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Leveraging the power of data-driven storytelling: C-suite executive leadership approaches to improving business performance

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Leveraging the power of data-driven storytelling: C-suite executive leadership approaches to improving business performance

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Content Leveraging the Power of Data-Driven Storytelling: C-suite Executive Leadership
Approaches to Improving Business Performance
Constance Reese Green
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation submitted to the faculty
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education
August 2024

© Copyright by Constance Reese Green 2024
All Rights Reserved

The Committee for Constance Reese Green certifies the approval of this Dissertation
Eric Canny, Committee Member
Courtney Malloy, Committee Member
Esther Kim, Committee Chair
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
August 2024

iv
Abstract
This research seeks to understand C-suite and senior executive leaders’ approaches to improving
business performance via data-driven storytelling. This qualitative case study explores the
innovative practices of 41 C-suite and senior executive leaders across various industries, roles,
and responsibilities within their organizations. Particularly, this study utilizes human subject
interviews to examine the leaders’ implementation of data-driven storytelling to inspire the
workforce and effectively communicate strategic organizational vision and mission. As a result
of this study, the newfound Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework arose to address
how C-suite leaders improve business performance by leveraging the power of data-driven
storytelling. The theory asserts that to accomplish favorable organizational outcomes, improve
desired business results, and achieve a positive impact on people and performance, leaders can
leverage data-driven storytelling effectively, especially during times of change and uncertainty.
The study explores how C-suite and senior executive leaders, strong in data-driven storytelling,
embraced a culture of curiosity, created the vision, inspired mission advancement, and executed
their ability to cultivate belief, generate and transport data, gain perspectives, and facilitate
actionable understanding throughout the evolving, organizational journey. The Reese Green
Leadership Storytelling Framework provides leaders with building blocks to create connection
through data-driven storytelling to make an impact on key stakeholders and business outcomes.
Keywords: actionable understanding, business, C-suite, change management,
communication, communications, cultivate belief, culture of curiosity, data-driven storytelling,
executive, gain perspectives, generate data, impact, leadership, learning and development,
mission, organization, outcomes, performance improvement, results, senior executives,
storytelling, strategy, values, vision, Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework.

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Dedication
First, giving honor to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who is the head of my life. To my
grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, sisters, family, friends, church, and
community - I could not have achieved this without your unwavering love and support.
To my extraordinary husband, best friend, and love of my life, you are the epitome of a blessing
personified. You motivate me and I am grateful for your covering, wise counsel, patience, love,
and upliftment in my life and throughout this doctoral journey.
To my incomparable mom, phenomenal dad, and magnificent brother who served as my initial
introduction to impeccable leadership, words cannot express the depths of my gratitude or the
breadth of my love for you. You inspire me; I am here today because of you, and your belief in
me. We did it Family.
Today, I stand on the shoulders of a long line of ancestors who believed in, worked towards,
prayed and strived for a better life for their offspring. I am thankful for their sacrifice, sensitive
to their struggle and embody their unbridled joy. Thank you for sowing seeds, tilling the soil, and
blazing a trail. It is time to be more than what we see. Not only for ourselves, but also for those
who could never be what they always dreamed; and for those beginning to dream based on what
they see.
“I pray that even when I am not with you, my words are always with you.” – Tracey Reese

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Acknowledgments
I am blessed to have the support and guidance of my exceptional dissertation chair Dr.
Esther Kim and my outstanding committee members - Dr. Eric Canny and Dr. Courtney Malloy -
who provided their expert advisement and encouragement throughout this process. I also
appreciate the University of Southern California (USC) alumni, faculty, and staff across campus
including the Rossier School of Education, Marshall School of Business, Annenberg School of
Communication, and Cinematic Arts School. Thank you to all my professors and those like Dr.
Doug Lynch, Dr. Maria Ott, Dr. Marc Pritchard and Mr. Fred Cook who recommended study
participants, offered insights, and imparted superb advice to ensure high-quality research that
contained cross-disciplinary and multi-industry benefits.
Professionally, Scott Willoughby, Sandra Evers-Manly and Nicholas Paraskevopoulos,
believed in me and supported me from the very beginning. Thank you for sowing into this
opportunity and for representing high integrity and aspirational leadership. I am grateful for the
other stellar examples of leadership I have had the opportunity to work with or learn from like:
Bishop Henry Hearns, Pastor Rodney Rivers, Cassandra Harvey, Trisha Holly, Rhonda Nelson,
Lon Rains, Andy Reynolds, Tommy Tomlinson, Gina Woullard and more. Additionally, I am
thankful for my EdD besties, reading groups, teams, and cohort for your camaraderie, friendship,
and commitment to supporting each other throughout this process.
Finally, to the inspiring research study participants, this dissertation would not be
possible without your candid insights. I appreciate you for entrusting me with your stories and
sharing your perspectives in the hopes that others will have the opportunity to learn from your
experiences.
Correspondence concerning this dissertation can be sent to connie.green@laderalearning.com.

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Table of Contents
Abstract.......................................................................................................................................... iv
Dedication....................................................................................................................................... v
Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... vi
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. ix
List of Figures................................................................................................................................. x
Chapter One: Overview of the Study.............................................................................................. 1
Background of the Problem ................................................................................................ 2
Statement of the Problem.................................................................................................... 3
Significance of the Study.................................................................................................... 7
Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks and Methodology.............................................. 9
Definition of Terms........................................................................................................... 11
Organization of the Study ................................................................................................. 11
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature ........................................................................................ 13
Literature Review: Improving Effective Business Operations and Performance............. 15
Literature Review: Leadership Communication of the Organizational Vision and
Mission.............................................................................................................................. 20
Literature Review: Leadership Communication and Storytelling .................................... 25
Literature Review: Exploring the Concept of Leadership ................................................ 36
Literature Review: Summary............................................................................................ 39
Chapter Three: Methodology........................................................................................................ 41
Research Setting................................................................................................................ 41
The Researcher.................................................................................................................. 42
Sample and Population ..................................................................................................... 43
Instrumentation ................................................................................................................. 44
Data Collection ................................................................................................................. 45

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Data Analysis.................................................................................................................... 46
Trustworthiness and Credibility........................................................................................ 47
Ethics................................................................................................................................. 49
Summary........................................................................................................................... 49
Chapter Four: Findings................................................................................................................. 50
Participants........................................................................................................................ 50
Results for Finding 1......................................................................................................... 56
Results for Finding 2......................................................................................................... 73
Results for Finding 3......................................................................................................... 80
Results for Finding 4......................................................................................................... 89
Summary........................................................................................................................... 98
Chapter Five: Discussion and Recommendation .......................................................................... 99
Introducing the Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework................................. 100
Purpose and Future Impact of the Reese Green Leadership Storytelling
Framework ...................................................................................................................... 110
Discussion of Data-Driven Leadership Storytelling Research Findings ........................ 113
Recommendation for Practice......................................................................................... 131
Summary......................................................................................................................... 145
Limitations and Delimitations......................................................................................... 147
Conclusions..................................................................................................................... 148
References................................................................................................................................... 150
Appendix A: Overview of Participants....................................................................................... 162
Appendix B: Identified Leadership Styles.................................................................................. 166
Appendix C: Participants’ Scope of Responsibilities................................................................. 168

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List of Tables
Table 1: Overview of Participants 50
Table 2: Identified Leadership Styles 72
Appendix A: Protocol: Semi-structured Interview 162
Appendix B: Alignment Between Research Questions and Findings 166
Appendix C: Table 3: Participants’ Scope of Responsibilities 168

x
List of Figures
Figure 1: Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework 111

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Chapter One: Overview of the Study
This research study addresses the need for C-suite and senior executive leaders to
improve business performance by leveraging the power of data-driven storytelling. According to
Lewis (2011), stories are personal experiences shared in everyday discourse that involve an
original state of affairs, an action or event, and the consequent situation. Storytelling is the
interactive art of utilizing actions and words to uncover the components and images of a story
while inspiring the listener’s imagination (National Storytelling Network, 2023). Scientific
research demonstrates a strong empirical understanding of storytelling serving as a clear aid to
memory, a way to make sense of the world, a means to develop and increase emotional
connections, and a method for recognizing and identifying with brands of any type (Herskovitz
& Crystal, 2010). Storytelling or narrative can serve as the foundation of an organization’s
brand; it helps with sparking action, communicating the identity of the C-suite executive leader,
and communicating the company identity (Denning, 2005).
Serious storytelling conveys a perspective in a serious application context, using narrative
as a vessel to ignite emotional and cognitive responses (Lugmayr et al., 2017). This helps
accomplish serious goals or objectives within the context of the solicitation. The concept of
serious storytelling is particularly relevant in the context of this study, which explores the need
for leadership storytelling in professional workplace settings, especially regarding serious topics
like mission, vision, and values, particularly during times of change and uncertainty.
Storytelling serves as an effective tool for executive leaders to communicate the strategic
organizational mission and invigorate the workforce to embody the leader’s vision, which
incorporates stakeholder feedback (Holmes, 2023; Mayfield et al., 2015) on where the
organization needs to go in the future to excel (Denning, 2011). However, C-suite and senior

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executives (execs) are often challenged with engagingly communicating the strategic
organizational mission and vision to motivate employees to adopt, embrace and champion the
organizational mission and vision in an effort to improve business performance and create a
culture of inspiration within the organization (Denning, 2011).
C-suite and senior executive leaders struggle to leverage the power of data-driven
storytelling to promote industry appeal, invigorate organizational brand, and cultivate an
inspiring workforce culture, all of which are necessary to attract and retain an essential and
limited STEM-based workforce, given the rapidly advancing technological landscape. The art of
storytelling supports executives, and aspiring leaders, compile compelling and memorable cases
for business recommendations by embedding influential details and data into their stories to
support the future organization they envision (Forman, 2013).
Background of the Problem
According to Forman (2013), companies are in dire need of compelling organizational
stories across the enterprise due to people’s lack of trust in businesses. Additionally, there is an
intensity of data that bombards leaders and employees in the workplace on a daily basis, which
contributes to what Sven Birerts referred to as “attention deficit disorder” (Forman, 2013).
Although distractions and lack of trust dominate the business landscape, stories slice through the
busyness of the day, capturing people’s attention, engaging, and influencing their decisions and
behaviors, creating meaning for them, exemplifying organizational values, and gaining the trust
of those they reach (Forman, 2013). Therefore, it is imperative for leaders to have the ability to
reach employees, have them connect with the message, and make sense of things to influence
action and behaviors.

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Furthermore, Nussbaumer (2015) proposed that people have not been taught how to tell
stories with numbers, and that challenge is compounded by the idea of very few individuals who
feel equipped to navigate this space effectively. As a result, it leaves many unprepared for the
important scale of increasing demand. There is a growing desire to make sense of
insurmountable data, and data storytelling is critical to turning data into information that can be
leveraged to drive better decision making. Today, general practices around telling stories with
data often leave both the data and desired stories lacking immensely (Nussbaumer, 2015).
However, when adapted properly, C-suite leaders can utilize data-driven stories to relay
vision and communicate where the organization is going, a foundational ability required for
leaders (Forman, 2013). Good communicators have a strong grasp of storytelling and can use it
to translate passion into action. In business, storytelling serves as a management tool to help
organizations develop and thrive. Senior executive leaders can encourage storytelling to support
positive outcomes such as communicating and making sense of the business strategy, as well as
developing and strengthening the organizational culture and brand. The utility of storytelling
generates desired outcomes that result in both a sustained and significant impact on the business
(Forman, 2013).
Statement of the Problem
C-suite and senior executive leaders need to improve business performance by leveraging
the power of data-driven storytelling. Research showed that senior executive leaders need to
attract and retain talent by shaping and sharing inspiring narratives around strategic
organizational vision and mission to inspire the workforce and benefit business operations
(Bennis, 2010; Denning, 2011; Holmes, 2023; Mayfield et al., 2015; Sullivan, 1988). The data
also showed the importance of C-suite leaders communicating through storytelling to inspire an

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organization and improve business performance (Denning, 2006; Denning, 2011). Notably, when
organizations communicate effectively, sharing information like the business strategy, their
market-to-book ratio was 43% higher than those who did not (Deloitte & Touche, 2003).
Additionally, organizations that share the organizational business story, communicating details
around business plans, goals, and financial information while linking strategy to individual roles
and responsibilities and openly communicating about matters that affect employees, experience
an average improvement of 4.8 percent in market value (Watson Wyatt, 2004).
However, while the data demonstrates the criticality of leadership communication in the
workplace, senior leaders still fail to embrace their roles as chief communicators within their
organizations (Berger, 2014). Many senior leaders require help in leveraging motivating
language (Sullivan, 1988), like storytelling, as a strategic tool that benefits employees and
business operations (Denning, 2011; Holmes, 2023; Mayfield et al., 2015).
Moreover, storytelling seems less valued in business environments in comparison to other
sectors (Forman, 2013). This unfortunate reality is partially due to the erroneous misconception
that business leaders’ stories are void of essential decision-making components, data, and theory.
However, Forman argues that neglecting stories occurs to the detriment of business leaders and
the organizations they serve. These professionals need to understand how to explain complex
problems in a way many can comprehend, and often stories provide a mechanism suitable for
delivering those messages.
It is known that some business leaders are apprehensive about incorporating storytelling
in professional environments (Forman, 2013), and senior executives avoid their responsibility as
chief communicators in their organizations (Berger, 2014) despite storytelling serving as an
effective communications sense-making mechanism during times of change (Denning, 2006;

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Hill, 2021; Sullivan, 1988). Additionally, executive leaders can attract, retain, and inspire talent
based on communicating through storytelling (Berger, 2014; Conger, 1991; Denning 2006;
Harris & Barnes, 2006).
However, the unknown data includes discovering and understanding how model C-suite
executive leaders learned key, data-driven storytelling practices to inspire workforce culture and
improve business performance. According to McDowell (2021), while stories and storytelling
that communicate information via data, knowledge, and wisdom may be widespread, they are not
accounted for adequately. Furthermore, what remains to be known is how and what specific datadriven storytelling skills C-suite and senior executives learned to implement within their
organizations, particularly during times of change and uncertainty. According to Lewis (2011),
we know little about how one uses stories to frame influential messaging during organizational
change. Additionally, this study sought to discover little known knowledge about the ways in
which C-suite and senior leaders learned to utilize narrative around strategic organizational
vision, mission, and values to inspire workforce culture, thereby attracting and retaining a viable
workforce committed to improving business performance.
Given its prevalence and power, it is surprising how little is known about how and why
stories are used in organizations. Practices exist, but in disconnected pockets and for
different purposes. Organizations rarely have the time to learn from one another and
instead waste money and time to reinvent the wheel. The time is ripe to look across
organizations and understand how and why they and their leaders choose a story
approach. Without such a study, story in organizations will be relegated to a passing fad
and organizations will continue to stumble in harnessing its power (Wilson, 2004, p. 1).

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By assessing strategies around the innovative practices of model C-suite and senior
executive leaders who improve business performance by leveraging the power of storytelling,
this study aims to inspire change and deliver viable solutions that can be applied to C-suite
leaders across industries, business sizes, department structures, and organizations at large. These
are some of the areas of study that could benefit from additional research.
Conducting further research remains critical to the expansion, understanding, and
development of credible solutions to the problem of how C-suite and senior executive leaders
need to improve business performance by learning to leverage data-driven storytelling to create
an inspirational workforce culture committed to the strategic organizational vision and mission is
significant. Especially when considering that every day, business leaders encounter challenges
around articulating identity, communicating new direction during change, and influencing and
persuading the actions and behaviors of others (Wilson, 2004). Business organizations often
prioritize challenges around generating revenue and persuasive communication can support that
effort. “If just half of persuasive talk involves stories, then in the past year alone stories in US
workplaces generated a staggering $1.3 trillion dollars” (Wilson, 2004, p. 1). This data served as
additional underlying support for why C-suite and senior executive leaders need to address the
problem of improving business performance by leveraging the value of storytelling.
To further explore how leaders facilitate understanding to improve business performance
by leveraging data-driven storytelling, the following research questions provided additional
guidance for this study:
1. Research Question 1 (Cultivate Belief): How do C-suite and senior executive leaders
learn to leverage storytelling?

