Why personal stories are one of the best leadership tools.

I recently did a storytelling workshop with the fine folks at Ag Sciences Global at Penn State. It  was a blast! Lots of laughter and even some anticipation about what was going to happen next! 

The goal? Learning how to tell personal stories that connect to real issues at work. Not just for the sake of a good tale, but because they help teams understand each other better and build trust.

One of the best parts of the workshop was talking about what “personal” really means. It doesn’t have to be heavy or deeply revealing, unless you want it to be. “Personal” simply means it happened to you. 

It’s real. That’s what makes it compelling.

For example, someone shared a story about an event that happened while working in Asia. She witnessed a young girl at a garbage dump digging for a piece of metal to be used to fortify her house. That moment inspired a major life change. 

Another person had the whole room screaming with laughter as she talked about accidentally befriending a mama pig on a farm, thinking mama pig just wanted a hug (spoiler: she didn’t). 

Both stories were totally different in tone, but equally powerful. 

Why? Because they were honest. And the universal themes in all the stories we heard lent themselves perfectly to challenges faced on the job.

I reminded everyone that your story doesn’t have to be dramatic to be meaningful. It just needs to be yours. Whether it’s funny, touching, awkward, or surprising, sharing a real moment helps people see who you are behind the title or job description.

In a workplace where people are craving connection and authenticity, a good story can go a long way. And when it’s yours, it always rings true.