Park Howell hosts the Business of Storytelling podcast. Today he released our interview about storytelling and how to improve your storytelling for business. Everybody agrees on the value of storytelling in all human communications. All the more in business.

Listen to the conversation!

Bonus that I missed saying in the interview

By the way, when you listen, there’s one part where Park said, “You don’t want to know what’s in my head.”

I missed an opportunity and, as much as I try to avoid interrupting, I should have interrupted to say to him,

We do want to know what’s in your head. We love to hear that inside story, that inner monologue. Everyone thinks his or her inner monologue is dark before doing the exercise. That’s one of the exercise’s great values: you learn it’s normal. Your shame and inhibition to share it decrease as your empathy increases.

As unique as you thought yours was, and whatever led you to protect it, we would have found it engaging and almost certainly would have found it familiar. Very familiar, which would have connected us to you. For example, had I shared that my mind during and interview thinks

Am I talking too much about myself? Do I sound like I’m pitching the book too much? Or maybe too little? Should I respond to something you said or bring up a topic I think is important? …

I bet listeners would have found those thoughts intriguing.

So watch out for that part when you listen to the podcast.

Listen to the conversation!

Bonus #2: Falconry

You’ll hear me mention falconry. Between recording that interview and now, the New York Times published a surround view video recorded from a camera on an eagle. I recommend watching it.

I emailed the link to it to the professor I did the exercise with that I described to Park. Though that anecdote happened almost ten years ago, the professor remembered the connection we made over it.

Bonus #3: Frances Hesselbein and our conversation

The business follow-up from the conversation with Frances that I told Park about just happened, which I posted about recently:

• Published in the Leader to Leader journal
• My Leader to Leader article featured by the Frances Hesselbein Institute

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Here are the show notes:

How to Step Up Your Leadership Game With Storytelling

To become the best leader you can be, it’s critical to give your team a call to something bigger.

These purpose-driven influences can tap into the audience’s core values and inspire action, and spark a strong movement in the community. But what if you have difficulty forming that intimate connection with members of your team? The answer, of course, is to find your story.

Our episode this week is about using your stories to engage people in what you’re doing. Joshua Spodek can tell you firsthand that this is not rocket science. Joshua is a bestselling author, world-renowned media leadership expert, and a Ph.D. in astrophysicist who has helped both NASA and ESA put satellites into orbit. How’s that for a resume? Joshua is joining us with his new book, Leadership Step by Step, to discuss how leaders can create a new story that your team can live through, thereby amplifying your impact.

With three powerful exercises and a special freebie, you will have the tools to utilize your leadership storytelling to your highest potential.

In This Show, You’ll Learn

• Josh’s meaningful connection exercise
• Finding your authentic voice
• Embracing your inner monologue

Key Quotes

• “You don’t get strong from reading about lifting weights.” – Josh Spodek
• “I think the reason people don’t do stuff is often not because they don’t see the value in it, it’s that they can’t find motivation. It’s easier to just keep doing what they’re doing.” – Josh Spodek
• “A meaningful connection is not just a friendly conversation, it’s also a business-to-business endeavor.” – Josh Spodek
• “Managers deal with behaviors, leaders deal with emotions” – Joshua Spodek
• “The greatest stories we tell are absolute authentic true stories well-told.” – Park Howell
• “To be real with it then allows you to find your own true voice and be more authentic and connect on that level.”  – Park Howell
• “Every great story is really around shaking your protagonist out of status quo.”  – Park Howell

Mentioned in this episode

• Joshua Spodek
• Joshua Spodek Twitter
• Leadership Step by Step
• Esquire
• NBC
• Forbes
• ABC
• NYU
• Inc Magazine
• European Space Agency
• NASA

Listen to the conversation!

About the podcast, from its page:

The Business of Story Podcast with Host Park Howell

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• Entrepreneur Magazine quoted me on Nelson Mandela →