Leadership Development Course Celebrates The Art of Story Facilitation

Unlocking Leadership Transformation through Story Facilitation

Leadership Story Lab celebrates the graduation of its newest cohort of Certified Story Facilitators (CSF). A unique program designed for leadership transformation through storytelling facilitation, CSF graduates are equipped with facilitation skills and storytelling curricula that allow them to empower others to tell their stories. Unlike most storytelling courses, CSF doesn’t solely focus on making leaders the “Sage on Stage,” who excel at telling timely and poignant stories to motivate their audiences to act. It also helps leaders lean into the role of “Guide on the Side,” learning how to listen and help their team excel at telling better stories.

The Power of Story Facilitation

Effective leadership demands more than industry expertise. “It requires persuasion,” argues Esther Choy, founder of Leadership Story Lab and creator of CSF. “And persuasion requires trust. The skill of story facilitation allows you to be more persuasive because you gain a deeper understanding of the people you are leading. Storytelling builds empathy and connection.”

Now in its fourth year, the CSF program stands apart as a transformative six-week experience. Unlike some conventional leadership courses, this program goes beyond theory, and requires participants to fully immerse themselves with their own narratives and those of their peers. Participants are guided through storytelling exercises and then lead their peers through similar activities. Each iteration is followed up with workshop-style feedback as well as personalized feedback from Choy, so participants learn about facilitation by experiencing it in action on two levels — both as the facilitator and as a team member.

This unique course attracts people seeking leadership transformation from a diverse set of industries. “We’ve had independent leadership coaches, sales and communications executives, wealth and philanthropy professionals, and professors from universities in our course,” said Reena Kansal, COO of Leadership Story Lab and Level 3 Certified Story Facilitator. “The thing everyone has in common is their interest in connecting and their value for storytelling. The community is collaborative and supportive, meeting monthly to inspire, brainstorm and continue developing skills.”

A Three-Tiered Certification Model: Elevating Leadership through Story Mastery

There are three levels in CSF, each one scaffolded on the preceding levels. The skills included in Level 3 are particularly relevant during this period of high political, economic, and social turmoil.

“I’m living all of these things that I’ve learned through the story facilitators’ certification process, and I believe that together we can change the world, one story at a time,” said Luawanna Hallstrom, Principal, Collaborative Communications, and Level 3 Story Facilitator.

Leadership Story Lab offers a progressive certification model:

• Level 1: Master of Story Construction
  • Learn the anatomy of stories
  • Structure story ideas into appropriate formats
• Level 2: Master of Story Discovery
  • Master the art of idea exploration and cultivation
• Level 3: Master of Story Synthesis
  • Learn to fuse disparate narratives into one coherent whole

Congratulations to the Graduates: A Diverse Cohort of Rising Leaders

This year, 5 exceptional leaders joined the global community of Certified Story Facilitators. In addition, we teamed up with USAA, a financial services company dedicated exclusively to members of the military, to create a dedicated cohort just for USAA employees in San Antonio, TX with the goal of improving storytelling skills and coaching capabilities, while also providing the team with a structured communication approach.

Congratulations to all of these graduates who have all reported implementing their learnings in high-stake presentations, business conversations, team meetings, and mentorship and training programs — with significant results. What’s more, participants have reported gaining new perspectives on themselves and their leadership in just the first month after being certified!

• Monica Dominguez, AVP, Operations & Planning, USAA, CSF Level 1
• Samara Makinsi, Director, Special Programs, USAA, CSF Level 1
• Chuck Rohrig, Executive Director, Member (Customer) Advocacy, USAA, CSF Level 1
• Matthew Rowley, Director, Executive Operational Planning, USAA, CSF Level 1
• Kristi Mork, New Logo Sales Mentor, UKG, CSF Level 1

The next cohort begins the first week of October 2024. Learn more and register at Leadership Story Lab.

About Leadership Story Lab:

Leadership Story Lab is a women-led business storytelling consultancy, offering transformative programs that empower leaders to communicate authentically and foster meaningful connections in the workplace.