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2. Research Question 2 (Generate and Transport Data): Why do C-suite and senior
executive leaders leverage data-driven storytelling to improve business performance?
3. Research Question 3 (Gain Perspective): What inspires C-suite and senior executive
leaders to use storytelling to advance organizational strategy?
Significance of the Study
The ability to deliver data-driven stories remains an elusive skill while simultaneously
becoming ever more important in a world of increasing data and the interest in data-driven
decision making (Nussbaumer, 2015). The significance of this study derives from its evaluation
of how innovative C-suite and senior executive leaders developed the skill of data-driven
storytelling and continue to use it to improve business performance. Nussbaumer found that
effective approaches to data visualization or storytelling can differentiate between success and
failure as it relates to leaders raising funds for an organization, presenting to their board,
communicating findings from a study, or relaying a point to the target audience effectively.
According to Gardner (1995), leaders need to be good storytellers, and it is crucial for the
leader to demonstrate the stories they share through behavior that aligns with the values verbally
espoused through story. Leaders need to understand their stories, possess clarity on what those
stories are, and exercise the skill of communicating them effectively to a wide-ranging, diverse
audience. These requirements contribute to the significance of studying leadership storytelling,
which according to Denning (2006) can help build, influence, and promote an organizational
culture that is inspirational and equitable. Given the dire need for strong and effective leaders
(Bennis, 2010; Snook et al., 2012), especially current and aspiring leaders working in technology
organizations, the demographic of current, aspiring, and future senior executive and C-suite

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leaders, along with the people they lead, may be helped by this research which explores the
concepts of leadership and communication through data-driven storytelling.
Stories are vital because people desire interaction and engagement as opposed to being
lectured (Forman, 2013). This desire becomes even more elevated given the presence of social
networking technology. The data demonstrates that people crave connections and stories are an
impeccable resource for building deep, emotional connections between people. “Research by
cognitive psychologists and neurologists confirms our intuition about the power of stories;
scientific data substantiate the fundamental connection between being human and telling stories”
(Forman, 2013, p. 6). Therefore, psychologists and neurologists have asserted that people are
hardwired for stories. As a result, stories operate as a powerful method to reach people at their
core. Stories can be used to inform, persuade, and inspire key stakeholders; and both internal and
external stakeholders (including clients, customers, and investors) long to be heard and have
stories told from their vantage point of view. Financially, storytelling activities have been valued
at over $1.8 trillion in the United States (Brown et al., 2005). It provides a significant
contribution to the economy.
Ultimately, the purpose of this study was to help C-suite and senior executive leaders
improve business performance by leveraging the power of data-driven storytelling. This study
strove to provide research data that offered tangible solutions that can be implemented by
practitioners and benefit C-suite, senior execs, and the broad and diverse workforce working in
or attracted to these organizations. By evaluating the problem of senior executive leaders needing
to improve business performance through storytelling to inspire workforce culture, this study
aimed to broaden understanding of innovative practice solutions from senior executives that can

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be implemented across industries. Thus, improving economic mobility and sustaining workforce
viability for the future.
Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks and Methodology
This study seeks to understand the innovative practices of C-suite and senior executives
who improve business operations and create an inspirational organizational culture by leveraging
data-driven storytelling to communicate at the right time, in the right way, to the right audience.
Using a theoretical framework to examine the need for C-suite and senior executive leaders to
improve business performance presented a challenge provided the extensive need for more
research on the subject. “Story work is in the early stages of field building. Currently, there are
pockets of proven and promising practices but little coherent and systematic study of the various
approaches, challenges, and methods of evaluation across organizations” (Wilson, 2004, p. 11).
There is an opportunity to contribute to and expand the foundation of scholarly work relating to
the topic of leadership storytelling in business settings.
Scholars have examined the theories of leaders using motivating language to inspire
employees (Sullivan, 1988), relaying vision and mission to employees (Mayfield et al., 2015),
examining three phases to leaders telling stories (Holmes, 2023), exploring organizational
storytelling (Forman, 2013), utilizing specific narrative structures in business (Denning, 2011)
and improving organizational culture in a digital age with a clear vision, mission, and goals
(Clark & Estes, 2008). All of this supports and aids in the research associated with this study.
However, the uniqueness of this subject matter, addressing the need for C-suite and senior
executive leaders to improve business using data-driven storytelling, presents a gap in research.

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Analyzing the Concept of Leadership
The concepts of leadership provided supplemental conceptual frameworks to best
understand the innovative practices of the C-suite senior executive leaders, particularly around
their leadership storytelling behaviors. Snook et al. (2012) emphasized the dire need for effective
leadership, especially during tumultuous times. Northouse (2022) highlighted the mandate for
leaders to positively influence followers during times such as these and beyond. Bolman and
Deal (2017) reiterated the importance of leadership values. These leadership theories relate to
this study in that they aim to evaluate leadership knowledge, motivation, organizational
structures, behaviors, and credibility to create an inspirational workforce culture committed to
organizational performance improvements.
Methodology
In qualitative research, knowledge is formed by people as they engage in making
meaning of an activity, experience, or phenomenon (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). This qualitative
case study consists of a detailed analysis of C-suite and senior executives, to understand how
they believe they best leverage data-driven storytelling to improve business operations within
their organizations. According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016), a qualitative case study seeks to
understand a bounded system through the conduction of an in-depth analysis, followed by the
provision of a detailed description of the case. Within this case study, the C-suite and senior
executive leaders serve as the bounded system or unit of analysis being studied. This research
approach aligns with the purpose of the study, which seeks to understand C-suite executives’
approach to improving business performance within their organizations by leveraging datadriven storytelling. Qualitative interviews served as the primary source of data collection.

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Interviews consisted of asking well-chosen, open-ended questions, followed-up with requests for
additional details, key to the qualitative research study (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Definition of Terms
• Storytelling refers to the art and science of integrating words and actions to reveal the
elements of a story while inspiring the imagination of listeners.
• Organizational Culture consists of organizational stance and values that are consistent,
shared and shared by colleagues throughout the organization in a clear manner.
• Organizations are defined as open systems that operate in increasingly complex
environments. The top leader is responsible for interpreting the external context that
surrounds the organization as well as deriving an organizational direction that
communicates the organizational vision to key stakeholders within those environments.
• Senior/Top Leaders translate the organizational purpose that is extracted from a complex
external environment. Therefore, senior/top leaders serve as primary interpreters
responsible for scanning the environment with the goal of crafting a strategic vision that
diminishes uncertainty, generates meaning and is shared by key stakeholders.
Organization of the Study
This research study is reviewed within five distinct chapters. Chapter One provides a
detailed overview of the problem of practice, which examines the need for C-suite and senior
executive leaders to communicate strategic organizational vision and mission via storytelling to
benefit business operations across their organizations. Chapter Two reviews related literature to
the problem of practice and outlines the conceptual framework used to investigate the study.
Additionally, the concept of leadership is examined as it relates leadership values (Bolman &
Deal, 2017) and behavior (Northouse, 2022) and development (Snook et al., 2012). Chapter

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Three outlines the qualitative methodological approach and design of the research study. Chapter
Four provides an analysis of the data gathered during the research study. Finally, Chapter Five
extends the discussion of results to recommendations of actions needed to improve leadership
storytelling related to the previously identified problem of practice.

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Chapter Two: Review of the Literature
Notably, C-suite technology executives need to improve business operations by creating
an inspiring people and performance workforce culture that leverages data-driven storytelling to
communicate organizational mission and vision effectively. The inability to adequately shape
and share the narrative around organizational mission and vision, especially during times of
change and uncertainty (Denning, 2011), contributes to employee attraction and retention
challenges, thereby adversely impacting business operations (Ernst & Young, 2021; Hills, 2021;
McKinsey, 2023).
Leadership storytelling may help address this challenge in a meaningful way. According
to the National Storytelling Network (2023), storytelling is defined as interdependent art that
utilizes actions and words to unveil components and pictures of story while inspiring the
listener’s imagination. McDowell (2021) proposed that the definition of storytelling consisted of
“telling a story within the dynamic triangle of the story, the teller, and the audience” (p. 1224).
The three relationships of the storytelling triangle interact with one another due to the audience’s
relationship to the storyteller depending on how the audience understands the storyteller’s
personal relationship to the story being told, in addition to which story the teller decides to
deliver to that audience (McDowell, 2020).
Storytelling can serve as a powerful, strategic tool for executive leaders, and it is the
central theme of this study. Serious storytelling involves humans being a part of a story system
that prioritizes knowledge creation, the transfer of knowledge and wisdom, meaningful
interaction, and purposeful goals as key objectives (Lugmayr et al., 2016). All of which are
necessary for executive leaders to facilitate and create a workforce culture that embraces this
approach in an effort to benefit business operations within the organization.

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Best practice organizations recognize the necessity to tell, reinforce and enact their story
through a variety of ways (Marzec, 2007). This includes demonstrating the story through
management decisions, recruitment and hiring practices, learning and development offerings, as
well as by showcasing company values, operating practices, approaches to competition, capital
investments, customer service, shareholder returns, and community service.
Based on the predominant need to incorporate leadership storytelling to improve business
operations within an organization, this literature review begins with examining the key ways to
gauge, evaluate, and improve business performance within an organization, as researched by
Shahin (2006). It then explores the criticality of C-suite leaders possessing a clear organizational
mission and vision for improving business operations and measuring organizational performance
(Lipton, 1996), along with the position organizational leaders have in communicating the
mission and vision to create an inspirational culture that supports workforce viability and attracts
and retains talent (Boston Consulting Group, 2021, 2022; Ernst & Young, 2021; McKinsey,
2023). Next, it reviews the effectiveness and impact storytelling has when executive leaders
apply it to inspire employees to champion the organizational mission and vision, leading to an
improved workforce culture, motivated teams, and enhanced organizational performance
(Conger, 1991). The literature review also addresses obstacles executive leaders face with
storytelling and provides data to support the need for leaders to incorporate storytelling into their
leadership styles and principles (Denning, 2005, 2006, 2011).
Furthermore, this chapter examines the responsibilities leaders have in facilitating
organizational learning and development, especially during this time of massive and rapid
change, which benefits employee recruitment and retention efforts and leads to improved
business performance (Boston Consulting Group, 2021, 2022; Ernst & Young, 2021; McKinsey,

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2021, 2022, 2023). It also analyzes the criticality of ensuring adequate organizational structures,
resources, and policies are available and implemented to support meaningful change and growth.
The chapter concludes with an analysis of leadership theory as espoused by Northouse
(2022) and Bolman and Deal (2017), and the value of developing current and future leaders
learning new behaviors (i.e., storytelling) to benefit organizations and motivate employees
(Snook et al., 2012), serve as the supplemental conceptual frameworks to assess the role
effective C-suite leadership plays in improving business operations. The conceptual framework
helps evaluate innovative practices of C-suite and senior execs who improve business operations
by utilizing data-driven storytelling.
Improving Effective Business Operations and Performance
Improving business operations and reaching organizational goals is compulsory for
gaining or maintaining competitive advantages and advancing business performance regardless
of the business model. Denning (2011) defined a business model as a story that describes how an
organization will operate, thereby communicating the “theory of the business.” This can be a
story set in the present or the near future and the narrative is connected to numbers as the
elements in the business model are quantifiable. The business model answers the following
questions: “Who is the customer? And what does the customer value? How do we make money
in this business? What is the underlying economic logic that shows how we can deliver value to
customers at an appropriate cost?” (Denning, 2011, p. 245). The validity of the business model is
dependent upon the narrative logic, that is, does the story work together? And the quantitative
logic, that is, do the numbers add up?
Improving business operations within applicable business models to gain competitive
advantages involves evaluating business performance. Shahin (2006) provided a tool to measure

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and evaluate business performance through benchmarking, strategic management, and a balanced
scorecard (BSC) methodology, which when integrated, accounts for gaps in one another, and
when used appropriately has the potential to make organizations more effective. When
integrated, companies can modernize and gain competitive advantages.
Presumably, C-suite and senior executives who create an inspirational culture by
leveraging data-driven storytelling to communicate organizational mission and vision could
maintain a competitive advantage by employing the integrated approach of benchmarking,
strategic management, and BSC to improve business performance as it relates to attracting and
retaining talent within the tech industry. Those C-suite executives who do not currently leverage
the power of data-driven storytelling could also benefit from implementing the integrated Shahin
(2006) methodology, benchmarking the execution of using storytelling to communicate
organizational vision and mission to attract and retain top talent.
Benchmarking in Organizations
Benchmarking skill sets across the business while striving to reach organizational goals
can be beneficial to an organization (Shahin, 2006). Benchmarking is defined as a systematic and
continuous process involving the comparison of characteristics of the services, products, and
processes with the goal to improve business performance (Dahlgard et al., 1998; Harrington,
1995; as cited in Shahin, 2006). According to Lawler et al. (2001), empirical research confirmed
that benchmarking positively influenced the success and competitiveness of business
organizations. However, the issue is benchmarking is still not practiced enough in business.
Additionally, according to Shahin (2006), benchmarking helps support the application of new
business knowledge to business decision-making. This is of value because when the quality of
business decisions improves, the business performance of companies also improves. As a result,

17
competitive advantages become stronger, and that is ideal across a multitude of business
scenarios. Denning (2011) defined a scenario as a future story that covers a longer time than a
business model, which is set in the current time or near future. Numerous scenarios are required
to reflect the uncertainty of the future. Scenarios have a broad scope and purposefully include
various inputs from individuals from within and outside of the particular organization.
Arguably, benchmarking provides a tool for C-suite and senior executives to compare
data-driven storytelling strategies within the organization and across the industry with the goal of
creating an inspirational workforce culture, leading to improved business performance.
Additionally, given the success high-performing C-suite leaders may experience in creating an
inspirational workforce culture that attracts and retains talent by using storytelling to
communicate organizational mission and vision effectively, senior executives may have an
opportunity to benchmark performance against those leaders to learn how to expand their datadriven storytelling acumen. Particularly relevant given how storytelling helps create human
connection and Ernst and Young (2021) found that organizations under index on employee value
and those with a “humans at the center” philosophy are more likely to attract and retain their top
talent and differentially achieve business objectives (Ernst & Young, 2021.
Shahin (2006) noted how organizations used benchmarking as a best practice to compare
performance to external companies and competitors because it allowed executive leaders to
gauge performance gaps and helped leaders set a goal to close the gap. The research conducted
by Shahin (2006) is applicable to the research within this study, as both examine the work and
behaviors of C-suite executives seeking and working towards improving business operations
within their respective organizations.

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Furthermore, Shahin (2006) argues that benchmarking offers additional benefits for Csuite leaders overseeing organizations, especially when integrated with strategic management.
Those benefits include supporting the following: increasing organizational efficiency through
restructuring and improvement of business processes; improving business problem solving;
contributing to the continuous education of employees; encouraging employee innovation,
creativity and their interest in contributing to the creation of new ideas; enabling a relative
assessment of the business success and effectiveness of diverse business factors; and
encouraging changes and fostering special knowledge- which enables greater flexibility and
faster adaptation to the changing business environment (Bogan, 1994; Coers et al., 2001;
Harrington, 1995; Karlof et al., 2001; as cited in Shahin, 2006). Executing an effective strategy
can support efforts of navigating changing business climates. Denning (2011) argued that a
strategy expands beyond one core competency, crucial resource, or main success factor, instead,
it is about the entire system of activities and their interrelationship, not just a collection of parts.
The proper oversight of that whole system yields strategic management.
Strategic Management
Thompson and Strickland (2001) argued that the strategic management process contains
the following components: (a) defines the organization’s mission as a basis for establishing what
the organization does and does not do; (b) establishes strategic objectives and performance
targets; (c) formulates strategies to achieve strategic objectives and targeted results; (d)
implements and executes strategies; and (e) evaluates strategic performance and makes
corrective adjustments. And Shahin (2006) divided strategic management into three parts:
1. Planning – this includes all activities needed to prepare the plan for future activities and
anticipate the impact of those plans. Denning (2011) offered that a plan describes a set of

19
activities that will occur during a finite future period and could include their costs,
timing, benefits, and risks. A plan is shared with greater or lesser degrees of formality
and could be expressed in a traditional narrative form. It captures a set of events, causally
linked together-especially actions and their timing and cost. While plans address what is
expected to happen, interesting stories tackle the unexpected.
2. Implementation – the execution of planned activities which leads to actual business
results.
3. Controlling – monitoring any deviations of the actual results from those planned and
taking corrective action when undesirable deviations arise.
Combined, the two perspectives on strategic management provided by Shahin (2006) and
Thompson and Strickland (2001) complemented one another. The components identified by
Thompson and Strickland (2001) are specific actions that can take place within the three parts of
strategic management outlined by Shahin (2006). Therefore, it is important to highlight the
multifaceted components of strategic management.
C-suite and senior executives often engage in strategic management of their organization,
leveraging all three components of strategic management. The problem is, there is limited
research on C-suite and senior executive leaders integrating strategic management and leadership
storytelling to create an inspirational workforce culture that benefits people responsible for
improving business operations within the organization. This approach may offer senior
executives a competitive advantage. Additionally, combining strategic management,
benchmarking, and the balanced scorecard (Shahin, 2006) related to gauging leadership
storytelling performance to improve business operations could prove beneficial (Denning, 2011).

