In his observation that good leaders define reality. Reality requires interpretation, and narrative work animates that effort. In this sense, your narrative should work to create reality. Our narratives may fail and, if they do, the stories that once galvanized a team can sow distrust, crippling the leaders who espoused them. If you want to avoid narrative fallacy, ground your stories in data and search for cases that don’t fit your narrative.
Key Takeaways:
- When you negotiate conflicting narratives, try to gain consensus for novel approaches and insights. Recognize that reality is a moving target, one highly susceptible to human influence as it advances unpredictably into the future.
- At its best, leadership is a constructive activity where people risk failure in pursuing progress. In ambitious projects, storytelling can backfire. Nothing guarantees that our stories will be self-fulfilling prophecies that lead to victory.
- Do not trivialize, ignore or “explain away” observations that don’t make sense. Instead, probe and learn more.
“In his observation that good leaders “define reality,” Max De Pree’s important insight is that reality does not define itself.”
http://www.ceo.com/strategy/leadership-the-power-of-stories-and-the-problem-of-false-narratives/
