Why Stories Beat Data: The Neuroscience of Leadership

In my workshops on leadership and empathy, I like to start by telling leaders to reflect on a past leader they worked for who influences their approach to leadership. I then ask them two questions – what was the % increase in market share gained under their leadership? And what did they value most about working for this leader?

No matter which industry these leaders work in, every time I do this warm-up exercise leaders struggle to answer the concrete question around metrics and data, but become very animated answering that fuzzy question of how this leader made them feel.

What this exercise demonstrates is that while data can inform us, it’s the stories we tell that ignite our drive to action. The reason for this comes down to how our brain functions.

What Neuroscience Says About Facts vs. Stories

Neuroscience studies have found that when we are presented with just facts, the language processing parts of our brain light up.

However, if we present those same facts within a story, several parts of our brain light up – namely the sections of our brain that deal with sensory processing, emotional response to stimuli, and even sections involved with motor control.

This is why we remember a story we were told more than a fact or piece of information – more parts of our brain respond to hearing a story than to hearing a fact.

So with this understanding of the neuroscience of storytelling, there are a few additional things you can do to ensure your leadership narrative drives action in your organization.

3 Elements Every Leadership Story Needs

For starters, in crafting a narrative around your vision, make sure to include sensory elements that will allow people to see and feel the future you want them to help create.

Next, make sure your story has emotional components to it. Research has shown that when we listen to stories, oxytocin is released which increases our empathy and feelings of trust.

And finally, as you’d find in any good story, make sure to include tension and release in your narrative.

Again, as I share in my keynotes on empathy, our brain seeks patterns due its drive for completion. So allowing people to anticipate what’s going to happen and offering that resolution is a powerful way to leaving a lasting impact.

Now if you’ve attended one of my leadership keynotes, you’re probably realizing now that this is exactly what I do with the stories I tell. And it’s also why you still remember not only the stories, but the keen leadership insights framed within these stories.

Turning Your Vision Into a Story That Drives Action

It’s our job as leaders to not only create a compelling vision that inspires others to commit their best efforts, but that we do so in a way that provides clarity over what matters and why.

As neuroscience studies have shown, using the power of storytelling is an effective way for leaders to accomplish this.