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The Balanced Scorecard
The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is a commonly used management framework for
measuring organizational performance (Shahin, 2006). The concept of the BSC suggests that the
state of processes of an organization is best assessed by taking a “balanced” view across a range
of performance measures (Amaratunga et al., 2001 as cited in Shahin, 2006). The BSC is
developed by incorporating an organization’s vision, strategy, mandatory success factors (CSFs),
cause-and-effect relationship measures, and action plan (Shahin, 2006). The vision addresses the
organization’s idyllic future state, strategy derives from the heart of the organization’s vision and
determines what the organization will measure, and CSFs are used to determine the
organization’s progress towards achieving strategic goals, and the action plan forms after
completing the scorecard.
Presumably, C-suite and senior leaders may leverage the BSC to monitor how they
communicate the vision of the organization, create strategy and CSFs around executive
leadership communication and storytelling, develop measures to examine the cause-and-effect
relationship between leadership storytelling and inspirational workforce culture as well as how
business operations relate, and devise an action plan after completing the scorecard that
incorporates leadership storytelling and employee attraction and retention goals.
Leadership Communication of the Organizational Vision and Mission
Research shows that there is a salient link between the vision of an organization or
business, and the leader’s ability to share their knowledge about the vision and mission by
powerfully communicating its essence to key stakeholders like employees (Conger, 1991). The
mission addresses the purpose of the organization by answering the question of why the
organization exists; it identifies the stakeholders and what makes the organization unique

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(Lipton, 1996). According to Lipton, vision is one of the most fundamental skills identified for a
leader since it leads to organizational impact, profit for organization, staff retention, product
development, and shareholder equity.
Organizational Vision
Denning (2011) proposed that vision typically describes a future state, especially noting
what the organization will operate like once its goal is achieved. This is due to the notion that
vision is about a common goal and goes beyond what the leader wants. Vision means a unique
and ideal picture of the future for the common good. It implies a choice of values and something
that offers purpose and meaning to our lives. Usually, vision serves as a descriptive image of the
future state as opposed to a fully defined story of how the organization will arrive at that future
state (Denning, 2011). Vision also provides a road map, organizational goal, and foundation for
companies (Lipton, 1996).
Executive leaders need to ensure they develop a clear organizational vision because that
can help organizations increase a wide range of performance measures like profitability,
company growth, staff retention, employee recruitment, and motivation. It can also inspire
employee pride to participate in the vision, promote desirable change and flexibility, act as a
basis for strategic planning, serve as a plan to achieve a goal, present a big picture platform to
support contextual decision making, focus and direction, and help organizations avoid nonpriority endeavors. Leaders must demonstrate confidence, curiosity, and mindfulness when
striving to project vision (Snook et al., 2012). Taiwo (2016) asserted that vision statements are
future-based and summarize where a company wants to be in the long run. Vision statements
focus more on the unknown but aspirational future for the organization, i.e., long-term goals,

22
present facts, hopes, strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. Overall, a good vision includes
strategy, culture, and mission (Lipton, 1996).
Organizational Mission
The mission statement of an organization focuses more on strategic planning and defining
what of the business or organization (Taiwo, 2016). Following the creation of a mission
statement, the creation of a strategy should follow, and after that should come goals and
objectives. According to Taiwo, mission statements describe how a company gets to where they
want to be, and the main components of the statement relate to customer needs.
A mission statement should include nine components:
● Customers
● products or services
● markets
● technology
● concern for survival
● growth/profitability
● self-concept
● concern for image
● concern for employees
These nine components are each important considerations as standalone concepts. However,
when interwoven together, they work to comprise an effective organizational mission statement
that key stakeholders can understand, support, and champion. The findings presented by Taiwo
demonstrated that when properly crafted and executed, vision and mission statements can
positively impact day-to-day activity and serve as guiding lights for the organization because

23
these statements create a sense of hope and trust internally and externally. They encourage the
creation of a culture that supports the main ideas of the statements.
Data shows that younger technology employees possess a high appreciation for a strongly
felt and real purpose or mission, beyond a profit motive, and they desire to play a role in
realizing a vision of the future (Ernst & Young, 2021). Cook (2024) asserted that purpose
involves “a belief that companies who embed a deeper mission in their business that reflects their
stakeholders’ values earn brand loyalty, public recognition and a higher valuation” (p. 2). More
than one-third of employees (35%) studied by Ernst and Young (2021) observed a disconnect
between their organization’s stated purpose and its day-to-day actions.
Communicating Organizational Mission
Alternatively, while Taiwo (2016) and Lipton (1996) acknowledged the importance of
organizations creating and maintaining strong vision and missions for their organizations, there
is a gap in the research that examines how C-suite leaders learn to use storytelling to share
stories that effectively communicate the mission and vision statements to current and potential
employees. Few books exist on storytelling as a management tool (Armstrong; 1992; 1995;
1998; Denning, 2005; Neuhauser, 1993; Simmons, 2001, as cited in Tyler, 2007), while there is a
plethora of books on general storytelling. Tyler (2007) stated the literature provided evidence of
stories serving as a powerful organic force inside organizations of all sorts (Boje, 2001; Boje,
Luhman, & Baack, 1999; Denning, 2001; Gabriel, 2000 as cited in Tyler, 2007). Storytelling was
recognized as an effective device for meaning making, education, and knowledge sharing (Birch,
2000; Bray et al., 2000; Gargiulo, 2002; Wacker & Silverman, 2003; Wenger, 1998, as cited in
Tyler, 2007).

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Furthermore, leadership storytelling can help current and future talent connect with,
embrace, and embody the mission and vision of the organization, which may lead to improved
business operations. Although the research demonstrates how mission and vision can help build
an inspirational workforce culture, it is also dependent on the delivery of the message, especially
how that message is communicated from C-suite leaders to the broader employee base (Conger,
1991; Denning, 2011). Employees today are more likely to improve their workplace productivity
and workforce engagement if they feel informed, involved, empowered, and valued (Berger,
2014) and leaders play a guiding role by ensuring effective leadership communication.
Leaders, supervisors, and organizational culture are a significant part of strategic
employee communications within organizations (Berger, 2014). Those three components serve
as the foundational stones for success, and if those foundations are strong then organizational
and individual performances are likely to improve and strengthen. However, surprisingly, little
research has been conducted explaining why organizations do not embrace this research (Berger,
2014). It is surprising given the productivity, engagement, and retention benefits and financial
return in addition to the social relations and cultural richness.
Berger (2014) identified the three foundational pillars of leadership, which he referred to
as stones of leadership: 1. Leadership: how leaders influence employee sentiment,
communications and actions as leaders set the overall communications tone in the organization
via communications style and visibility. However, many business leaders do not fully grasp the
magnitude nor accept the responsibility as communication leaders within the organization. 2.
Supervisors: these individuals stand at the frontline of employee trust, engagement, development,
retention, and empowerment, which can serve as a positive contagion for change and elevated
performance. Supervisors can also help strengthen organization identification (OI), which is of

25
note because OI combined with communication contributes to employee retention. 3. Culture:
dynamic constructed context for work, understanding and meaning. Ultimately, investing
resources into leadership communications and cultivating organizational culture is all-important
to helping attract and retain people within an organization.
Leadership Communication and Storytelling
Investing in leadership storytelling skills as a form of business communication is a sound
investment in human capital and organizational culture. Neuroscience shows that storytelling
serves as a way to enable the human brain to process, retain and recall information (Marzec,
2007). It is also a way for executive leaders to communicate values, demonstrate those values
through behavior, and show that they care enough about their people to show and tell their
people why the organization is a worthwhile investment (Conger, 1991). Future leaders will need
to be effective business strategists who exercise sound decision-making investment practices in
addition to rhetoricians who can elegantly frame a message or story to energize and inspire their
teams (Conger, 1991).
Exploring How Leaders Communicate and What They Say Through Words, Deeds and
Values
Conger (1991) explained the language of leadership can be broken into two categories.
The first is defining the purpose of the organization in a meaningful way, which is essentially the
leader’s message. This process is called “framing,” and framing the message provides a sense of
direction, which emphasizes the need to not only have a mission, but also clarity regarding why
the mission has risen in the first place. The second is the leader’s ability to deliver symbolic
language, or rhetorical crafting, to provide emotional power to the message he or she is
delivering.

26
Rhetoric emphasizes the inspiration of the message and defines if it will be sufficiently
memorable to influence the day-to-day decision-making of an organization (Conger, 1991).
Leaders need to be able to articulate the mission, why they have a mission, and who or what the
antagonist is to the mission to help generate commitment, cohesion, and beliefs about the
efficacy of the organization to build confidence in the mission. Regarding rhetorical techniques
of inspirational leaders, leaders need to leverage symbols to have a greater impact, often
achieved by metaphors, analogies, and vivid organizational stories. Notably, stories or metaphors
are most potent when they invoke meanings or symbols that have deep cultural roots and as a
result, elicit stronger emotions (Conger, 1991). Arguably, C-suite and senior executive leaders
may excel in storytelling and communicating purpose effectively, ensuring their communications
align with the organizational mission and vision to improve business operations and create an
inspirational culture.
According to Berger (2014), studies have shown the necessity and value of effective
employee communication strategies, and the benefits include having an engaged workforce with
50% more productive employees, 44% higher retention rates, improvements in communication
effectiveness, and 47% higher shareholder returns. Therefore, the reality of executive tech
leaders needing to invest in honing effective communication skills, especially storytelling, is
paramount, as it improves organizational culture and benefits business operations. Storytelling is
effective communication, speaking more succinctly (Denning, 2005).
Forman (2013) identified how ensuring alignment between words and deeds serves as a
pivotal criterion for assessing sound leadership storytelling practices within a business.
“Founders and new leaders of organizations generally seem to know that their own visible
behavior has great value for communicating assumptions and values to other members,

27
especially newcomers” (Schein, 2017, p. 193). How C-suite and senior executive leaders behave
communicates what they value to members of the organization. Stories convey the values and
behaviors that are important to organizations in a vivid manner (Conger, 1991). Leaders benefit
from ensuring alignment between their actions and words when sharing stories of value with
target audiences. Best practice organizations comprise leaders who deliver stories that are
tangible, realistic, and credible (Forman, 2013). These leaders tell stories that support the
organization’s brand, culture and strategy while incorporating the voices of key stakeholders like
the employees, customers, and communities they serve.
Presumably, for leaders to communicate new or novel stories that incorporate the voice of
the key stakeholders, leaders must ensure they demonstrate curiosity by asking the right
questions to increase understanding and reveal opportunities for creative approaches (Dyer &
Gregersen, 2011). Forward leaning executives value innovation and curiosity, they pose many
questions that promote new connections, possibilities, directions, and insights. In addition to
communicating through question asking, senior executive leaders can also foster innovative
approaches to storytelling by communicating their values through behavior.
Particularly, being intentional about observing the world around them which can include
customers, competitors, landscapes, products, services, employees, etc. They learn from these
observations, gather data that can influence strategic direction, and collect ideas for new ways to
evolve the organization (Dyer & Gregersen, 2011). Observation requires leaders to put
themselves in new environments, can increase odds of discovering innovative solutions to
problems observed and can transform leaders, companies, and industries. Dyer and Gregersen
discovered that innovative entrepreneurs who are CEOs spend 50% more time on discovery
activities, which include questioning and observing, than non-innovative CEOs. That translated

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into spending one additional day every week on discovery activities because they understood that
to execute impactful, sustainable change required them to spend time discovering how to bring
about that change. Their courage to innovate demonstrated how they actively sought
opportunities to usher in meaningful and necessary change. Thereby making it easier for them to
take risks, make mistakes and learn quickly from the mistakes. Innovative entrepreneurs expect
mistakes and view them as a cost of doing business (Dyer & Gregersen, 2011).
Catmull (2014) hypothesized that conceptions around failure being bad and shameful
originate in childhood and live on through adulthood even after learning that mistakes are not
necessarily evil. This is because “that early experience of shame is too deep-seated to erase” and
contributes to mistakes feeling embarrassing and sparking a visceral reaction (p.108). Catmull
reiterated the need to evolve perceptions of failure, because when approached properly, it can
serve as a growth opportunity and even lead to enhanced creativity. It is important for leaders to
foster a culture that allows for failure as a foundational part of innovation and creative processes,
thereby allowing creativity to thrive. This can be achieved by encouraging open communication,
collaboration, and courage to challenge conventional thinking. Therefore empowering employees
to share ideas and take risks. Leaders need to prioritize listening, empathy, and humility to help
foster the connected culture within their organization (Catmull, 2014). This leadership approach
to communicating values by fostering empowering cultures that embrace learning from mistakes,
champion innovation, and value creativity are relevant for senior leaders considering new
approaches to incorporating storytelling in unfamiliar business settings.
Examining Key Components of Leadership Storytelling
According to Forman (2013) literary critics have explored the theoretical study of
narrative, or narratology, since the 1960s. Aspects of the field hold some relevance in the

29
business world as it relates to the storyteller actively engaging audiences in the recreation or
construction of stories formed in their own imagination as they read or hear them. Lewis (2011)
provided a differing perspective when defining relevant components of storytelling. According to
Lewis, stories are subjective experiences shared in everyday discourse that involve an original
state of affairs, an action or event, and the consequent situation. A plot unifies the elements of
the story together in a consumable whole. Story-building supports participants in their ability to
order disparate facts, events, and experiences, create shared understanding of the past, and
predict successful coping with future events and circumstances. Storytelling captures
sensemaking as a major component, which means giving sense to change as well as sense-giving,
which is to give a sense to others.
Sensemaking is a paramount leadership capability given the complex and dynamic world
in which we operate (Ancona, 2007, as cited in Snook et al., 2012); it can lead to creation or
dissolution of alliances, rivalries, and schisms among stakeholders (Lewis, 2011). Snook et al.
(2012) examined promising practices for leaders to best learn sensemaking, noting that one “of
the most effective ways to learn about sensemaking is either to listen to current leaders talk about
their own sensemaking activities, or watch videos of leaders in action and analyze their
sensemaking activities” (Snook et al., 2012, p. 14). Collectively, people can link theory, action
learning, feedback, projects, and role models to improve the execution of their sensemaking
skills. How leaders manage meaning through times of change is a priority (Lewis, 2011) because
it can support leadership breakthroughs of fears around the unknown and help leaders lead in the
face of complexity, ambiguity, uncertainty, and unpredictability (Snook et al., 2012).
Narratives, or storytelling, are powerful because they can embody and describe one’s
sense of identity to themselves and others in a way that makes them become predictable in an

30
unpredictable world (Snook et al., 2012). Narratives serve as a significant vehicle for human
sensemaking as well as meaning-making. The power of narratives can encapsulate the
assumptions and beliefs people make about their reality, and that conditions how people view the
world and believe it operates. We frame our daily lives with stories (Snook et al., 2012).
In addition to serving as a strong sensemaking asset (Lewis, 2001), leadership storytelling
also acts as a powerful tool in a multitude of other ways. According to Hills (2021), many of
those ways include the following: stories appeal to multiple types of learners (auditory, visual,
kinesthetic), neurological research indicates that stories that encapsulate hope and emotion
literally change the way people’s brains process the world, organizational psychology research
showed that learning that stems from a well-told story is remembered more accurately and for a
longer period of time as opposed to learning derived from facts and figures. Facts are 20 times
more likely to be remembered when presented as a portion of a story. Additionally, stories help
place the listeners in learning mode which is major because listeners who are in a critical,
logical, or evaluative mode are more likely to reject the information being conveyed. However,
storytelling recreates an emotional state of curiosity where listeners tend to be more receptive
and interested in the information being received (Hills, 2021). Stories create a medium for lesson
sharing and learning as they help increase people’s receptiveness to the messaging being shared.
“Because we learn best from stories that we relate to emotionally, the most effective leaders . . .
the most effective advertising . . . the most effective art . . . even, the most effective relationships
embrace stories” (ASAP, 2021, p. 307). Moreover, Harris and Barnes (2006) found that
organizational leaders who communicate stories compellingly and deliver preeminent messages
in a memorable way, cultivate more effective relationships with those they lead, offer a pathway
to leadership for others, and create an inspirational workforce culture in their business.

