What Leaders Can Learn From Great Fiction

Abstract The author is a bestselling novelist and the creator of The S.T.O.R.Y. Method™ and the concept of Narrative Leadership. He notes that “people often say leaders are readers.” Yet this tends to mean business books and journal articles. He wondered whether the same could be true for writing fiction, presenting in his article “timeless lessons from fiction that can help every leader communicate more vividly, and lead more humanly.” He uses examples from literature that stands the test of time, such as Shakespeare's “Hamlet” and “A Midsummer Night's Dream.” That classic nature is also recalled in 20 th century examples such as Antoine de Saint‐Exupéry's “The Little Prince,” John Steinbeck's “East of Eden,” and Harper Lee's “To Kill a Mockingbird.” He also raises four larger points from fiction; in his words 1. Empathy and Perspective‐Taking Makes You Relatable 2. Telling Stories Makes You Memorable 3. Agency and Progress Make You Motivating 4. Emotional Exercise Makes You Resilient. “Every organization and every community,” he writes, “is full of stories waiting to be heard. The best authors listen to their characters; the best leaders listen to their people and partners.”