As Deloitte’s Human Sustainability Leader, I get asked for advice a lot. And while I have plenty of it, the best way to move people and motivate them to incorporate ways of living and working that will make their lives, and the planet, more sustainable is through stories.

I love stories and I love reading (you can read my summer reading recommendations here). And I know that, while science and data about well-being are important, the way to really reach people is through stories. 

I recently tried to put that into practice in my first TEDx Talk, delivered, appropriately, during Mental Health Awareness Month. In the talk, I tell my own story — about the lessons I learned about well-being after experiencing burnout and my subsequent cancer diagnosis.

As much as I love stories, I don’t love public speaking! Which, yes, is somewhat weird given that a big part of my job is public speaking. But a TED Talk is a different animal — meant to be a story that’s both authentic and polished. And that’s why I was so incredibly lucky to have Karen Eber as my story coach. She not only taught me how to tell my own story better, but also about how important stories are to advancing well-being and human sustainability — for ourselves, our teams, and our organizations. And that’s no accident, since that’s the subject of her fantastic new book, The Perfect Story: How to Tell Stories that Inform, Influence, and Inspire. Karen details the science of storytelling and what it does to our brains, why stories are so essential, how to tell a good story, and includes great examples of how different storytellers have approached their craft. 

I sat down with her recently, and here’s what Karen had to say about what stories can do for us.

• Sharing stories protects us from burnout in three ways:

  1. “It creates community. We recognize others that have similar struggles, aspirations, and experiences. Having someone that not only has experienced what you have, but can see your experiences, makes you feel less isolated. These moments of community create belonging and share thinking for ways to manage those feelings.”
  1. “It can help alleviate stress. There is some interesting research that says sharing those things that are fears or stresses with others helps lower our stress indicators. The ability to articulate what you are experiencing with someone listening and holding space for you often shows immediate results in cortisol and blood pressure.” 
  1. “It creates bonding. As you share stories, the bonding hormone oxytocin is released in the audience as they listen. They experience an increase in empathy and trust in the storyteller. Teams and communities that incorporate storytelling as part of their meetings can learn from each other. They can identify the pain points that need changing before they fester and burnout sprouts.”

• Stories drive company culture:

“Many people think of culture as the values hanging in the lobby or on the website, or what the CEO says on stage, but that isn’t quite right. Culture is experienced each day at the team level through interactions and is shaped by what is encouraged or discouraged. 

“Stories play a key role in highlighting what is encouraged and reinforced or discouraged. Teams that have a habit of discussing their mistakes use stories to process the learning and what they are taking from it. Teams that tell the stories of what their great leaders and teams look like help elevate thinking and provide examples for development and growth. People can internalize the story and reflect on what they want to take forward. Stories also extend leadership. They become the things that are discussed, even when the leader isn’t there.”

• Stories create psychological safety

“When people experience psychological safety, they feel vulnerable enough to discuss mistakes and lessons learned without fear of blame. Stories can help establish trust between employees and forge psychological safety. As you share stories with others, you are vulnerable. The audience experiences an increase in empathy towards you. It also sends the silent signal to your brain, ‘This person is safe to be around.’

And finally, I couldn’t let such a great story coach go without getting her advice for how we can all bring the power of stories into our lives. Here are three ways Karen says we can do just that:

  1. Create a habit of sharing stories about mistakes or lessons learned to help share group learning. Trust must be present in these moments or people won’t share for fear of blame. Leaders can role model this and send the signal that it’s welcome and encouraged. 
  1. Share professional journeys. Teams become strengthened when they gain empathy from each other. Have team members share stories about a personal or professional event that has impacted who they are today. This allows for vulnerability and creates empathy in better understanding one another.
  1. What great looks like. Highlight stories of examples of great leaders, teams, or projects that reinforce what is valued or encouraged. These stories don’t have to be about heroes. Sharing how someone navigated challenges to a successful outcome can help others consider how to do the same thing when facing similar circumstances. 

If we’re going to create a more sustainable world for ourselves and our planet, we’re going to have to use more than just data — we need stories to inspire us for the journey and to provide a roadmap for how to get there.

Author(s)

  • Jen Fisher

    𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 + 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 | 𝖡𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗌𝖾𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖠𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋 | 𝖳𝖤𝖣𝗑 𝖲𝗉𝖾𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗋 | 𝖧𝗈𝗌𝗍 #𝖶𝗈𝗋𝗄𝖶𝖾𝗅l | 𝖳𝗁𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖤𝖽𝗂𝗍𝗈𝗋

    Jen Fisher is a leading voice on the intersection of work, well-being, and purpose. Her mission is to help leaders move from the legacy mindset that well-being is solely the responsibility of the individual to the forward-thinking idea of human sustainability, which supports the long-term, collective well-being of individuals, organizations, climate, and society.  

    She’s the co-author of the bestselling, award-winning book, Work Better Together: How to Cultivate Strong Relationships to Maximize Well-Being and Boost Bottom Lines, the Human Sustainability Editor-at-Large for Thrive Global, and the host of the WorkWell podcast series.

    As the first chief well-being officer of a professional services organization, Jen built and led the creation and execution of a pioneering holistic and inclusive well-being strategy that has received recognition from leading business media brands and associations.

    Jen is a frequent writer on issues impacting the workplace today, including the importance of mental health and social connection to workforce resilience, happiness, and productivity. Her work has been featured in CNBC, CNN, Fast Company, Fortune, Inc, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and Harvard Business Review, among others.

    She’s a sought-after speaker and has been featured at events including TEDx, World Happiness Summit, Out & Equal Workplace Summit, Acumen Global Gathering, WorkHuman, The Atlantic Pursuit of Happiness event, and more. She’s also lectured at top universities across the country, including Harvard, Wake Forest, Duke, and George Mason.

    Jen is passionate about sharing her breast cancer and burnout recovery journeys to help others. She’s also a healthy lifestyle enthusiast, self-care champion, exercise fanatic, sleep advocate, and book nerd! Jen lives in Miami with her husband, Albert, and dog, Fiona.

    You can find her on LinkedIn or on Twitter and Instagram @JenFish23. You can also receive her personal insights and reflections by subscribing to her newsletter, "Thoughts on Being Well" @jenfisher.substack.com.

  • Karen Eber

    Leadership Development expert using a storytelling and everyday examples that inspire people to reach their leadership potential and be #betterthanyesterday

    Karen Eber is global leadership consultant and keynote speaker. Her TED Talk, How your brain responds to stories – and why they’re crucial for leaders, continues to inspire millions. As the CEO and Chief Storyteller of Eber Leadership Group, Karen helps companies build leaders, teams, and culture, one story at a time.

    Karen works with Fortune 500 companies like General Electric, Facebook, Kraft Heinz, Kate Spade, and Microsoft. She guest lectures at universities including the London School of Business, MIT, and Stanford. She is a former Head of Culture, Chief Learning Officer and Head of Leadership Development at General Electric and Deloitte and is a frequent contributor to Fast Company, Thrive Global, and Business Insider.

    Karen’s book, The Perfect Story: How to Tell Stories That Inform, Influence, and Inspire, helps people combine the art and science of storytelling to create their perfect stories. (October 2023 with HarperCollins)