31
Analyzing the Need for Business Leaders to Incorporate Storytelling
When incorporating storytelling in the world of business, it is pertinent to remember that
storytelling serves as a tool to achieve business purposes and is not an end in itself (Denning,
2006).
Stories for business have practical purpose. This is, in general, to gain or strengthen the
trust of the intended audience(s) and, with this achieved, to inform, persuade, and even
inspire them. In addition to achieving these general business objectives, stories are
intended to accomplish specific business objectives. These objectives can cover anything
from recruiting new members to a firm, to increasing the customer base, to presenting a
profile of the senior leadership to the media. In the best-practice cases, these specific
business objectives include the quite significant goals of building and strengthening
corporate strategy, corporate culture, and corporate branding, the ultimate goal being to
build the Exhibit business, its profits and reputation (Forman, 2013, p. 23).
One primary way storytelling can benefit business operations is through inspiring the
workforce culture to embrace change within the organization (Denning, 2005). This is due to the
notion that storytelling can be a powerful tool in creating change. Analysis drives business
decisions but does not get to the heart of the decision-makers; however, storytelling does.
Denning (2005) analyzed how stories can bring principles alive and can help leaders define their
personality. Storytelling or narrative is also the foundation of an organization’s brand; it helps
with sparking action, communicating the identity of the C-suite executive leader, and
communicating the company identity. Storytelling offers various narrative patterns for executive
leaders to select from, depending on their goal or objective. Those narrative patterns include
support in the following: reinforcement of branding, the transmission of organizational values,

32
fostering collaboration, aid in the sharing of knowledge, and is a prime resource for leading
people into the future (Denning, 2005).
Johnson (2022) offered a different approach on the multiple categories storytelling falls
into, depending on how tech executives, particularly chief information officers (CIOs) need to
put storytelling into practice. Johnson summarized storytelling into four main categories from
which tech execs need to select depending on if the leader needs to tell: (a) personal stories, (b)
customer success stories, (c) employee-values-in-action stories, and (d) perspective stories.
Johnson also acknowledged that senior executives in some industries—technology, finance, and
pharmaceuticals—were most comfortable making assertions and sharing facts as opposed to
developing and leveraging storytelling skills because those businesses are very numbers and
science-based, as a result, the communication tends to be left-brained. Consequently, emotional
connection often evades the engagement formula, and storytelling helps to bridge that gap.
Understanding how model C-suite and senior executive leaders learned to leverage
storytelling as a powerfully effective business tool is integral, as more organizations understand
that narrative is central to addressing many of today’s foremost leadership complexities
(Denning, 2006). Leadership difficulties include the articulation of risks and opportunities
identified by strategic management tools like strategic plans, scenario analysis, and dilemma
resolution. Denning (2006) found that the dominant question around executive leadership
storytelling is how a CEO can make effective use of storytelling. While leading companies
increasingly recognize the requirement to train and develop leaders to leverage artful narrative or
storytelling to inspire and guide their organization to respond effectively to strategic challenges,
most organizations need help to get the full benefits of using storytelling.

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Storytelling is beneficial partly because stories themselves serve as a universally
appealing part of the human experience, regardless of gender, age, wealth, nationality, or
ethnicity, every culture is drawn to and possesses stories (Hills, 2021). Good stories become
ingrained in one’s culture, supporting connection with one another, with shared traditions,
legends, and universal truths in addition to potentially being entertaining and contributing to
emotional connection. In regard to storytelling’s ability to connect with people’s emotions, that
is particularly pertinent in a business context, given the relationship between emotions and
decision making. Cognitive neuroscientists Bechara and Damasio (2005) hypothesized that
“emerging neuroscience evidence suggests that sound and rational decision making, in fact,
depends on prior accurate emotional processing” (p. 337). Essentially, Bechara and Damasio
found that the process of making advantageous decisions is both logical and emotional. Hills
found that stories engage emotions, increase people’s understanding and empathy, and help
individuals share their enthusiasm, problems, sorrows, and joys. A good story may provide the
order, structure, and reassurance that employees seek in difficult times by making their
disconcerting experiences and ideas become more familiar, predictable, and comfortable. It can
inspire them to take action, ignite their imaginations, unlock their creativity, and help them see
and believe what is possible (Hills, 2021). These stories can unlock a wide, diverse range of
possibilities for employees.
Storytelling Model of Organizational Communication
Barker and Gower (2010) proffered the Storytelling Model of Organizational
Communication (STMOC) as a cross-cultural communication tool that addresses the diverse
communication needs of today’s heterogeneous workforce culture. It provides a storytelling
model as a complete organizational communication tool that can effectively be applied in a

34
diverse work environment. Research indicates the need for domestic technology organizations to
develop a future technology workforce that includes gender and racial diversity throughout the
leadership ranks for the organizations to remain innovative and competitive, and storytelling
theory can help support those efforts (Scott et al., 2018 as cited in Barker & Gower, 2010).
Barker and Gower (2010) proposed that the STMOC offers a hybrid of the individual and
organizational socialization and communication needs and adds to the organizational diversity
continuum business communication needs to acknowledge the importance of heterogeneity and
time. It then positions storytelling as an effective way to communicate in this environment to
arrive at enhanced organizational communication and performance. The STMOC addresses the
effective delivery of storytelling in an organization to help create a swift communication
environment. Barker and Gower asserted that the swift communication environment can foster a
symbiotic understanding among leaders and employees from a cognitive and affective
standpoint, leading to behavioral actions that benefit the organization. These benefits include
enhanced understanding of and participation in the organizational culture, increased
cohesiveness among team members, and higher quality relationships among both internal and
external team members.
Assessing the Best Times to Leverage Leadership Storytelling
Elevating the overall quality and timeliness of information exchange within the
organization can lead to more effective and long-standing business relationships both within and
between organizations—a significant pathway to garnering desired strategic competitive
advantages in a global working environment (Beckett-Camarata, Camarata, & Barker, 1998 as
cited in Hills, 2021). Timeliness is urgent when evaluating the appropriateness of employing
storytelling in a business work environment. This is notable because most of the time, employees

35
do not need or want to hear stories from their leaders (Hills, 2021). Telling poorly timed stories
can cause more harm than good. According to Shattuck (2017), inopportune stories can become a
distracting disruption to a focused workforce. When trying to carry out storytelling as a tool for
leadership, people often make the mistake of not identifying if the story appropriately addresses
the purpose of the matter (Brown et al., 2005). If leaders do not consider if the kind of story they
seek to tell aligns with the purpose of telling it, there is a significant risk of ending up with a
story that does not fit. While there are times when stories will not be welcome or effective,
central moments will arise where leadership storytelling will be most impactful and great,
effective leaders seize those moments (Shattuck, 2017). Harmful consequences can result when
leaders fail to present a coherent narrative to their teams during these major moments where
something germane is at stake. Shattuck (2017) proposed that leaders reserve their stories for
these occasions to have the greatest impact.
Arguably, times of uncertainty present the biggest and best moments for leadership
storytelling (Shattuck, 2017). When the organization, workforce, or teams face uncertainty, they
need the leader to communicate his or her perspective on what is happening (Choy, 2019). Times
of failure and disappointment also present excellent opportunities for leadership storytelling
because employees will be looking to the leader for reassurance and inspiration when their
confidence has been shaken. Finally, when leaders step into new leadership roles, this also
presents the ideal situation to share a story with employees (Hills, 2021). Employees will want to
understand the identity of their new boss, and it is difficult for the workforce to follow the leader
without viewing the individual as a real, imperfect person with real vision.
Although, there are some groups of people where storytelling is not effective (Brown et
al., 2005). This can occur with people intent on imposing their own view of the world on others

36
and fear losing control by embracing the vision of the storyteller. Alternatively, assessing current
state and reenvisioning future or desired is a chief role of senior leadership, who is responsible to
help close the gap between the two points. Senge (1990) examined the concept of creative
tension which seeks a realistic, accurate, and truthful view of where organizational leaders are in
their “current reality,” and a clear vision of where they want to be in the future. This is a similar
concept explored by Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis which evaluates the performance gap
between the organization or person’s current state, and where the organization, team or person
needs to be in relation to achieving a performance goal.
Exploring the Concept of Leadership
Clutterbuck and Hirst (2002) noted that there are more dissertations, articles, and books
about leadership than any other topic of management. While there are a plethora of perspectives
and definitions of leadership, along with numerous scholars who have researched and written on
the topic, for the purposes of this study, the research espoused by Northouse (2022) and Snook et
al. (2012) served as primary resources, supplemented with insights from additional business
communication leadership researchers like Clutterbuck and Hirst (2002).
In the absence of an applicable, existing theoretical framework, leadership theory as
presented by Northouse (2022) and Snook et al. (20212), provided a valid conceptual framework
to examine and validate innovative practices of C-suite and senior executive leaders whose
performances excel as it pertains to effectively communicating (in deed and action) strategic
organizational mission and vision through storytelling to benefit business operations within their
organizations.

37
Leadership Theory
Northouse (2022) defines leadership as a process that involves influencing others in
group settings, centered around a common goal. Effective leadership is mandatory to achieve
successful outcomes consistently across teams, within organizations and communities, and
throughout society. In theory, the complexities concerning what leadership consists of is
exacerbated due to the multitude of the various dimensions that comprise the concept.
Northouse (2022) poses the following perspective associated with analyzing the behavior
of leaders: “Leadership is best described by what leaders do” (p. 23). However, contrary to the
argument put forth by Northouse (2022), what leaders do provides a portion of insight into their
behavior, but I argue it is consequential to also incorporate how leaders do it when evaluating
leadership behaviors. For instance, an executive leader may be responsible for guiding an
organization through a large-scale organizational change, highlighting the what, but a leader may
achieve that same goal while also cultivating a culture of sustainable trust, engagement, and
accountability, emphasizing the how.
Remarkably, going beyond executing what the task is, and being exemplary in how it is
achieved is a fundamental distinction that speaks to behavior and values. The essence of
leadership goes far beyond performing tasks and dealing with people (Northouse, 2022), how
those tasks are achieved is also vital. For instance, how leaders communicate to the workforce is
significant; leaders can influence and inspire followers to achieve unified goals by leveraging the
power of storytelling to address how they provide followers with a vision and give them hope for
the future (Bolman & Deal, 2017).

38
Examining The Need to Develop Strong Leaders
Evaluating leadership as a concept in the context of this study serves a primary purpose
given the need for an influx of strong leadership prevalent in the United States (Bennis, 2007;
Snook et al., 2012). Surveys examining the quality of leadership across industries and sectors
revealed that 80% of Americans believe a leadership crisis exists in the country (Gergen &
Zelleke, 2008, p. 1 as cited in Snook et al., 2012). The necessity for effective leaders of strong
integrity, character, and courage is alarming (Snook et al., 2012). Especially when considering
how the primary work of leadership involves the ability to develop the next leader (Snook et al.,
2012).
Focusing on leadership development is imperative for organizational transformation
(Heffner & Kennedy, 2011). According to Heffner and Kennedy (2011), leadership development
needs to focus on helping leaders accomplish three things: mastering mind shifts, building
pivotal capabilities that drive business, and integrating learning into work processes and
environment. Personal development and understanding one’s own leadership values require
mastering a mind shift. Shifting from a fixed mindset that emphasizes only being able to navigate
with the skills currently possessed as opposed to a growth mindset, which emphasizes the ability
to learn, grow and develop new skills and understandings (Dweck, 2007).
While there are multiple dimensions of leadership that include decision-making, financial
acumen, operational excellence, strategic management and planning, crisis management, media,
and community relations, one cross-cutting capacity leaders must embody is the ability to
mobilize, motivate and align individuals behind a goal. Snook et al. (2012) referred to the latter
top leadership principle as leadership presence-the ability to genuinely connect with the thoughts
and feelings of other people to inspire and motivate them toward a desired outcome. “Leaders

39
with presence work to identify and describe their sense of purpose, their values, their personal
dedication and their reason for being” (Snook et al., 2012, p. 139). Leadership presence is of
utmost importance to leadership storytelling as well, but the overall need for effective leadership
serves as the foundation.
Additionally, leaders need to be able to operate outside of formal functions and across
organizational silos and boundaries, with extremes of information (Zaidi & Bellak, 2019).
According to Zaidi and Bellak (2019), effective leadership development prepares agile and
adaptive leaders who can deliver leadership and change in complex systems. Many leaders are
limited by their mind and how they make meaning of the world and conflicting values.
Navigating this complexity requires leaders to enlarge how they give meaning to life while
shifting their values and basic assumptions.
Summary
C-suite executives need to improve business operations by learning how to communicate
strategic organizational mission and vision through leadership storytelling. C-suite and senior
executives offer innovative practices in improving business operations by creating motivating
workforce cultures, being resilient and effective leaders through change, and leveraging the
power of data-driven storytelling to inspire organizational performance improvements.
Incorporating storytelling into the world of business calls for a constant reminder that
storytelling is a powerful tool to achieve the purpose of the business, not an end in itself
(Denning, 2006).
Therefore, when introducing storytelling in a business setting, a keen focus must remain
on the business purpose being pursued with the tool, along with the narrative patterns associated
with the different purposes. For senior executive leaders to harness the power of storytelling,

40
they must choose the right narrative pattern for a particular purpose, performing it in the correct
way and at the right time to achieve organizational effectiveness. Hills (2021) postulated that
times of massive change provide a keen opportunity to employ leadership storytelling. A
plethora of organizations and their leaders will require assistance in this area (Denning, 2006).

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Chapter Three: Methodology
The purpose of this study was to discover and understand the innovative practices C-suite
and senior executives used as it related to their ability to use data-driven storytelling to improve
business performance by advancing organizational strategy, particularly during times of change.
Ideally, lessons from this study can be applied to a diverse variety of current and developing
senior leaders across a multitude of industries.
To further examine the role of leadership storytelling, the specific research questions for
this study included:
1. Research Question 1 (Cultivate Belief): How do C-suite and senior executive leaders
learn to leverage storytelling?
2. Research Question 2 (Generate and Transport Data): Why do C-suite and senior
executive leaders leverage data-driven storytelling to improve business performance?
3. Research Question 3 (Gain Perspective): What inspires C-suite and senior executive
leaders to use storytelling to advance organizational strategy?
Research Setting
Interview participants included 41 C-Suite and senior executive leaders; additional details
about interview participants are included below. These participants came from various ethnic and
gender backgrounds, 18 women and 23 men, and each expressed an appreciation and
understanding of the power of storytelling. Participants excelled as business leaders, interested in
improving business performance and making an impact on society through their work. These
senior leaders represented appropriate interview subjects to address the research questions
because their voices, perspectives, and experiences were centered in the research. Additionally,
these top leaders may have been the most able to influence change as it related to the problem of

42
practice around the need for C-suite and senior executive leaders to improve business
performance by leveraging the power of data-driven storytelling. These executives were
responsible for developing, overseeing, and implementing organizational strategies, evaluating
applicable benchmarks to gauge progress toward achieving performance goals, and
communicating the vision, mission, values, overall performance, challenges, and
accomplishments to key stakeholders.
The Researcher
As an executive communications consultant for technology organizations, C-suite and
senior executives, I have worked with, led, and coached an extensive amount of talent and senior
leaders on how to share stories, deliver key messages, and leverage communications effectively
to inspire others. I carry wisdom from these experiences along with my background as a senior
communications leader at one of the world’s largest Aerospace and Defense companies. This
position provided experiences in recruiting, hiring, retaining, training, developing, marketing,
and supporting engagement efforts for the workforce.
Additionally, given that I was a doctoral candidate, pursuing my doctoral degree in
education, at the time of this study, I may have shared similar interests with study participants in
the field of education, technology, learning and development. Moreover, I shared similar
backgrounds with some of the participants, whether that is working in the education technology
(EdTech) sector, attending the same universities, identifying with their appreciation for
storytelling, etc. I shared a vested interest in the topic of leadership approaches to data-driven
storytelling and wanted to hear participant stories and experiences through the interviews. In
other instances, I did not share similar experiences, gender, or ethnic backgrounds with

43
participants. In either case, I remained conscious of potential bias and/or affinity that could have
risen and focused instead on conducting rigorous research.
To help mitigate bias, I ensured that my curiosity about wanting to learn from others took
priority. Additionally, I engaged in reflexivity and memoing, discussed by Merriam and Tisdell
(2016). Based on the guidance provided by Bogdan and Biklen (2007), following the interviews,
I captured applicable notes, writing out what happened and describing the people and activities.
Sample and Population
Interview participants were recruited through a purposeful sampling of C-suite leaders
from different backgrounds, roles within their organizations, experiences, etc. According to
Merriam and Tisdell (2016), purposeful sampling is appropriate when the researcher requires
information-rich cases to learn a vast number of details about the issue of central importance to
the inquiry. This is the case for the study conducted, further emphasizing why purposeful
sampling was the most relevant approach for this study. Purposeful sampling consisted of direct
outreach via email, phone calls, or in-person requests to potential study participants or those who
could recommend study participants.
Snowball sampling, a form of purposeful sampling where the study participants
recommend other participants (Creswell, 2018) was also used to solicit study participation.
Maximum variation, which involved purposefully selecting a broad range of participants to allow
for variation and diverse dimensions of experiences (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016) also enhanced the
transferability of this study. The wide range of C-suite and senior executives from various parts
of the business, industries, organizations, genders, and ethnic backgrounds represented the
widest range of characteristics within the study.

