Kites

A good story is like being dragged along on the end of a piece of string. The other end is attached to a kite. The size of the kite is proportional to the level of emotional engagement with the story.  If it’s a medium sized kite (the kind of diamond shaped bamboo and tissue structure you had as a child) then it’s likely you don’t get dragged so much. You watch from a distance as the kite hovers up there dancing slightly.  Fun for the first 5 minutes, but ultimately predictable and a little dull eventually.

It doesn’t require very much of the flyer.  Resoundingly undemanding.

Then there are those sports kites. You can really feel the pull of those things. They dart around and are exciting, and they can do all sorts of cool loops and dives. Thrilling stuff, and you need to be awake to fly these babies. You NEED to be engaged or you’ll miss something. You might even let it go altogether, which would be a shame.

But you are a still in control. Kind of.

The really big kites are the kind that the use for racing buggies on beaches. They are HUGE, they are powerful, demanding, still somewhat unpredictable.  And guess what. Your feet are almost leaving the ground…NOW you simply cannot let go. It’s thrilling, scary, and unpredictable and takes every ounce of energy and attention you can muster.  But the experience will leave you breathless.

Now that’s a story.  

Why WOULDN’T you want to use this power?  I can barely believe that "Executive Storytelling" is a subject.  Seriously. 

Businesses need this more than ever, and it should be the default position of any leader. Not a weekend seminar.