leader over time within-group interactions. Have you ever faced challenges in getting accepted into your new role of position as a leader? Groups don't automatically accept a new "boss" as a leader. Emergent leadership is what you must do when taking over a new group. Learn more about emergent leadership.
-
There are four major factors in leadership called Leader, Follower, Communication, and Situation. The success of the leader is dependent on how the leader is effectively able to communicate and motivate followers to perform desired tasks using the appropriate leadership style best suited for the given situation. Interdependencies and dynamics of these four factors of leadership must be considered by a leader to be effective.
-
Adaptive leadership is a style of leadership that emphasizes the importance of each and every person and role within the company. Adaptive leadership views the organization as an ever-changing, living organization, where employees can learn, adapt, and grow. Adaptive leaders mobilize people towards a common goal and also have the courage to experiment with new ideas and approaches. Adaptive leadership is the practice of mobilizing groups of people to tackle tough challenges and thrive. Learn how to adopt this style and how to become an adaptive leader!
-
Charisma is a certain quality of an individual personality, by virtue of which he is set apart from ordinary men. Charismatic Leader gathers followers, through dint of personality and charm. Understand the meaning and concept of Charismatic Leadership and the qualities of a charismatic leader. Gain an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of using charismatic leadership. Finally, explore the difference between charismatic and transformational leadership.
-
The ten most important qualities that define a good leader are self-awareness, interpersonal and communication skills, ethical values, organizational consciousness, self-confidence, adaptability and flexibility, imagination and creativity, focus & result-orientation, continuous self-development and accountability and ownership for his actions. These ten qualities of leadership every good leader should possess to a certain extent and must continually strive to develop them.
-
Crisis leadership is a very important part of leading in today's world. The skills a leader needs in order to guide people during a crisis are different from the skills needed to help a group grow. Are you a good crisis leader? What is your leadership style in case of a business crisis situation? A business crisis can test the strongest of leaders, read this article to explore how to ensure you’re ready to take action and weather the storm when one strikes you.
-
We define Lean as the systematic elimination of waste through a continual effort to decrease inefficiency; the lean leader strives to create a more efficient organization. Lean leadership is a philosophy. It is a consistent way of thinking and being in your role as a leader. The focus of this approach is on raising new leaders and help their team embrace a culture of continuous improvement. Learn what we mean by lean leadership style and its principles.
-
Facilitative Leadership is all about involving the employees in the decision-making process at all levels enhancing their sense of ownership, responsibility, and motivation. Facilitative leadership style uses a number of indirect communication patterns to help the group reach consensus and build commitment for the decision taken. To be effective in modern organizations, managers need to become facilitative leaders, learn what it means to be a one.
-
What are the functions which a leader does to establish as a leader? What are the activities undertaken by them to become great leaders, rather revolutionary leaders? The most important tasks done by a leader in all situations are defining the vision, mission, and goals, leading the team, administrative functions, motivating followers, decision making and conflict resolution, and continuous development.
-
A good leadership style is something that every effective leader must have in order to succeed, but identifying what that entails or does not entails might be difficult to understand. Most of the research on leadership focuses on the exemplary, best practices, and positive attributes of effective and successful leaders. This article talks about a new approach to learn leadership using lessons from bad leadership. That is the lessons to be learned by examining leaders who have not effectively exercised their power, authority, or influence.
