Course summary

Well done on completing this course. Here is a summary of the key ideas from the course. We encourage you to discuss what you have learnt with your team.

Storytelling is an act of generosity:

• You give people the gift of a real story and it lets people find themselves in your vulnerability.
• It’s a generosity of heart that shows you didn’t do it all right and yet God still worked it out
• It creates readiness for the listener. They ask themselves “Where am I? Would I do what that person did?”
• A story is a free gift that doesn’t require anything from the listener

Storytelling is redemptive:

• When you share the redemption part of your story, you take people to the heart of God.
• God is the Redeemer.
• Sharing the redemptive thread in our stories, can be life changing to others

What makes a story engaging?

• Transformation
• Characters
• Conflict
• Mystery
• Emotion

Elements of a compelling stories:

• Authenticity
• Vulnerability
• Simplicity

Four mistakes that leaders make:

• They don’t see themselves as storytellers or feel like they are performing.
• They don’t connect the story to the strategic intent but never clearly answering the “why am I telling this story?” question.
• They avoid emotional content of stories because they either don’t want to be emotional or are presenting to a “numbers person.”
• They expect it to just happen, instead of making intentional effort to make it happen.

Leaders guide questions:

• Identify a transformative moment or experience in your life. What changed for you? Was the change sudden or gradual?
• Can you recall a time when you held back from sharing a personal challenge or flaw in your story? What held you back, and how might the story have changed if you had included it??
• Of the three elements of great stories (authenticity, vulnerability, and simplicity), which do you find most challenging when telling your story? Why do you think this is the case?