Allergic to self-promotion? Try telling a story.
By Danielle Mellema, Chief Ghostwriter, Digital Content Manager
Finding ways to talk about the skills and expertise you’ve gained is an important part of advancing along your chosen career path, but for many the thought of self-promotion fills them with dread. If drawing attention to yourself and your contributions and accomplishments doesn’t feel true to who you are and the kind of leader you want to be, try telling a story instead.
Storytelling can highlight your character, thinking processes, leadership philosophy, and personal and professional experiences, but in a way that points beyond yourself to inspire and connect with the reader. It’s the perfect way to bring together knowledgeability and relatability. Marketing yourself can feel uncomfortable, but learning to tell your story not only highlights what you bring to the table but can be part of investing in the next generation of leaders in your field.
Laura Holloway, founder and chief of The Storyteller Agency, puts it this way:
“Storytelling is our obligation to the next generation. If all we are doing is marketing, we are doing a disservice, and not only to our profession, but to our children, and their children. Give something of meaning to your audience by inspiring, engaging, and educating them with story. Stop marketing. Start storytelling.”
Whether you choose to put pen to paper or record a video, whether you share your story widely or not, learning to tell your story is an important part of becoming a leader who inspires others and leads with wisdom and humility.
Not sure where to start? Try telling a story about…
An “aha” moment that helped you solved a problem, inspired a different approach, or set you on a new trajectory
A lesson you learned early in your career that you still draw upon today
A person who showed you the kind of person and leader you want to be
A recent moment of inspiration, peace, or clarity
A time when something was harder than you expected it to be, and how you overcame that
A mistake you made, and what you can see now about that situation that you wish you would have seen then
A goal you reached in an unexpected way
A case study or news story that has shaped your mindset or approach to your work
What gives you hope for the future of your industry
Something you’d ordinarily present as a how-to
A moment from childhood that showed a glimmer of who you’d be as a leader today