Esther Choy, Author at Leadership Story Lab

Discover Someone’s Character In 20 Minutes

At one very memorable Leadership Story Lab workshop a few years ago, a participant named Mary Johnson sat down to exchange stories with a partner. After they interviewed each other, the partner shared Mary’s story: When packing for a trip to Australia, you normally think of taking your swimsuit, sunglasses, and sunblock. However, for…

How To Make Your Employees Feel Valued

A 2018 Gallup poll made a strong connection between an increase in employee engagement and “recognition received for work accomplishments.” Employee engagement is as high it has ever been since Gallup started tracking it in 2000–yet it is still just 34%. This makes it likely that a large portion of any organization’s workforce could stand…

Earn Your Right to Tell Stories: 5 Quotes to Inspire You

We must earn the right to our audience’s attention. Telling stories, whether in a presentation or conversation, is not about you–it’s about your audience. Why should people care about what you have to say? Is it because you think your content is important? Because you have a burning desire to share it? No. To manage…

3 Tricks to Stand Out In A Competitive Environment

If you were in a competitive environment, facing competitors with more financial backing and industry experience to purchase the business you’d always dreamed of, where would you start? Or, if you were to go through 140 interviews in five days to beat four other final job candidates, how would you prepare? Margaret Page: Toastmasters Margaret…

How Leaders Use Storytelling To Inform And Influence

The best leaders don’t spend precious time reminding people of everything they’ve accomplished. Instead, they tell stories. The best actually collect them, thoughtfully and diligently. Through stories, they convey their character and remind people of visions worth pursuing. Here’s how two of the most inspiring leaders use storytelling to inform and influence others. 1.…

Storytelling Wins Trust During On-Campus Recruiting

Companies too often think they have most of the power in recruiting relationships– especially if their brand is a household name, or if every job posting incites an avalanche of applications. But the reality is that attracting top talent and laying the groundwork for future loyalty means dedicating your on-campus time to persuading students to…

Don’t Start With Your Credentials. Start With This Instead.

In one of the most-viewed TED Talks of all time, Simon Sinek said all business discussions and decisions must “start with why.” Most people don’t do this, he says. “Very, very few people or organizations,” says Sinek, “know why they do what they do.” Similarly, in our careers, we know our credentials. They’re what…

Internal Narratives: Lessons from the 2018 U.S. Open

The 2018 U.S. Open became more memorable by the minute. As Carlos Ramos and Serena Williams wrangled over the coaching violation Ramos had issued, it quickly became clear what was at stake for Williams. She believed her character had been maligned, and she felt that this was a grave injustice. Often in the workplace,…

How to Inspire Customer Stories

Hearing a customer’s story about an experience with a product or service can be more powerful than any marketing message a company can come up with. So when it comes to your own company, how are you encouraging customers to share their stories? In this article for Kellogg Insight, Esther explores how to design an…

Are There Flaws in the Stories We Tell Ourselves?

The stories we tell ourselves help us understand and interpret the world. When a stranger at a networking event doesn’t smile back at us, we imagine a possible backstory. Or, when a colleague disparages an idea we think is brilliant, we try to fit their actions into a plausible narrative. When our marketing campaign exceeds…