44
The sample size included 41 leaders who held senior positions, such as chief officer,
founder, senior vice president, senior partner, head of, or advisor within their organizations. To
help verify study participants’ positions, I reviewed company websites, career profiles, and
associated online documentation that reiterated their roles and companies for which they worked.
Of the 41 participants, 100% were over 18 years old, were people leaders who held senior
leadership positions, equipped with at least 10 years of work experience, resided in the U.S. at
some point in their career, and led an organization established in the U.S. Additionally, study
participants self-identified that they met the following criteria:
1. Recognized by your organization, company, or industry for your work as a leader.
2. Improved business performance in some capacity, within your organization.
3. Possessed work experience leading through change and ambiguity.
4. Interested in making an impact on society through your work.
5. Possessed a vested interest and responsibility for improving organizational performance
as designated as part of your scope of work.
6. Understood how to communicate with key stakeholders effectively.
Notably, study participants possessed a vested interest and responsibility for improving
organizational performance as designated as part of their scope of work. They were experienced
with using storytelling to improve organizational performance. Solicitation for participants
occurred via email, word of mouth, and referrals from participants.
Instrumentation
The interview protocol for this study consisted of a semi-structured interview protocol
that provided guidance/template for me to follow as the interviewer. Merriam and Tisdell (2016)
asserted that semi-structured interview questions provide flexibility where all or many of the

45
questions are flexibly ordered and can be asked in any order based on the needs of the study and
the flow of the conversation with the participant. The semi-structured interview questions served
as a general interview guide that allowed for building a conversation within a particular subject
area while keeping focus on the topic at hand (Patton, 2007). It also allowed for follow-up
questions and did not restrict the interview to a pre-defined list of questions. The list of
approximately 21 open-ended interview questions (see Appendix A) aligned with the key
concept of leadership and addressed the research questions. The interview questions addressed
the following research questions:
1. Research Question 1: How do C-suite and senior executive leaders learn to leverage
storytelling?
2. Research Question 2: Why do C-suite and senior executive leaders leverage data-driven
storytelling to improve business performance?
3. Research Question 3: What inspires C-suite and senior executive leaders to use
storytelling to advance organizational strategy?
Data Collection
The data sources for this qualitative study consisted of interviews and document reviews
primarily. Prior to engaging in the interview, study participants received an opportunity to
review and agree to the study participant criteria, referenced in the sample population section
above. Every participant volunteered to participate in the interview and provided informed
consent, after they received the criteria and an explanation of the study. Patton (2007) found that
interviewing people provided an opportunity to learn from them in instances where we cannot
directly observe them in their habitat.

46
Furthermore, data gathering consisted of one-on-one, synchronous, volunteer interviews
for about an average of 60 minutes. Interviews were conducted virtually, with 40 interviews
taking place via online Zoom and one interview conducted over the phone. This brought the total
number of people interviewed to 41, a number reached after meeting the point of saturation.
Merriam and Tisdell (2016) asserted that online interviews provide a valid source of data
collection. Virtual interviews best served the needs of this research study given the scheduling
availability of participants, leaders being in various regions, and the familiarity with the medium
for participants. Additionally, one-on-one interviews provided an intimate setting for participants
to freely deliver feedback.
According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016) interviews are an important way of collecting
data in qualitative research. The purpose of the interview is to obtain information that is in
someone’s mind as opposed to information that can be observed. Internal information included
how people felt, interpreted the world around them, and perceived past events that cannot be
replicated (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). To gain understanding and get information via interviews
during my qualitative study, I collected data by recording Zoom interviews, using a voice
recorder, relying on an artificial intelligence (AI) note-taking platform, and taking hand-written
notes during the discussion. Bogdan and Biklen (2007) asserted that when conducting recorded
interviews, certain data may be overlooked or missed, such as extra remarks made before and
after the interview. As a result, it proved helpful to incorporate note-taking as a part of my data
collecting process.
Data Analysis
Semi-structured interviews served as an integral data collection tool and procedure for
gathering data. After which, the transcripts from the interviews were reviewed, a codebook was

47
created using open coding, and the transcripts were hierarchically coded based on key words and
phrases and the frequency in which those terms were used. A coding hierarchy arranges codes
into groups where there is a parent code (overall concept) and children codes, or supplemental
concepts (Gibbs, 2018). Organizing codes into hierarchies can be the first step in analyzing the
data (Gibbs, 2018), which was completed with the assistance of a software tool and organized
via a digital spreadsheet that I organized and reviewed with my dissertation chair. During this
process, patterns were identified in themes and categorized based on those patterns. The code
book served as the analytic framework to assess the number of times common concepts and
experiences were referenced by study participants. The analysis of the data included creating
hierarchical parent and child codes, supplemented with verbatim quotes from study participants
to aid in the trustworthiness and credibility of the research.
Data analysis encompasses structured processes of identifying themes and constructing
findings (Ravitch & Carl, 2019). The themes identified from data analysis were condensed to
support the findings of the study. The intended outcome of the research was to address the
research three questions. To help assess if and how the research questions were addressed,
alternative perspectives of the dissertation committee, with an emphasis on the dissertation chair,
were incorporated as feedback into the study.
Trustworthiness and Credibility
To help ensure methodological rigor and maximize both credibility and trustworthiness
within the study, I followed the strategy outlined by Merriam and Tisdell (2016), which proposed
that qualitative studies need to provide a depiction with enough detail to demonstrate that the
researcher’s conclusions make sense to the readers. According to Merriam and Tisdell, internal
validity, or credibility, addresses the concept around human beings’ construction of reality.

48
In this type of research, it is important to understand the perspectives of those involved in
the phenomenon of interest, to uncover the complexity of human behavior in a contextual
framework, and to present a holistic interpretation of what is happening (p. 244).
Based on interviews with multiple human subjects, they had varying perspectives and
experiences regarding what is reality. My research study incorporated rich descriptive data via
direct quotes from interviews conducted with study participants that highlight their perceptions
of reality.
The most powerful strategies to ensure internal validity or credibility include
triangulation (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Merriam and Tisdell define triangulation as the
application of multiple methods, sources of data, investigations, or theories to confirm emerging
findings. Triangulation was employed within this study to increase the credibility or internal
validity of my research. The triangulation included interviewing multiple (41) participants from
different perspectives, conducting select member checks or interview transcript review with 31
(76%) participants, follow-up interviews with three (7%) participants, and reviewing literature
about the topic. Triangulation helped mitigate potential concerns of bias because there were
multiple sources and forms of data conferred to arrive at the conclusions (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016).
Additionally, leveraging the same, semi-structured interview guide protocol provided a
way to build trustworthiness and support external reliability (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). It provided
a solid foundation to conduct the study. Expert review of my study protocol and research by
three individuals who are Doctors of Education, further underscored the trustworthiness of my
study. Furthermore, reflexivity also aided in the trustworthiness and credibility of my research,

49
aiding in the mitigation of bias throughout the study. Analysis delivered an explanation of how I
arrived at my results as a researcher, further maximizing reliability of the study.
Ethics
According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016), data must be collected in an ethical manner for
that data collection and study to be considered valid, reliable, credible and trustworthy. To help
ensure high ethical standards were maintained throughout the entirety of the study, I conducted
exempt research under the oversight and approval of the University of Southern California
Institutional Review Board process. All 41 (100%) of people interviewed had their voices
represented in the study. Additionally, throughout the process of arranging and/or conducting the
interviews with the human subjects, I shared and reiterated voluntary participation which
covered how the participants had a choice to participate in the study, they were not required to
participate. Prior to the interviews, I ensured participants consented to participation and provided
them with opportunities to ask questions before partaking in the study.
Moreover, participants were also informed of the confidentiality of their study
participation. This meant I would not reveal study participant names, organizational names, or
names of organizations or people participants referenced during the study. Lastly, no funding
supported this research.
Summary
Essentially, Chapter Three addressed the rigorous methodology used to conduct this
qualitative case study and the respect maintained for all 41 (100%) participants. The research
strove to ensure the study remained trustworthy and credible by upholding ethical integrity and
employing a rigorous data collection and analysis method to address the research questions
posed in the study.

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Chapter Four: Findings
The qualitative data collected within this study is intended to address the research
questions and deliver key findings regarding the need for C-suite and senior executive leaders to
improve business performance by leveraging the power of data-driven storytelling. A variety of
C-suite and senior executive leaders from various backgrounds, experiences, and industries were
interviewed for this study based on their appreciation and application of storytelling to improve
business performance. Table 1 overviews the 41 study participants, comprising 18 (44%) women
and 23 (56%) men, 18 (44%) leaders with stated entrepreneurial experience leading their own
business at some point in their careers, 13 (32%) of the 18 leaders with entrepreneurial
experience are current entrepreneurs, and five (12%) of those 18 leaders transitioned into
corporate environments.
Table 1:
Overview of Participants
Participant
Pseudonym
Title Organization Industry
Aisha Senior Vice President,
Customer Experience
Corporate;
Supermarket Chain
Retail
Akoni Chief Learning Officer Corporate; Hotel
Chain
Travel
Amir Senior Vice President,
Human Resources
Corporate; Banking Financial
Benjamin Chief Learning Officer Corporate; Insurance Real Estate

51
Bethany Chief Human Resources
Officer
Corporate; Education Technology
Celeste Chief Branding Officer Corporate; Education Technology
Charles Founding Chief Executive
Officer
Entrepreneur; Public
Relations
Communications
Daniel Chief Learning Officer Corporate; Fast Food
Chain
Food & Beverage
Darnel Senior Vice President,
Sales
Corporate; Education Technology
Deborah Chief Executive Officer Corporate; Hospital Healthcare
Ebony Founding Chief Executive
Officer
Entrepreneur;
Executive Coaching
Consulting
Elija Founding Chief Executive
Officer
Entrepreneur;
Education
Technology
Elizabeth Chief Learning Officer Corporate;
Telecommunications
Technology
Esther Founding Chief Executive
Officer
Entrepreneur;
Education
Technology
Frank Founding Chief Executive
Officer
Entrepreneur;
Construction
Civil Construction
Hannah Chief Corporate Affairs
Officer
Corporate; Food
Delivery Service
Technology
Harry Chief Learning Officer Corporate; Education Technology

52
Isaac Chief Executive Officer Entrepreneur;
Education
Technology
Jack Chief Commercial Officer Corporate; Education Education
James Chief Communications and
Government Relations
Corporate; Food
Delivery Service
Technology
Joseph Chief Executive Officer Corporate; Public
Relations
Communications
Julia Chief of Staff and Chief
Strategy Officer
Start-up; Human
Resources
Technology
Kamal Senior Partner Corporate; Executive
Coaching
Consulting
Krish Chief Data Analytics and
Artificial Intelligence
Officer
Corporate;
Marketing &
Advertising
Advertising
Laila Chief Learning Officer Corporate; Airline Travel
Luke Chief Executive Officer Entrepreneur;
Semiconductors
Manufacturing
Maria Chief Financial Officer Corporate; Health &
Wellness
Healthcare
Mark Head of Product & Strategy Corporate; Insurance Real Estate
Miriam Founding Chief Executive
Officer
Entrepreneur;
Education
Non-profit
Nancy Founding Chief Executive
Officer
Entrepreneur;
Business Coach
Technology

53
Nneka Chief Learning and
Diversity Officer
Corporate;
Consumer Goods
Food & Beverage
Parth Founding Chief
Technology Officer
Entrepreneur;
Leadership
Development
Technology
Rebecca Chief Research and Data
Officer
Corporate; Education Media
Ronaldo Chief Operating Officer University;
Education
Technology
Ruth Chief Learning Officer Corporate;
Distribution
Energy
Samuel Chief Branding Officer Corporate;
Performance Agency
Entertainment
Sarah Senior Advisor Health Services Government
Terrance Head of Global
Communications
Corporate;
Consumer Goods
Technology
Thomas Founding Chief Strategy
and Learning &
Development Officer
Corporate; Airline Travel
Veronica Head of Learning Corporate; Big
Technology
Technology
Zachary Founding Chief Executive
Officer
Entrepreneur;
Education
Technology
Of the 41 leaders interviewed, 35 (85%) were members of their organization’s Corporate
Suite (C-suite) team, meaning they held the title of chief or equivalent within their organization.

54
Of those 35 C-suite leaders, 14 served as chief executive officers (CEOs), 10 served as founding
members of their company, nine of those 10 were founding CEOs and one (Parth) being the
founding chief technology officer (CTO) of his company. Additionally, of those 35 C-suite
leaders, eight represented Chief Learning Officers (CLOs), two of the eight held an additional
title to their CLO position, with Nneka who led as chief diversity and learning officer, and
Thomas who led as both chief strategy and learning officer. Two (5%) people held positions that
represented the Chief Communications Officer position within their organizations, Hannah, chief
corporate affairs officer and James, chief communications officer. Both Hannah and James held
dual responsibility for government relations activities as well. Two participants (5%) held data
related positions, Krish, chief data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) officer and Rebecca,
chief data and research officer. One (2%) person each represented the following titles: Bethany,
chief human resources officer (CHRO); Jack, chief commercial officer; Julia, chief of staff and
chief strategy officer; Maria, chief financial officer (CFO); and Ronaldo, chief operating officer
(COO). Two (5%) leaders, Celeste and Samuel, were chief branding officers. Two (5%) leaders
held chief alternative titles that included Kamal, senior partner of a corporate executive
consulting firm and Sarah, senior advisor in the United States government.
In addition to the 35 C-suite leaders, six (15%) participants comprised the other senior
executives interviewed for this study. Out of those six leaders, three held the title of senior vice
president (SVP): Aisha, senior vice president of customer experience, Amir, senior vice
president of human resources, and Darnel, senior vice president of sales. The other three
participants held the title of head of: Mark, head of product and strategy, Terrance, global head
of communications, and Veronica, head of learning.

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All participants possessed at least 10 years of leadership experience, and shared their
stories, which led to four key findings:
1. Finding 1: C-suite executives learn to cultivate belief and communicate value alignment
through leadership development.
2. Finding 2: C-suite leaders problem solve by generating and communicating datadriven decisions effectively to improve business performance.
3. Finding 3: C-suite leaders consider other perspectives when formulating stories to
create a culture of connection within their organization.
4. Finding 4: C-suite leaders leverage storytelling to facilitate understanding of the
business strategy, particularly during times of change.
Collectively, the four findings discovered through this study highlighted how C-suite and
senior executive leaders leverage storytelling to cultivate belief, generate and communicate data,
and gain perspectives to facilitate actionable understanding.
Therefore, this chapter will address the four findings in the following ways: Finding 1
examined how C-suite executives learned how to cultivate belief and communicate value
alignment through leadership development. The leaders believed leadership development
occurred through personal and professional development as well as the exploration of their
leadership values. Finding 2 explored how C-suite leaders problem solve by generating and
communicating data-driven decisions effectively to improve business performance. The study
participants believed that storytelling helped them: solve problems to advance business strategy,
utilize evidence-based decision making effectively, and carryout storytelling as a sensemaking
tool. Finding 3 analyzed how C-suite leaders considered other perspectives when formulating
stories to create a culture of connection within their organization. The leaders shared their beliefs

56
about how storytelling helped them demonstrate care across their organization and achieve
favorable outcomes and impact. Finally, Finding 4 evaluated how C-suite leaders leverage
storytelling to facilitate understanding of business strategy, particularly during times of change.
This finding was further assessed in relation to how the leaders approached change management.
All four findings are addressed in detail below.
Finding 1: C-suite Executives Learn How to Cultivate Belief and Communicate Value
Alignment Through Leadership Development
Notably, the C-suite executives’ ability to cultivate belief arose as a key component of
how they led their teams and organizations. Especially as it related to the belief senior leaders
had in themselves, in their teams, and in helping their teams to believe in why the leader was
leading and how that aligned with the organizational values. Therefore, the first finding was as
follows: C-suite leaders learn how to cultivate belief and communicate value alignment through
leadership development. This addressed how the leaders developed their “why,” or purpose, and
how they used storytelling to share the alignment between their personal and organizational
values. To cultivate this sense of belief, C-suite leaders focused on three key areas: 1. personal
development; 2. professional development; and 3. leadership values. The study suggested that
leadership development in these three areas could help leaders develop valuable skills,
particularly learning to leverage leadership storytelling to cultivate belief.
Personal Development
For this research, the study explored the concept of personal development as a means of
self-exploration and growth. The leaders referenced formative experiences, cultural experiences
around religion, and how they partook in reflective, mindful practices to aid in their personal
development. The data examined how research participants embarked on journeys and embraced

57
opportunities to grow as people. It also explored the influences, experiences, environments, and
circumstances that may have helped shape study participants’ personal development.
Developing through Formative Experiences
The data captured the notion that formative experiences shaped and contributed to the
fabric of a person’s being. Out of the 41 participants interviewed for this study, 17 (41%)
addressed the impact formative experiences, both positive and negative, had on their personal
development, especially as it related to the role family environments played in molding who they
are today.
When asked about how he learned to incorporate storytelling as a leadership skill, Joseph,
CEO of a top public relations agency that generated over $1 billion in global fee income, told his
origin story to convey his response. He reminisced on the impression his parents had on him
during his formative years and how that helped him understand the value of learning other
people’s stories. They taught him about the value of providing space for silence to allow others
to share their own stories freely. He learned this skill from his father, an attorney, and his
mother, a reporter, who shared how people would provide a remarkable story if you were silent
and allowed them to share without being pestered with numerous questions. Joseph’s recount of
his parents’ approach to storytelling and the lessons gleaned from them showed the impact his
formative experience had on his perception of why incorporating silence in storytelling could be
beneficial since it provided the storyteller with an opportunity to listen with intent. These
experiences demonstrated the depth and influence formative experiences had on leaders’
approaches to identifying and providing space for telling stories.
Early exposure to storytelling contributed to Joseph’s appreciation for rich and full
storytelling, which revealed itself in how he advised other CEOs of top Fortune 100 companies

