The Three Stories Every Leader Should Tell
Jul 30, 2025
In leadership, influence starts with connection—and there’s no better way to connect than through story.
In this week’s episode of the Engaged By Design podcast, we explored three essential stories that every leader should have ready to share: the Value Story, the Founder Story, and the Purpose Story. Based on the work of storytelling expert Kindra Hall, these story types help leaders inspire trust, share their mission, and create authentic connections with teams.
Here’s a quick breakdown of each:
• Value Story – This story shows what your leadership *stands for*. Instead of saying, “I value collaboration,” tell a story of a moment where collaboration made all the difference. It’s a show-don’t-tell moment that reinforces culture.
• Founder Story – This is the origin story. Why do you do what you do? What moment lit the fire? Founder stories build credibility and emotional resonance.
• Purpose Story – This story connects the daily grind to something bigger. A student you met. A client you helped. A life that changed. Purpose stories remind us all why the work matters.
🎧 Want to hear real examples? Michael and Vernon each tell one of each story type in the latest episode—and get AI-powered feedback to improve them!
🛠️ Your Turn: Start building your story toolkit. Pick one of the three and write out a few bullet points. Keep it simple. Then share it with someone this week.
You never know—your story might be exactly what someone else needs to hear.
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