Share Your Story: Take The Lead Wants Your Power To Change Stories
Take The Lead wants you to please submit your Power To Change stories.
Your story matters.
Take The Lead introduces the new initiative, Power To Change Stories, to highlight your personal story of specific experiences, strategies, insights, inspirations, mentorship and solutions to create change where you work and where you are.
“@Takeleadwomen introduces the new initiative, Power To Change Stories, to highlight your personal story of specific experiences, strategies, insights, inspirations, mentorship and solutions to create change. #ShareYourStory”
At Take The Lead, we are committed to racial and gender parity as our mission. We recognize the importance of stories especially now during the pandemic of COVID-19 and the calls to action to affect ongoing racial injustice. We are seeking your stories to highlight these efforts to make changes.
“At @Takeleadwomen, we are committed to racial and #genderparity as our mission. We recognize the importance of stories especially now during #COVID19 and the calls to action to affect racial injustice. ”
Take The Lead values your true and original stories and your commitment to employ the power to change not only your individual career trajectory, but also your workplace culture and communities locally and globally. Each 300-word submission can answer one of these questions:
“@Takeleadwomen values your true and original stories and your commitment to employ the power to change your #workplaceculture and communities locally and globally. #Storytelling”
1. Tell us about a moment when you experienced or witnessed an example of inequity and you spoke up and took action.
2. Tell us how you spearheaded an action to make a change in your workplace or community.
3. Tell us about ways you are shifting your own attitudes and behaviors in order to make a direct impact for change.
4. Tell us how practices in your field/discipline/workplace make you feel as well as their impact on you and how you will make a plan for changes.
5. Tell us about an individual whom you believe is demonstrating their power to make change and how they inspire you.
“Tell @Takeleadwomen about an individual whom you believe is demonstrating their power to make #change and how they inspire you. Submit your story at: https://www.taketheleadwomen.com/stories ”
Read more in Take The Lead on the power of story for your career
“Stories are powerful and can be a tool for creating change,” says Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of Take The Lead. “That is why the first leadership Power Tool is ‘Know your history.’ Because familiarity with your own story can help you create the future of your choice,” she says.
““Stories are powerful and can be a tool for creating change,” says @GloriaFeldt, co-founder and president of @Takeleadwomen. “That is why the first leadership #PowerTool is ‘Know your history.’” #ChangeMaking”
That is also why Feldt emphasizes the critical importance of stories in Power Tool #9, especially in this cultural and workplace climate. The final power tool is: “Tell your story. Your story is your power and your truth. No matter what your profession or leadership intention, your ability to help others see themselves in your story is key to accomplishing your goals.”
Read more in take The Lead on telling your story
Why is this important now?
In his new book, The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them, author Will Storr writes, “There’s simply no way to understand the human world without stories. They fill our newspapers, our law courts, our sporting arenas, our government debating chambers, our school playgrounds, our computer games, our private thoughts and public conversations and our waking and sleeping dreams. Stories are everywhere. Stories are us.”
These accolades for narrative are backed by scientific research, explaining how and why we react to stories, and how we are hardwired for engagement with true stories.
Read more in Take The Lead from Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on the power of your story
“A 2018 report from Ipsos Connect and Marketing Land offered biological insights to explain the science behind the success of quality storytelling,” according to ImagineNation. “Our brains react to metaphors, creating a neurological experience that sticks. Words that describe physical experiences activate sense and motor cortices as we comprehend the language itself.”
The telling of stories is also seen as therapeutic, and the emotional connection of sharing them is also beneficial, according to a 2018 Australian study of narrative storytelling: “The themes capture insights into the process of storytelling and reveal the therapeutic potential of narrative storytelling when coupled with an altruistic opportunity to help others through story sharing.”
Narrative therapy—the telling and writing of true personal stories—has been used in therapy for decades with profound results for physical, emotional and mental health.
“Narrative therapy—the telling and writing of true personal stories— has been used in therapy for decades with profound results for physical, emotional and #mentalhealth. #YourStoryMatters”
Read more in Take The Lead on writing to save your life
“In soliciting the stories from readers engaged with Take The Lead, the goal is to share and learn from the experiences that inform who we are and demonstrate the individual’s experience in accessing their power to change a situation, encounter, system or culture. In this way, these true personal stories of powerful transformation create community as well as outline specific strategies from a variety of points of view.”
“Stories have to service the community,” says Megan Finnerty, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, director of the Storytellers Brand Studio, founder and director of the USA TODAY Storytellers Project and moderator of the recent Power Up Conference panel, “Why Women Should Take The Lead in Politics.”
““Stories have to service the #community,” says @MeganMFinnerty, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, founder and director @Usastorytellers and moderator of the recent #PowerUp Conference panel.”
Read more in Take The Lead on Megan Finnerty and the power of story
“One of the most powerful forms of communication is storytelling, which is the use of stories to inform, persuade, and inspire others. Storytelling is compelling because all humans are hardwired to respond positively to stories,” Forbes reports.
In leadership and team management, storytelling is a helpful tool for not just communicating narrative, but communicating key strategies and creating emotional connection. At this time when millions of employees are working remotely and leaders are managing remote teams, stories become crucial tools.
“In #leadership and #teammanagement, storytelling is a helpful tool for not just communicating narrative, but communicating key strategies and creating emotional connection.”
“We are all natural-born storytellers; we all respond positively to stories, so it is a vital tool for communicating with your remote teams and colleagues. Storytelling can build trust and cohesion on any team, and trust is especially crucial on remote teams. Storytelling can create psychological safety, and it can help support team members who may be feeling isolated after months of remote work. Rather than communicating data or facts with our remote teams, we should persuade through stories of ourselves or others,” Forbes reports.
“Story is the glue that forms relationships – professional and personal alike. Effective storytellers express their individual voice, identity, and confidence, and thereby win audience trust,” writes Michael Margolis, author of Story 10x: Turn the Impossible Into the Inevitable, and CEO and Founder of Storied, according to Your Story.
Take The Lead intends to create a welcoming arena for people sharing their true stories of success and challenge in order to build community and maintain an archive of resources for inspiration, direction and transformation.
“@Takeleadwomen intends to create a welcoming arena for people sharing their true stories of success and challenge in order to build #community. #Inspiration #Transformation”