58
today, as well as how he led his team. After serving about 45 years at the same public relations
agency, he attributed parts of his perspective to his “older” age compared to the team he led
when he advised them to appreciate the power of full, nuanced and contextual storytelling, as
opposed to solely relying on “short-form storytelling” available on popular social media
platforms. He believed that while social media was valuable as easily digestible and consumable
content, it was not a replacement for rich and in-depth storytelling. Therefore, he challenged
them and their clients to go beyond short-form storytelling. He partially attributed this position to
his parents introducing him to “extraordinary” American literature of the “20th century” and
being challenged by the readings in his childhood. Joseph’s value of storytelling influenced how
he led as a dually positioned U.S. interim CEO and the President and Chief Operating Officer,
and how he developed leaders on his team, operated his business, and advised clients.
In addition to positive formative experiences, two (5%) participants, Esther and Veronica,
referenced how negative experiences throughout their upbringing helped to fortify their strength
and fuel why they wanted to be the best version of themselves today, despite what they may have
experienced in their childhood. Although Zachary, Nancy, and Celeste also experienced
traumatic events that contributed to depression during their adult years, those experiences were
still formative occurrences that shaped how they view the world today.
Veronica, who spent nearly 25 years in the human resources field and served as head of
learning and senior director for one of the world’s top three major, multi-billion-dollar
technology companies, offered her perspective of negative, childhood, formative experiences.
She referenced being intentional about not carrying the “garbage” accumulated from her early
experiences and family of origin into her current dealings and relationships. Her goal was to not
project those negative origin stories and experiences onto others. Instead, she chose to show up

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with “humility” and in the spirit of “co-creating” with her team to discover an “impactful
solution” that benefited the organization. Her origin story, the story of where it all started,
motivated her to change the trajectory of where it was all going. The negative experiences in her
childhood had such a profound impact on why she led, spoke, and operated from a place of “cocreation” and collaboration within her organization.
Essentially, the family environment can have a profound impact on how senior leaders
experience life. Within this study, formative experiences shaped leadership perspectives of the
world and influenced the stories they told, why they told those stories, and why they believed
what they believed. The experiences influenced their belief in themselves along with who or
what else they believed.
Connecting Cultural and Religious Influence
Formative experiences unearthed pertinent self-exploration questions, such as the
following: Why am I the way I am? What is my purpose here on earth? What do I envision for
my future? While the answers to these questions could lie within, some leaders also looked
above, to a higher power, as a part of their spiritual journey. Surprisingly, of the 41 leaders
interviewed, 12 (29%) referenced the influence of culture and religion on their lives. Religion
and culture could have influenced their ability to learn storytelling and cultivate belief in a
greater why or purpose. Samuel, who is approaching 35 years of experience in corporate
America and served as chief branding officer for a top A-list talent and sports agency, observed
the possibility of connecting beliefs and religion and shared, “I don’t care what religion it is, they
communicate their beliefs and their values through a narrative, and that’s why we have all these
sort of parables and things where there’s a lesson underneath.” Samuel’s referenced observation
prevailed in the accounts provided by the 12 (29%) study participants who discussed a spiritual

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connection between their values, their work, and how they led their businesses. Nneka, chief
learning and diversity officer for one of the top three largest food and beverage companies in
North America, with approximately $20 billion in net sales, delivered a TED Talk and wrote a
book about her spiritual journey, traveling the world and visiting over 40 different places of
worship including mosques, temples, synagogues, churches and more.
Elija, a serial entrepreneur with around 45 years in the EdTech industry, who has served
as CEO for various EdTech businesses, sold multiple companies, including a company acquired
by a global education company worth over $15 billion, where he stayed on as CEO and oversaw
more than 70,000 employees and advised various organizations as a board member, saw
entrepreneurship as a spiritual act in itself. Elija, who wrote portions of a book about the
integration of entrepreneurship and spirituality, shared the following perspective on how adverse
interactions shaped human experiences and how he leveraged spirituality to navigate the
complexities of those experiences.
We’re all born into this world, relatively innocent, and then we are all faced with various
traumas, whether completely natural, like we’re hungry and cry and someone doesn’t
come to us, to broader ones. And we build up defenses over time to deal with the world
and generally tend to interact with the outside world through filters of defense. I think we
build up defenses as we’re younger, and then as we get older, we try to tear them down.
They serve us well when we’re young, and then they’re barriers to connection, to
intimacy, to lots of things. As you get older, and I feel that having practices or pathways
to try to break down your barriers and be able to respond to the world from a place of
truth and love is my definition, I guess, of spirituality.

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Elija alluded to how overcoming adversity forms a formative part of senior leaders’ experiences
and how portions of a person’s origin story can shape how they perceive and interact with the
world as people and as leaders. These formative experiences may also contribute to how leaders
view themselves and their values in the world.
In the case of Benjamin, chief learning officer for a commercial property insurance
company responsible for generating over $2 billion in revenue, cultural religion and training
were more deliberately intertwined. Prior to being a CLO in Corporate America, he pursued a
different career path. He went to seminary school and received his master’s degree in divinity
while “preparing for priesthood” within the Catholic Church in Canada. Although he decided not
to become a priest, he carried lessons from seminary with him. Benjamin learned storytelling
through priesthood training and a plethora of homiletics courses, where he became a “good
deliverer” of messages and learned to translate concepts into stories that the masses could
understand. Therefore, he saw storytelling as an excellent way to communicate messages. His
origin story highlighted how senior leaders’ faith can influence their ability to cultivate belief
through stories. Similarly, the leaders believed their understanding of and/or faith in a higher
power influenced their perceptions around cultivating belief to connect the dots between cultural
religion and cultivating beliefs, the leaders can engage in reflection.
Engaging in Reflective Practices
The data suggested that leaders continue to learn about themselves and how they can
improve as leaders by nurturing their reflective practices and creativity. These practices may
reinforce alignment between their personal “why” and organizational values. Taking a moment
to pause and reflect can serve as a productive interruption to competitive ways of being, doing,
and knowing, while also carrying potential learning (Shahjahan, 2014, as cited in Patel, 2015).

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Throughout this study, 22 (57%) leaders referenced engaging in some form of reflective
practice. Some practices were the simple act of thinking about their day during the drive home,
as referenced by Deborah, the CEO of a hospital in the Midwest with over 10,000 employees.
Alternatively, they can also be more detailed and complex as referenced by Kamal, who started
his career more than one decade ago and currently serves as a senior partner at a consulting firm
that generated over $115 million in revenue. Kamal elaborated on how he connected parts of his
reflection practices to his Hindu faith, sharing the following:
So, three things I do unconditionally on a daily basis... Basically, I meditate every day,
so I do my spiritual readings. So it’s meditating, spiritual readings, and the third thing I
do every day is journal. And I have a specific way that I journal. And I’ve been doing this
for about ten years. Used to be handwritten. Now it’s all online, which is beautiful... And
I have a daily journaling template that has three buckets. What am I grateful for? What
am I curious about, and where do I need courage? It’s a daily reflection.
Kamal remained committed to this detailed form of reflective practice because “it works.” He
achieved the desired results from his committed practices, believed in their ability to aid in his
personal growth and development, and accomplished his desired outcomes through reflection.
In some instances, reflection may be an underutilized tool that leaders can use to train
their teams, encourage storytelling skill development, and improve how teams interact and
perform. Study participants echoed this sentiment as highlighted by Thomas, the founding
member and chief learning and strategy officer of a major U.S. commercial airline with a
reported net worth of over $2 billion and a retired military officer who ran one of the top fighter
pilot training schools in the world. He summarized how storytelling was an integral part of the
guided reflection process that drove learning within the “top” pilot training school when it was

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formed over 50 years ago. It remains an integral part of the intense training regimen to this day.
From his perspective, the effectiveness that resulted from the integration of storytelling and
reflection underscored why other leaders should incorporate it as a practice. They could pull
lessons from the top officer pilot training school as a best practice. Thomas explained how
“facilitated storytelling, or guided reflection,” remains the primary method of pedagogy for what
is arguably one of the most effective schools of learning in the world, the fighter pilot training
school. His passion for facilitated storytelling/guided reflection was further fueled by the idea
that more people needed to do it and “do it well.” Do not allow busy schedules to impede
engaging in reflective practices. He believed in the dire need for business leaders, focused on
driving performance improvements, to engage in reflection.
Developing creative ability also served as an important asset for business leaders. The
study revealed that 29 (71%) of the 41 leaders referenced engaging in some form of creative
expression, whether it be film, television, concerts, freestyle rap battling, acting, music videos,
cartoons, photography, art, writing, publishing and reading books. Senior executive Nneka
described the following about the integration of creativity in the workplace.
Well, I’ve always loved a good story. I am, as well as an executive, a creative, and have
studied improv and have performed as an actor and have written several books.... And so
I think I’ve always seen the benefit of, the kind of, the intersection between corporate and
creative, and the same way where I might write a screenplay or a book, although I’ve not
written any nonfiction, it's on my to do list....It’s the same muscle where you say, okay,
this is where we are, perhaps as a team or as a company. This is where we want to go.
How can I infuse some sort of narrative to inspire people to get from here to there? So

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those are the experiences I’ve had personally or, I guess, outside of the walls of corporate
America that I've been able to apply in my executive leadership.
Although Nneka possessed decades of experience and a technical background, studying Artificial
Intelligence (AI) while earning her undergraduate degree from one of the top three ranking
private universities in the nation, and a master’s degree in computer science, she still made a
point to develop her creativity and apply those skills to her executive leadership capabilities.
Professional Development
Professional leadership development played a crucial role in how leaders learned to
cultivate belief and communicate value alignment within their organization. A major aspect of
professional development explored included leaders’ ability to learn and grow from experiences,
course correction based on wise counsel, understanding the applicability of best practices, and
sharing newfound knowledge and lessons with others to help them succeed.
Study subjects revealed four primary ways they learned leadership storytelling from
others. Those methods included formal training, trial and error, observation, and mentorship or
coaching. Engaging in leadership development through these methods supported leaders seeking
to cultivate belief within their organization.
Learning from Formal Training
Formal training for the leaders within this study consisted of studying a subject in a
formal learning setting. Thereby participating in an organized course or systematic training, that
in most instances led to earning some form of a degree or certificate as a result of their training.
Of the 41 leaders interviewed, 16 (39%) described how they learned and developed their ability
in leadership storytelling through formal training. For instance, James, the chief communications
and public affairs officer for one of the top three U.S. food delivery services responsible for

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generating over $7 billion in gross food sales, earned his undergraduate degree in art, with a
photography concentration, at a Midwest university. Nancy, the more than two-decade
experienced former CEO of a top online university and current CEO of her own EdTech
company, earned her master’s degree in storytelling. Darnel, SVP of sales, honed his storytelling
skills as a freestyle rap battle champion. Krish, the chief data analytics and AI officer of a top
global advertising agency that generated a reported $200 million in revenue, played multiple
instruments, and acted in theatrical stage productions.
He also benefited from his formal storytelling training course experience while
previously working at one of the big three consulting firms in the nation. After leaving the firm,
he elected to contract out the consulting services of the firm’s storytelling experts so his data
analytics team at his new employer could experience rigorous storytelling training. The training
formed around Barbara Minto’s book, Pyramid Principle, which emphasized the practices of
telling people what was happening and then providing them with the building blocks on why,
when, and how, and then sharing the data that supported those building blocks. By training his
team on data storytelling, he aimed to develop their critical thinking and questioning skills.
Learning from Trial and Error
Trial and error provided an avenue for leaders to try out storytelling and learn from
missteps as they developed their skill set. Seventeen (41%) leaders discussed how they learned
leadership storytelling through trial and error. Regardless of the level of difficulty, discomfort,
and unfamiliarity throughout the learning process, the leaders remained committed to developing
their skills and promoting the concept of growing from failures, learning from mistakes, and
sharing that knowledge to help others. Miriam, who is in her sixties and serves as the founder
and CEO of a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing the next generation of diverse and

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inclusive leaders, expressed why she found strength in embracing what I referenced as a ‘trial
and error then share’ approach to storytelling. She stated the need to show imperfection, failure,
and questioning oneself after trying something new and advised to “embrace these difficulties
that you’re having and know that it’s some grit, that you’re going to need to do hard things that
you care about later, and you’re going to be tough enough to do that.” This type of ‘trial and
error then share’ mindset embraced failures en route to growth. It required courageous leaders to
share failures with others, and this sentiment resonated with many of the study participants. They
held this belief and strove to cultivate this mentality within their organizations. The data
demonstrated that the ‘trial and error then share’ approach to development was reinforced by
observing the behaviors of others.
Learning through Observation
Observing the behaviors of other leaders can influence how senior executives lead.
Within the context of this study, observation represented the act of watching, witnessing, or
experiencing the leadership of others and making mental and/or literal notes on how leaders
believe, behave, and engage with others. Of the 41 participants interviewed, 19 (46%) leaders
expressed how they learned leadership storytelling through observing others. They expounded on
how they learned from what they deemed positive examples of leaders who excelled at
storytelling as well as negative examples of leaders who they wanted to ensure they did not
emulate.
Luke, who was prepared to lead from an early age as a third-generation entrepreneur and
CEO of multiple family-owned businesses with over 10,000 employees, described how
throughout his nearly 45-year career, he watched and became inspired by listening to other CEOs
speak. He believed they helped him “imagine the canvas” of the organization and the goals as the

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paint he used to create the picture. He learned from them, internalized those lessons, and adapted
their storytelling approaches to his personal style. He mirrored their behaviors in route to crafting
his own. Luke’s thoughts represented sentiments illustrated by the 19 (46%) executives who
expressed the role observation played in building their leadership storytelling capabilities as they
cultivated belief in themselves and learned to aid others in believing in them as leaders as well as
the organizational vision and mission.
The study found that those 19 (46%) leaders believed that they developed their
storytelling skills by observing positive examples of leaders with admirable storytelling skills
and then personalizing those lessons and applying them to their own experiences. Zachary
referred to this type of observation as “modeling the masters,” which entailed studying the best
practices of the person or people through observation and adapting those best practices to fit
one’s own applicable situation or scenario. Although positive examples served as strong
motivators for study participants, poor examples of leadership also contributed to their leadership
development. For instance, Ebony learned from experiencing bad leadership in the past as a
former corporate SVP in the retail industry, and now her goal as a current entrepreneurial CEO
of her own executive coaching firm is to rid the world of “bad” leadership.
Learning through Mentorship and Coaching
Additionally, mentorship or coaching supported leadership development efforts for senior
executives working to build storytelling skills. Within the context of this study, mentorship and
coaching arose in the form of other leaders collaborating with the executives to build their
skillset. The other leaders gave study participants opportunities to enhance their skills, presented
them with stretch assignments to expand their knowledge and practice, and gifted them with
detailed feedback on what they were doing wrong and how they could improve. Throughout this

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study, 34 (90%) leaders explained they learned leadership storytelling through mentorship or
coaching.
Julia, who has over one decade of experience and served as chief of staff and chief
strategy officer at a technology startup that created performance management systems for human
resources clients, addressed the role her mentor played in inspiring her and helping her develop
her own leadership storytelling skills. One of the characteristics she said she admired most about
her mentor was her ability to easily access relatable stories and share them in a way that connects
to her target audience. This data point underscored how senior executive leaders identified the
skill sets they admired within their mentors, and worked with that mentor to build the skill within
themselves. Furthermore, benefits of mentorship extended beyond the leader getting mentored,
and benefited the organization in which that leader served.
Elija, serial entrepreneur, captured the exponential benefit and necessity of coaching in
the following way. He believed that at almost every stage in any business, possessing a talented,
experienced and objective “coach” who has established best practices created substantial value
for an organization. Krish, who possesses around 35 years of experience, expanded upon these
sentiments, raising attention about the need for C-suite leaders to facilitate mentorship and
coaching opportunities within their organizations. He felt that by providing these opportunities,
leaders develop future leaders, helping them to enhance their skill sets through coaching, so they
can excel in their roles and drive and deliver measurable results that improve organizational
performance. Notably, the data from the study illustrated how senior executives valued
mentorship and coaching to aid in leadership development around storytelling to improve
business performance.

