What's Your Story?

The presidential candidates have taught those of us in business a great deal. As their campaigns begin to come to a close, I am devoting this article to an over-arching lesson we can learn from them about stories. The all-important political “narrative” single-handedly shapes what we think of these politicans and, ultimately, whether or not we ‘buy’ them. It is well-worth a look at their narrative endeavors, to help us best craft our own. Yes, we, too, need a story about ourselves and our businesses if we intend to win the race of business success.

I will be paraphrasing the candidates’ narratives, so please allow me artistic license. Also, a caveat: in offering my observations, I am not in any way laying claim to who is the better presidential candidate; rather who has been a more effective storyteller. “Effective” is defined as “producing a desired outcome.” We will know on November 4th whose story produced the most desired of all outcomes: winning the job of President of the United States. But until then, we can measure successful narratives by the next-most desired outcome: the number of enthusiastic supporters.

So, Obama’s story goes something like this: I am a fresh voice, without Washington ties, and a deep understanding of the needs of the middle-class. Because of these attributes, I can create the change America needs.

McCain has had several narratives, but the most consistent one has been, I’ve been fighting for this country all of my life, and as such, I have the experience needed to be President.

The polls tell us that Barack Obama is the more effective of the two candidates when measured against the criterion of the highest number of enthusiastic supporters. He has leads in most of the toss-up states. Many factors lead to this level of success, but let’s again look at the role his narrative has played—and the role that John McCain’s has played in reducing his effectiveness.

A successful narrative—whether for a political candidate or for you—requires a few basic ingredients. First and foremost, it must be consistent. John McCain’s issue has been that he’s changed his story many times. The October 26, 2008 Sunday New York Times Magazine detailed five narratives from the McCain camp: 1. The Heroic Fighter vs. the Quitters; 2. Country-First Deal Maker vs. Nonpartisan Pretender; 3. Leader vs. Celebrity; 4. Team of Mavericks vs. Old-Style Washington; 5. John McCain Old vs. John McCain New.

Our narrative is our identity. The single most problematic outcome of McCain’s “story flip-flopping,” is that we don’t know who he is. Or, actually more accurately, we do know who he is: he is inconsistent. When in a fish bowl and examined for a long period of time, as both of these men have been, it is impossible for our identities not to reveal themselves. Our behavior, then, becomes our story. And this is something vital to note: others will watch how we behave…and that will become our story, whether we like it or not. Any attempt to sway “buyers” in another direction at that point will be, as Kenny Wayne Shepherd sings, “a whisper on a scream.” This is precisely the problem into which McCain has walked himself.

Next, an effective narrative needs to be one that people believe (i.e. it syncs with what they witness of the candidate themselves). This idea dove-tails nicely from the last point: our behavior either jibes with our story, or it doesn’t. McCain’s first story of “Heroic Fighter” jibes with the POW images we’ve seen and the written accounts we’ve read. We believe that story. But “Country-First Deal Maker” did not align—as far as a large portion of the population was concerned--with his vice presidential pick. “Leader vs. Celebrity” didn’t quite jibe, for many, with his plan to forego the first Presidential debate and head to Washington to discuss the bail-out package. And he couldn’t very well disparage Obama for being a celebrity, when Palin become an instant one. “Team of Mavericks” didn’t align with his policies, for the most part, and his last efforts to reclaim the “Old McCain” storyline—a man who insisted on running an honorable campaign--didn’t sync with his attacks on Obama.

It was not only hard to follow McCain’s many narratives and decide which one really identified him, but it was equally hard to believe the stories in the face of conflicting behavior.

Our story also must sync with people’s own stories. Seth Godin, in his great book, All Marketers Are Liars, (which is also all about storytelling) assures us of the futility of telling our stories to people whose “worldview” will never let us in. For instance, the political candidates aren’t wasting their time telling their narratives to one another’s “bases”; they’re telling them to their own bases, and to the “independents”—whose worldview could potentially embrace theirs. Godin writes, “Don’t try to…insist that people change their biases. You don’t have enough time and you don’t have enough money. Identify a population with a certain worldview (preferably a neglected worldview), frame your story in terms of that worldview, and you win.”

One could argue that Obama identified a neglected worldview—millions who felt that their voice had been silenced over the last eight years—and he framed his story to sync with theirs. McCain never did identify a population with a worldview other than the Republican base’s worldview—and he never successfully identified a neglected worldview.

Stories that stick are stories that sync with others’ stories.

And lastly, (though this article is in no way the definitive word on storytelling—in fact, much more on this subject next time), our narratives must speak the truth about us. Our behavior will always reveal the truth about us, and thus define who we are in the eyes of others, but the story we seek to craft must be authentic. We cannot write a story because we believe it’s what others want to hear—which, I think, is the trap McCain and his advisors put themselves in. We must write a story that is true about us and speaks to our deepest beliefs, even if some others don’t want to hear it.

So, in what ways are you reflecting on your own business path as you read this article? Have you developed your narrative, or have you never even considered it? If you have one, is it consistent, or have you vacillated on it even more than once in the last few months? Does it align with the way you conduct yourself? Does it align with the worldview of a group of people that accepts yours? And is it a crystal-clear reflection of who you really are, or are you trying to be what you think others want?

When considering your narratives, consider crafting three: a big-picture, over-arching story that defines your business philosophy; a narrative that defines you; and a narrative that defines your product or service. As examples, here are mine, in brief: 

My over-arching story: To be successful, you must stand apart from everyone else in your field--and everyone else period. You achieve that most effectively by what you choose to say. Put your focus there--and make it unlike what anyone else is saying. 

My personal story: My professional and personal success has come from the single, core choice to leave the pack and do things differently, even when it wasn’t popular.

The story of my services: My “New Paradigm of Audience Leadership” will single-handedly differentiate you from all other speakers and get you the results you’re up there to get.

So, what's your story?