Today I am sharing a post from John Zimmer… There is a small group of blogs that I always read. One is John Zimmer’s Manner of Speaking. This week he shared a video he found of Kevin Spacey (the actor) talking to an audience of online marketers. Kevin Spacey talks about 3 ingredients of compelling … Read more
Storytelling is the most important tradition humans possess. Stories teach us to love, to forgive others, to be just and to strive for better than we have. Stories share and reinforce our values as human beings living together in society. In business, stories are the building blocks of culture. Peter Drucker says “Only 3 things … Read more
I am currently reading “The Power of Story” by Jim Loehr. In the introduction he puts a name on the widespread condition of “presenteeism“: “Without investing high-quality, focussed energy in the activity before you, whatever it may be, setting time aside simply takes us from absenteeism to presenteeism – a condition increasingly plaguing American business, a … Read more
Stories are Predictable “We think of stories as a wildly creative art form but within that creativity and that diversity there is a lot of conformity. Stories are very predictable. No matter where you go in the world, no matter how different people seem, no matter how hard their lives are, people tell stories, universally, … Read more
At the very simplest, a story is: A character Who wants something Overcomes obstacles to get it An epic story is A character Who wants something massive And is willing to risk everything to get it The real depth of any story is not whether the character achieves the goal but who they become as … Read more
Kurt Vonnegut is an American writer (1922-2007) famous for his satire and humour in the face of desperate circumstances. He has a wonderful theory on “the shapes of stories” – which he presents in the 4 minute video available below. Vonnegut’s 8 Rules for Telling a Story In his book Bagombo Snuff Box: Uncollected Short Fiction, … Read more