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Understanding Leadership Values
All 41 (100%) of the leaders interviewed articulated who they were, how their
experiences shaped them and how they reiterated or reaffirmed their values in words, deed or
action as workplace leaders. Two key areas of focus arose as it related to leadership values: the
first being leadership traits and the second being self-awareness.
Identified Leadership Traits
Two primary leadership traits were represented in the collected data, curiosity, and
mental fortitude. Notably, 100% of the leaders exemplified and fostered a culture of curiosity.
They were not only inquisitive themselves, displaying critical thinking traits and asking poignant
questions to expand their learning and understanding, but many of them also encouraged their
people to do the same. Veronica attested to the usefulness of building a culture of curiosity
within her organization by living in a place of inquiry. She defined this concept as asking
powerful questions to help others at various levels within the organization to unlock their own
thinking. She asked these individuals the right questions, so they were empowered to discover
their own solution, or be the hero in their own story. Thereby, the leader and employees cocreated an “impactful solution for the organization.” Veronica’s lessons demonstrated how senior
executive leaders valued curiosity and asked probing questions that ignited critical thinking and
viable solutions that improved organizational performance. Curiosity and inquiry helped involve
the person responding to the story.
For Parth, who has more than 10 years of work experience and serves as the co-founder
and CTO of a startup EdTech company that provided corporate learning services to clients,
cultivating a culture of curiosity was functional for fostering critical thinking. He reinforced a
culture that embraced courage and speaking up: “What matters is giving people space to ask

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questions, giving people space to challenge you on certain hypotheses, as well as building safety
around their questions.” Parth’s insights showed how a culture of curiosity supported analytical
thinking and courageous behavior, traits that he valued, and those values aligned with his
organization.
The second trait displayed during the data collection process was the trait of mental
fortitude, particularly the ability to overcome mental, emotional, or deep personal adversity.
Notably, the triumph of overcoming the conflict and being triumphant in the end shaped their
personal story. This unexpected discovery within the research was underscored by 14 (34%) of
the 41 study participants who addressed the concept of well-being directly. Some verbalized
persevering over traumatic, life-altering experiences. The traumatic experiences occurred at
various stages of life, and overcoming those past experiences influenced how they led and the
triumphant stories they told.
Celeste, who is approaching 35 years of experience and serves as chief branding officer
for an EdTech company with a reported multi-billion-dollar valuation, shared about the
challenging sudden loss of a spouse and how she learned to raise a child with special needs in the
aftermath. She believed when she shared the story with employees, it made her a more relatable
leader who built trust and connection with her team. Esther is a second-generation entrepreneur
in her sixties, whose mother built and sold her own company for “20 million dollars.” Today,
Esther, the founding CEO of her own EdTech company that helped over a “quarter million high
school and college students” develop and tell their stories, also recently sold the company she
founded. She taught mindfulness-based trauma reduction courses and spoke about how she
overcame the trauma of a challenging childhood and how navigating those painful memories in
adulthood helped her support others in owning and telling their own stories. Her experiences

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influenced how she related to stories and helped young people tell their stories in relation to their
values. She also addressed how her Jewish heritage helped her navigate challenging times and
complex emotions during times of war and volatility.
Building Self-awareness of Leadership Values
All 41 (100%) study participants communicated what they valued about leadership and
storytelling and how they integrated those values into their approach to leading within their
organizations. They highlighted the importance of how their leadership behaviors aligned with
the messages delivered within their organizations; the need to “walk the talk,” was repeatedly
expressed as an area of immense value by 13 (32%) leaders. Laila, a former military officer who
served as the CLO of an international airline with over 7,000 employees, articulated her
perspective on leading in alignment with values and behaviors. She declared, “If I’m asking
others to lead in a certain way or do certain things, or espouse whatever the company values are,
not necessarily my values, but whatever the company values are, which should align with mine,
then I'm a big believer in leading that way.” She expressed her need to align her own leadership
behaviors and to also align her values with the values of the company in which she worked.
While all of the participants addressed their values, 26 (63.41%) participants shared their
values in relation to their leadership style, with servant, authentic, and contrarian leadership
styles being the most directly referenced. Table 2 captured the styles of the 41 leaders, 16 (39.02
%) identified with an authentic leadership style, 15 (36.53%) did not directly label their
leadership style in a traditional sense, 8 (19.51%) identified servant leadership style as their
mode of operandi, and 2 (4.88%) referenced alignment with contrarian leadership.

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Table 2:
Identified Leadership Styles
Leadership Style n % Example Quote
Servant Leadership 8 19.51%
Servant leadership is
giving people stories
about why the whole
thing is incredibly
exciting and then stories
about how to help you get
your stuff done even
better. -Harry
Authentic Leadership 16 39.02%
And people, I think when
they recognize that you're
authentic and willing to
do the work, and humble
in your ability to hear
feedback and take
suggestions and change
the way you think, you
tend to build deeper trust.
-Celeste
Contrarian Leadership 2 4.88%
I also think there’s
something to be said for
the contrarian leader. -
Samuel
Alternative Leadership
Styles 15 36.53%
Leaders have high
integrity and moral
values, and they
somehow combine their
personal, moral, and
ethical values should
never be compromised for
what a business wants
them to do. -Aisha

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Moreover, leaders developed self-awareness that helped them cultivate belief in
themselves, provided the tools for them to influence others in cultivating belief in them, and
impacted how they communicated how their values aligned with the organizational values.
Finding 2: C-suite Leaders Problem Solve by Generating and Communicating Data-driven
Decisions Effectively to Improve Business Performance
The second finding within this study was as follows: C-suite leaders problem-solve by
generating and communicating data-driven decisions effectively to improve business
performance. The data, information and details comprised the knowledge that may have
influenced decisions pertaining to organizational goals or strategies. Understanding how
knowledge is created and shared within and across stakeholders of change was a key to
understanding how “knowing” was accomplished in the context of organizational change (Lewis,
2019). For this study, problem solving by generating and communicating data or knowledge
occurred in two primary categories: 1. evidence-based decision making to support data-driven
storytelling; and 2. sensemaking through data-driven storytelling.
Solving Problems to Advance Business Strategy
All 41 (100%) leaders addressed how they helped solve problems to improve business
performance. Elizabeth, retired CLO of a Fortune 50 global telecommunications company that
offered cable television and home internet services, noted her perspective on how she and her Csuite leadership team helped other leaders develop their problem-solving skills. They developed
a class that taught learning and development professionals how to problem solve and tell stories
with data. The course instructed them to meet with their business partners to learn what was
needed to support the business. From there, they focused on “building a solution or solving a
problem to help them get the results that they need, and then putting that into story form.”

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Afterward, the leaders generated and told the story throughout the organization, clarifying that
the problem was heard, understood, and solved. Elizabeth’s approach to strategic problem
solving illustrated how C-suite leaders identified solutions to problems that addressed key
business needs and incorporated data-driven storytelling to communicate those solutions
effectively.
Problem solving by identifying and implementing strategies that improve business
performance was a key responsibility of C-suite leaders. Akoni, who worked for around 35 years
and served as the CLO for one of the largest U.S. hotel chains in the world, with a reported
adjusted EBITDA of over $2.5 million for the full year, mentioned how he and his C-suite
leadership team leveraged data-driven storytelling to solve problems. For instance, they were
challenged with advancing business strategies and achieving organizational goals regarding
“customer loyalty.” To address this challenge, they leveraged evidence-based decision-making to
influence the types of stories the organization told regarding customer experience as a part of the
organization’s business strategy. Based on the data around the need for the company to drive
customer loyalty, which he believed was the “most important” factor for the industry, they
decided to tell stories primarily about customers. Akoni explained the following:
There’s so much data around how it impacts what we would call in the industry share of
wallet, and the implications that it has to how we drive loyalty to share of wallet can be
15 times fold. So it has a big compounding or multiplier effect that is so significant. And
of course, that then spills into the business model around how we drive, if we drive
greater loyalty, which means market share, we then drive, because we drive greater
market share that attracts more investors and more people that would like to invest or
own a [hotel] franchise, for example. And that’s what feeds the ecosystem.

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Akoni highlighted how his organization addressed the need to increase customer loyalty by
making the decision to incorporate data-driven storytelling to advance the business strategy and
improve business performance.
Evidence-based Decision Making
All 41 (100%) study participants mentioned using data analysis in some form or fashion
to solve problems. Of the 41 leaders interviewed, 34 (83%) used evidence-based decisionmaking as part of their approach to problem-solving and leading within their organization.
Ronaldo, COO of one of the nation’s top research universities, responsible for running
the university’s online programming, owned his responsibility to help his team develop their
ability around evidence-based decision making. Equipped with over one decade of experience,
he integrated student enrollment data into student success stories and shared them with his team
to reiterate the importance of the organizational vision, mission, and goals. Ronaldo chose this
approach because leaders could not think of every possible solution to a problem or issue that
arose. Therefore, he made it a point to communicate a “clear vision” of what the organization
sought to accomplish. By generating and communicating this knowledge to his team, he believed
they were better prepared to make decisions and problem solve in an adaptable and effective
manner on their own. Furthermore, Ronaldo’s approach highlighted the need for leaders to also
communicate or transport that knowledge around evidence-based decision-making to their teams
through data-driven storytelling, to support the team’s ability to problem solve.
Maria, who spent more than 10 years as a corporate CFO, serves as the CFO of a health
company with over 200 employees, voiced her responsibility for making both decisions and
recommendations to the CEO based on the financial data reports pulled together by her
accounting and finance team. Her team prided itself on both the “timeliness and accuracy” of the

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data, which was vital because they generated data on which organizational decisions were based.
She knew how the story told around that data and analysis influenced decision making.
Although data-driven storytelling aided leaders in decision-making, some organizations
needed to evolve their practices. Laila, CLO at a global international airline, addressed that as an
area of improvement for her organization. A major reason behind her joining the company was
due to her expertise in evidence-based decision-making and data-driven storytelling. “We do not
do a great job with using data to make data-driven decisions or draw out insights or tell
persuasive stories.” Therefore, she shared she was hired into the company partially because
“that’s just kind of one of the things I'm known for, is using data to help drive business
decisions.” Laila’s sentiments underscored the data from this research, which suggested that
leaders incorporated data-driven storytelling to aid in decision-making and problem solving.
Thomas, a founding C-suite member of a major U.S. commercial airline, told a story
about how the airline leveraged these concepts to improve business performance. He helped form
what the founding C-suite team referred to as “values-based decision-making,” which led to the
formation of the seven “core values” of the company. The concept of “values-based decisionmaking” emerged from a challenge the organization experienced earlier in its operations. As a
result of data gathering, research, analysis, and feedback, the leadership team discovered that in
the midst of the company experiencing fast growth, they promoted supervisors but did not
provide them with appropriate leadership training or a different set of tools to lead. The struggles
new leaders experienced with “values-based decision-making” initially led to the creation of the
seven core principles of leadership. The concepts were shared through data-driven stories
centered around the seven core values in the new leadership development program. The crux of
the stories reiterated that the values were the “non-negotiables” within the company.

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Thomas also declared one of the best choices the C-suite team made was to not only
ensure people understood the story and basis of where the seven basic values derived, but they
also identified and shared “observable behaviors” that supported each one of the values. He
believed that if he and his leadership team defined their values and the behaviors that reinforced
those values, then they were “90%” towards having dynamic stories to tell.
Frank, an over 50-year-old, second-generation CEO of a family-owned construction
company based in the northeast of the U.S., with over 500 employees that are 75% tradespeople
and a part of the union, within an organization that generated a self-reported $200 million in
revenue, also affirmed this belief. He communicated how he and his leadership team
intentionally, publicly recognized employees who exemplified organizational values and
behaviors. They used the story of why that person was being recognized to emphasize a certain
aspect of the organizational strategy, execution, or values. They utilized the stories to reinforce
the types of behaviors they sought from all of their employees across the company.
In both Thomas’ and Frank’s cases, the stories, behaviors, and expectations of the core
values permeated each aspect of how the company operated. That included influencing how they
recognized current employees (a sentiment referenced by 12 or 29% of study participants) and
supported hiring practices around recruiting new employees (a sentiment referenced by 21 or
51% of study participants). In Thomas’ case, leaders trained on a systematic approach that
incorporated storytelling into the interview process. When they interviewed candidates, leaders
requested candidates to “share situational examples” of their experience. This elicited a story
about how, if, and why their behaviors, beliefs, and actions aligned with the organization.
Thomas created a leadership development program that shared stories around the seven
core values, and he created the airline’s university, which became an award-winning corporate

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training initiative responsible for delivering learning and development initiatives to the airline’s
entire workforce. Today, it is the only single-source provider of company education in the airline
industry worldwide. Thomas’ experience, along with the aforementioned examples, represented
how C-suite leaders problem solved and used the knowledge acquired through evidence-based
decision making to communicate those decisions through data-driven storytelling.
Storytelling as a Sensemaking Tool
Of the 41 study participants interviewed, 36 (88%) executives raised the need for leaders
to address “the why” with employees. Hospital CEO Deborah who has worked about 15 years
within her healthcare network, articulated the following perspective about using storytelling as a
sensemaking tool to communicate “the why.” She believed that if she did not “fill in the blanks”
for her team, they would “fill it in” themselves. Therefore, she aimed to communicate
intentionally about what changes were taking place in the organization and why they were
happening. Although it proved difficult, she strove “to fill all the gaps,” explaining “the why” to
her team while understanding they may have been creating their own “story in their head” of
what, how, and why things were changing. She acknowledged that she already knew the answers
and key components of the story, and the difficulty resided in ensuring she translated the missing
parts of the story effectively by keeping in mind her audience did not know all the aspects of “the
story.” As a result, she learned to be “intentional” about how she shared stories of change.
Deborah recited how allowing for a gap in “the why” left room for potential rumors,
misunderstandings, confusion, and employees making up their own ideas on what “the why”
could mean. To diminish the chances of this outcome, study participants divulged how they first
tried to understand their own “why,” then comprehend the organizational why, and finally shared
the why with applicable key stakeholders. Deborah also expected her leaders to understand their

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own personal why. She advised them to go deeper than the superficial top layer of their why, dig
deep, and truly understand what their “why” is at their core. Leaders perform at their best when
they “know their why.”
Additionally, by communicating the why, leaders built an emotional connection with
their key stakeholders. Of the 41 interview participants, 26 (63%) leaders leveraged leadership
storytelling as a beneficial tool to build emotional investment across their target audience. They
valued that ability because they believed that connection aided collective problem solving.
The emotional connection that derived from storytelling may have influenced decision
making related to problem-solving as well. Mark, head of product & strategy for a top real estate
insurance company reportedly responsible for over $7 million in revenue, expressed his strategic
approach for integrating the emotional influence of storytelling to positively influence decisions
and persuade leaders’ decisions within his organization. Mark conveyed, “Unless you’re able to
make a compelling story, unless you’re able to provide a meaningful narrative, to really convince
a senior executive to move on an initiative, they need to have an emotional tie.” Mark’s beliefs
reiterated senior leadership strategic approaches to problem solving; being thoughtful about how
data shaped the stories they told and the emotional connections they built through those stories.
The Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer for a food delivery service, James,
who has almost 25 years of experience, expressed his personal perspective on building an
emotional connection with his audience. He believed that as a senior leader within his
organization, he tapped into something great when he reached people’s emotions because that
emotional connection led to higher productivity, quality of output, and increased engagement
from the workforce. Employees became invested beyond a “transactional level.” His sentiments
demonstrated how leaders helped employees make sense of what was happening around them.

