I've been thinking about our conversation on Monday.
A few weeks back, I wrapped up another semester teaching graduate Project Management at Jessup University.
As I was meeting with students about their final projects, I found myself wondering...
Years from now, what will they actually remember?
Will it be the project charter?
The Gantt chart?
The executive status report?
Maybe.
But I have a feeling they'll remember something else.
The stories.
The story about the project that failed before it succeeded.
The story about a leader who admitted they didn't have all the answers.
The story about taking a risk.
Making a mistake.
Learning the lesson.
Trying again.
One statement from a recent leadership course has stayed with me all week.
The brain is wired for stories.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized storytelling isn't just something authors or speakers do.
It's one of the greatest gifts we can give another person.
Think about it.
When someone shares a story about overcoming failure...
You borrow courage.
When they talk honestly about grief...
You borrow hope.
When they describe starting over...
You borrow possibility.
Stories help us believe that if someone else found a way forward...
Maybe we can, too.
As a coach, I've noticed something else.
The most powerful stories aren't always the ones we tell other people.
They're the ones we tell ourselves.
"I'll never be good at this."
"I'm too old."
"I've missed my chance."
"I'm not enough."
Those stories shape our decisions long before anyone else hears them.
But here's the beautiful part.
Stories can be rewritten.
Instead of saying...
"I failed."
What if the story became...
"I'm learning."
Instead of...
"I'll never figure this out."
What if it became...
"I haven't figured it out yet."
The facts haven't changed.
But the story has.
And sometimes that's enough to change the future.
Coffee Conversation
Before we finish our coffee together...
Can I leave you with one question?
What story have you been telling yourself that no longer deserves a leading role in your life?
Don't rush to answer.
Sometimes we don't realize we've been living inside an old story until someone gently invites us to imagine a new one.
This Week's Reminder
The stories you tell yourself become the life you build.
Choose them carefully.
Until next time, keep leading with strength and living with purpose.
-srt
#ThursdayThoughts #Storytelling #LeadershipDevelopment #Coaching #Mentorship #Learning #GrowthMindset #LeadWithStories #ProfessionalDevelopment #Purpose #ReaCoachingandConsulting
