From Hogwarts to Boardrooms: The Transformative Power of Stories in Business

So, there I am crossing Glenferrie Road with Harry Potter, Hermione, and wait a minute, is that Bluey? Yes, it is!

Welcome to Children’s Book Week 2023 where schools and public libraries spend one glorious week celebrating books.

As a teenager, I remember spending my hard-earned cash from my first part-time job on something rebellious: a self-help book. ‘The 7 Habits of Highly effective people’ by Steven Covey. Little did I know then, that book would be life-changing.

Stephen Covey’s brilliant ideas have become such a part of our culture that it’s hard to remember a time when ‘paradigm shift’ wasn’t a phrase casually tossed around. But back in my day, I wasn’t even sure how to pronounce ‘paradigm’ (don’t judge me!).

Covey’s mastery of storytelling made his concepts accessible. To explain ‘paradigm shift’, he shares this story: A man gets in on the subway with his two young sons. The boys are running all over the place, bothering people. This continues, so Covey gets irritated enough to ask the father why he doesn’t control his kids. The father replies, ‘We just got back from the hospital where their mother died. I don’t know how to handle it and I guess they don’t either’. BAM. Instant perspective change. That’s the power of a paradigm shift.

The theme of Children’s Book Week this year is Read, Grow and Inspire.

If you are looking for a business book to inspire you, please check out X Factor: Unleash your presenting superpower – my latest book.

#SpreadsheetsToStories #FindYourXFactor #KeynoteSpeaker