108 / TAKING UP YOUR LEADERSHIP ROLEWorking at relationships
Telling stories
We each carry in our heads our own
stories—the narratives we have
constructed over the years to make
sense of our collected experiences,
emotions, habits, and thoughts.
These stories bias our perspective
in all new situations and may push
us toward embracing the future
or—conversely—constrain our actions.
Relationships are built by exchanging
these stories with other people we meet.
As we tell our stories, we disclose more
about ourselves, our backgrounds, roles,
and beliefs—and create new, emergent
stories. Just as individuals have their
own stories, so do organizations;
these stories encompass the history
and values of that organization and
describe how they get things done.From your earliest days as a leader, you will need to build relationships
with your team and a range of stakeholders throughout the organization.
The ability to understand and influence people is a key skill, and thinking
of relationships in terms of “stories” gives you some tools to analyze
and control your interactions.Do the stories convey
a strong moral code,
judgments, or beliefs?Relationships are built by
exchanging stories. Just
as individuals have their ownstories, so do organizations
US_108-109_Working_at_relationships.indd 108 30/05/16 3:02 pm