The Storyteller's Secret: From TED Speakers to Business Legends, Why Some Ideas Catch On and Others Don't

The poet Muriel Rukeyser once said, “The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.”

Our personal narratives—and the characters in those stories—form our identities.

Analogies help us connect abstractions to stored knowledge. The analogies stamp the content into our brains.

A company leader, by definition, sets the vision. But vision falls on deaf ears if not accompanied by a compelling backstory.

“Great brands and great businesses have to be great storytellers,”3 says Apple Store chief Angela Ahrendts. “We have to tell authentic, emotive, and compelling stories because we’re building relationships with people and every great relationship has to be built on trust.”

Storytellers motivate the largest numbers of people with the fewest words possible.

The technology supports the story. The story always comes first. And there’s no story without heart.

Having a clear sense of purpose—and communicating that purpose consistently—is a key attribute that defines inspirational storytelling, especially among leaders who run the world’s most admired brands.

the world’s greatest storytellers stick to the rule of three because it accomplishes, well, three things: 1) It offers a simple template to structure your story. 2) It simplifies your story so your audience can remember its key messages. 3) It leads to the ultimate goal of persuasion—action!