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That involved a level of emotional connection, made through story, and they believed that
connection helped improve business performance.
Finding 3: C-suite Leaders Consider Other Perspectives When Formulating Stories to
Create a Culture of Connection Within Their Organization
C-suite executives were motivated to gain and consider alternative perspectives beyond
their own, and then incorporate applicable perspectives in the stories they told to help improve
business performance. Interviewees believed that gaining the perspective and insights from other
key stakeholders yielded a valuable way to create a connected community, understand the needs
of the organization, and achieve favorable organizational outcomes, especially during times of
change and uncertainty. Of the leaders interviewed, 100% shared stories about how they
benefited from considering the perspectives of others. These leaders were inspired to learn more
about the people they led because they believed they genuinely cared for them. They
demonstrated care in how and what stories they told throughout their organizations. Therefore,
the following explains the third finding of the research: C-suite leaders consider other
perspectives when formulating stories to create a culture of connection within their organization.
Two primary areas of focus comprised this finding, leaders created a connected culture by: 1.
demonstrating care and 2. achieving favorable outcomes and impact.
Demonstrating Care
Leaders became inspired to consider perspectives when storytelling because it allowed
them to demonstrate authentic care for their people. Of the 41 participants interviewed, 31 (76%)
spoke at length about being inspired to care for their people authentically. While the way in
which the leaders demonstrated care varied, each of the methods resulted in the leaders gaining
the perspective of their teams and other key stakeholders. The research study data showed that C-

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suite and executive leaders demonstrated care by considering other people’s perspectives when
they communicated about the business strategy and/or change that impacted their teams.
These leaders gained perspectives of their team by building trust within their
organization, which they achieved by being authentic, open, transparent, and accessible leaders
who engaged in direct conversation with their teams. Sarah, a military veteran and senior advisor
with over 10 years working in the U.S. government, conveyed how transparency, visibility, and
leading by example established precedents for others within her organization to speak up. She
found this to be a valuable approach to creating a brave space environment for open
communication. Once that existed, employees were more courageous to provide candid feedback
with the “trust” that their leader would respect their comfort levels in sharing. Rebecca, chief
data, research, and impact officer for one of the largest children’s television programming
organizations in the world, expressed her approach to building courageous cultures of curiosity,
“you create the safety of having conversations or coming up with ideas, critiquing what’s being
done now, the agency or that ability for people to really invest their time in it, but then you
follow up with actual actions… It’s storytelling by action.” Rebecca’s insights showed how
leaders communicated stories to build cultures of curiosity that fostered trust, gained perspective,
promoted autonomy, and valued feedback.
The leaders listened to their people, sought feedback regularly, and considered the
perspectives of those whom they led. From Parth’s perspective as the founding CTO of a
corporate learning and development startup, gathering feedback was about being intentional,
interviewing someone, actively listening, and gaining a plethora of insight from the conversation.
Insight that identified who they were, what they cared about, and why they cared about it.
Listening to their teams helped the leaders better articulate the why behind business decisions

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with clarity referenced by 19 (46%) leaders, consistency referenced by 11 (27%) leaders, and
effectiveness referenced by 16 (39%) leaders. Of the leaders who referenced clarity, three (7%),
Deborah, Ebony, and Kamal, used the phrase “clarity is kindness” in reference to the need to be
clear-thinking and clear-speaking leaders who relayed clear messages to their teams out of
consideration for them needing clear direction to execute and excel.
In reference to his role as the chief strategy officer of a major airline, Thomas leveraged a
“balanced scorecard” (BSC) to support strategy development. The BSC helped support clear and
effective communication to employees, and served as a tool to consistently communicate the
message of the strategy that was both accessible and understandable for employees. The
emphasis on considering others’ perspectives highlighted how C-suite and senior executive
leaders demonstrated they cared by being intentional about how, why, when, and if they gathered
feedback from their teams. After which, they incorporated applicable feedback into the stories
they told about the business strategy.
While all leaders addressed the need to listen and receive feedback from their teams, four
leaders also acknowledged the need for improvement in this area. For instance, Charles disclosed
how as the CEO of a young and growing company, tracking metrics on employee feedback
through analyzing “engagement surveys” and things of that nature was an area of opportunity for
his business. He planned to build that into their processes and procedures and incorporate it into
their strategic “roadmap.” Jack, the chief commercial officer for a Montessori, who has around
35 years of experience, noted how gathering feedback could prove “difficult,” but necessary
because thinking about what motivated his employees provided a great starting point for crafting
messages intended for them.

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Moreover, feedback influenced how the leaders communicated the why behind business
strategy decisions or changes within the organization, with the goal of helping employees
understand “what is in it for me,” or WIIFM as Ebony pointed out. This WIIFM approach helped
leaders meet people where they were along the journey of the story. Nneka offered a WIIFM
related story about how her C-suite team met to discuss business strategy and how it should be
cascaded throughout the organization. Her colleague dismissed discussion of the organizational
vision and mission in the cascade because he believed the employees wanted to learn more about
“the KPIs, the numbers” influencing the business. Contrary to this opinion, Nneka advised that
while some people may only desire to know “the KPIs, the numbers,” it was equally necessary to
inspire the organization as a whole through story. Ensuring the message went beyond the
milestone and addressed the WIIFM, why they were there, and the purpose. She believed a
“good storyteller can grab someone’s attention” and inspire them with a story, and then the
details come within that framework. Nneka referenced the gravity of meeting people where they
are along the story of the organizational strategy.
Bethany, who has about 25 years of experience and leads as the CHRO for a technology
company, believed a key aspect of leadership storytelling evoked the leader’s ability to “meet
people where they are.” By meeting them where they are and bringing them along on the
journey, employees can best connect with and understand what is needed from them and how
they fit into the big picture.
Achieving Favorable Outcomes and Impact
Leaders were inspired to consider perspectives when storytelling because it led to
favorable outcomes and impact. Achieving favorable outcomes and impact served as a
motivating factor for 100% of study participants. The data within this study addressed achieving

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favorable outcomes in relation to business performance and results. Achieving favorable impact
referenced the impact on people, community, and/or society. Rebecca, chief data, research, and
impact with more than two decades of experience, used storytelling to deliver both favorable
business results and societal impact, given the double bottom line focus of the organization. She
served previously as a C-suite leader in an organization that was single bottom line, and left
because it did not “align” with her personal values. While 28 (68%) study participants referenced
the value they placed in ensuring alignment within their organization, Rebecca is the one and
only study participant who spoke of working for a double bottom line company. To her, being
double bottom line focused meant that “whatever you create or produce has to make an impact,
but also be sustainable in the marketplace.” She measured impact on her business and its people
through the creation and implementation of the dashboard that examined financial performance,
brand reputation and employee engagement.
Achieving Favorable Impact
Regarding people, desirable impact for the leaders interviewed included being curious
and creating a culture of learning as it related to influencing behaviors and culture. All 41 leaders
spoke of the desire to foster learning within their organization. Learning resulted from feeling
connected to the leader or organization, embracing adaptation and iteration, and sharing lessons
learned from mistakes. In the case of Laila and her more than 20 years of experience, she created
positions within the organization to facilitate learning and “transform the company’s learning
culture” with the goal of fostering continuous learning while driving innovation and scalability
throughout the business.
For 19 (46%) of the leaders, having a learning culture was relevant on a global scale,
given their organization engaged in international business. Akoni addressed learning and

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development from his perspective as the global CLO. He oversaw leadership development
programs with a tremendous focus on storytelling, and the programs took leaders around the
world and introduced them to diverse cultures. It captured how the leaders used storytelling to
impact themselves and their global teams, the result that had on their career development, and
how it helped them tell stories to inspire others to excel beyond their imagination. This
leadership development example highlighted the importance of organizational learning cultures.
As C-suite data analytics and AI executive of a global organization, Krish recommended
books to his team to learn about how to communicate with unfamiliar cultures and the role of
storytelling in various global scenarios. From his perspective, he expected his leaders to develop
a worldview to understand the differentiation between storytelling in the U.S. as opposed to other
countries like Germany and Japan. Krish shared how understanding cultural storytelling nuances
supported improved business performance.
For example, Germans like to get the data first and then work with you to compile that
data into a logical conclusion, deductive logic. And then from there, they want to
conclude, along with you, to the final solution, which is the reverse pyramid principle...
On the other hand, Americans and British like to know the answer first. Then they may
ask questions on the logic, and then they may or may not go into the data level of
detail…The Middle Easterns would like to spend a substantial amount of time talking
about personal and family. How is your family? ...They’re very warm. They want to
make sure that you feel the warmth, and they also expect that warmth back from
you…The Chinese have a similar process of Guanxi, as they call it, which is, did I have
enough of familiarity with this person to be trusting? And then going forward and doing
business, the storytelling there is very different. So that’s how storytelling differs from

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culture to culture. So having that as a part of the training is also useful, particularly when
they’re exposed to different cultures.
Given the notion that 19 (46%) C-suite and senior executive leaders were often tasked with
leading change and transformation for global organizations, the context regarding incorporating
inclusive approaches to storytelling across diverse cultures was applicable.
Furthermore, 13 (32%) leaders recounted the need to expand cultural aptitude as it related
to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) efforts domestically. Of the 41 participants
interviewed, 14 (34%) were people of color. Terrance, global head of communications for a tech
company that specialized in consumer goods, with a self-reported $1.1 billion in sales during the
third quarter of 2023, forewarned how if leaders did not address this area of focus and improve
approaches to DE&I, it would be a detriment, especially to the tech community. Terrance’s
position emphasized the importance of leaders within organizations learning to foster a culture of
DE&I to help negate negative impacts on the business.
In addition to leveraging storytelling to impact DE&I within organizations, the following
arose as primary areas of interest related to influencing organizational cultural behaviors around:
accountability - nine (22%) leaders, sense of ownership or empowerment - 17 (41%) leaders,
collaboration - 21 (51%) leaders, and innovation/creativity/iteration - 27 (66%) leaders.
Esther, founding CEO of an EdTech company she recently sold, communicated ideas
expressed by the nine participants who directly referenced the incorporation of accountability in
their business. She believed the “structure of accountability” ends with the CEO; she must set the
tone at the top for her organization. That accountability helped foster a sense of ownership within
the organization, where employees also felt empowered. Parth echoed the sentiments of 17
(41%) of the leaders interviewed, he felt “empowerment” was high-priority because people

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succeeded best when they possessed a passion for the work they were doing, felt that their voice
was heard, and had the ability and ownership to help “drive change.” Amir, SVP of human
resources at one of the largest financial institutions in the country that manages over $1 trillion in
assets, valued his role in helping employees feel that sense of ownership. A lesson he learned
early on in his career, after becoming the youngest SVP in the entire company during his
twenties. He believed his leadership position required him being responsible for empowering his
team members to go beyond their comfort zone and step into the learning zone, learning how to
own their role in helping the organization secure big wins where it matters most. The
perspectives about the sense of ownership and empowerment highlighted the culture leaders
desired and the positive impact on the people and organization. Aisha, SVP of operations for a
grocery retail corporation responsible for generating a reported $80 million in online sales,
offered sentiments reflective of 21 (51%) leaders about how leaders collaborated across
boundaries in her company, and needed to foster that collaborative culture within their
organizations.
Harry, the former CLO for a Fortune 500 private, online, for-profit university with over
10,000 employees, and currently leads as the founder and CEO for a learning consulting
company, represented a major proponent of innovation/creativity/iteration, as expressed by the
27 (66%) study participants. Throughout his almost 30-year career, he personally sought out
various kinds of learning leaders in corporations who had an appreciation for using evidence to
measure what was working, and were also open to testing, trying, iterating, and piloting new
ideas and approaches. From Charles’ perspective as a founding CEO with close to 25 years of
experience in the public relations industry, creating a culture that embraces “iteration and
growth” enabled entrepreneurial CEOs to continue “investing in the business.” Rebecca desired

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to foster a culture that viewed research as a “catalyst for innovation, insight and impact.”
Collectively, the sentiments highlighted by these C-suite leaders showed how senior executives
created connected cultures of curiosity, fueled by innovation, iteration, and creativity, to yield
positive results for the employees and the business.
Achieving Desired Business Outcomes
Achieving favorable outcomes from the perspective of business results varied. Three
(Charles, Elija, and Samuel) addressed experiencing difficulties in measuring how storytelling
influenced business outcomes. Of the 41 leaders interviewed, 22 (54%) addressed how datadriven storytelling positively influenced business outcomes as it related to sales behaviors
throughout their business. Mark, who is nearing 25 years of experience in the “real estate
information industry” and serves as head of sales and strategy, asserted how storytelling
effectively influenced both sales and business development, proving necessary for success in the
fields because it created an emotional connection and engaged the audience.
Ruth, a CLO with almost 35 years of experience who works at a sustainable energy
company with over 2,000 employees, also focused on improving sales performance for her
organization. Equipped with almost three decades of experience as the CLO and Vice President
of Talent in three different organizations, she built learning and development programs that
enhanced the storytelling skills of sales leaders. Her learning strategy consisted of equipping
sales professionals with the storytelling skills to explain the “value add” for customers choosing
to work with the company. The training helped sales professionals handle price increase
conversations with customers in a manner that built confidence and trust.
Daniel, CLO for one of the largest fast-food chains in the world, with close to three
decades in workplace learning, also relied on his ability to use storytelling to improve business

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performance. He recalled how telling the story of employees led to him gaining buy-in from his
organizational peers, securing over $1 million to accelerate the sales training program within his
global corporation. While presenting to the senior vice president of sales, Daniel presented a
data-driven story about how his learning effort could lead to about $40 million a year in
incremental annual revenue for the business. He helped to facilitate understanding about the
value-creation of the program, and influenced the decision of the SVP of sales, who approved the
$1 million needed to fund the program because he saw the value of the investment. By the time
Daniel finished with the sales training program, the company experienced almost $60 million in
revenue, making an enormous difference for the business. He confirmed how telling the story of
the achieved accomplishments, supplemented with real-life examples as opposed to hypothetical
theories, were the most influential elements of the story. Daniel’s example highlighted how
leaders used storytelling to achieve desired outcomes as it related to business performance.
Finding 4: C-suite Leaders Leverage Storytelling to Facilitate Understanding of the
Business Strategy, Particularly During Times of Change
The fourth and final finding presented a culmination of the previous three findings. The
first three findings all worked together in order to facilitate the fourth finding, C-suite leaders
leverage storytelling to facilitate understanding of the business strategy, particularly during times
of change. This finding acknowledged that in order to facilitate understanding, the previous three
findings must work together. Therefore, C-suite leaders must cultivate belief, generate and
communicate knowledge, and gain other perspectives in order to facilitate understanding. The
leader’s ability to facilitate understanding of the business strategy is particularly pertinent during
times of change and uncertainty.

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A primary responsibility of C-suite and senior executive leaders was to communicate the
business strategy effectively. Particularly, as it related to the organization’s mission, vision, and
values. All 41 of the study participants imparted thoughts around the concepts of business
strategy as it related to the mission, vision, and/or values of the organization.
Serial entrepreneur, founding CEO, Elija discussed practical steps he took towards
helping his employees align their work to the business strategy. He proposed that it began with
outlining a strong vision and mission statement, then aligning organizational goals to them.
Although, prior to exploring practical application, he emphasized the need for CEOs to maintain
a genuine “passion” and strong belief in the mission and vision of the organization. For him, his
passion was combined with authentic care and empathy for the people he led. He recognized that
asking people to follow him, required him to take responsibility for the notion that his
organization was where many employees received the most “fulfillment” in their lives. He was
particularly passionate about this position as it related to leaders of entrepreneurial organizations,
as he professed, his belief that entrepreneurial, mission driven companies, serve as transporters
“for that kind of growth, that kind of personal growth, group growth, seeking of fulfillment, and
getting to a better practice of interacting with the world, customers, fellow employees from a
place of truth and love.” His sentiments highlighted his focus on being a growth-mindset
organizational leader who facilitated understanding of the business strategy by first nurturing a
connected culture of people who authentically cared about driving positive impact en route to
executing the mission and advancing the vision.
Ronaldo acknowledged the importance of keeping the perspective of the employees in
mind when sharing the organizational vision. He found sharing that vision consistently to be a
critical component of employees being able to internalize how the vision applied to them, the

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work they were doing, and the goals they were working to execute. He expressed the
significance of when leaders deliver “that message and that kind of vision and goal that you’re
going after, that you’re kind of repeating it because as people hear it more and more, then it starts
to become the reality of what people are working towards.” Ronaldo’s perspective emphasized
that leaders must communicate the organizational vision in a consistent manner to help facilitate
understanding for employees. In fact, Elizabeth found it hard to “over communicate” when she
helped employees “understand a vision or a mission or the strategic goals or the performance
goals.” Her sentiments regarding leveraging storytelling to support strategic planning and goal
setting within her organization were expressed by 30 (73%) study participants. They believed
that doing so not only helped employees understand their roles in driving the vision forward but
also ensured they were clear on how to take actionable, tangible steps towards achieving goals
that would ultimately help improve business performance.
When considering how to inspire employees about the organizational mission, Miriam
chronicled the need for people to first understand their own individual story, intrinsic motivators,
and individual values. By first developing this level of clarity and self-awareness around one’s
own story, which opens individuals up to understanding how sharing their story with others can
be inspiring and there can be a sense of meaningful unification and shared story around the
organizational values, mission, and strategy. Miriam believed in encouraging teams around
knowing and understanding their personal story and how they influenced their mission. Once
they possessed that level of clarity, they could share it. Thereby, opening up “storytelling”
capacities within others and encouraging an authentic exchange of experiences. Miriam
described her approach to storytelling and encouraged others to leverage it as a powerful tool to
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Facilitating understanding of the business strategy furnished an additional key component
of the organization’s approach to leadership development for Benjamin. He designed and
operated week-long workshops for potential future C-suite leaders within his company. He
strove to develop the leaders and expand their understanding of strategy, business innovation,
and change. Particularly as it related to leading and operating a global organization with nuances
of local perspective. The program exposed the senior leaders to clients and brokers who provided
a perspective on those various topics from their vantage point. The exposure expanded further to
different cultures and markets, to prepare developing senior leaders for the next level.
Benjamin focused extensively on developing the next group of C-suite leaders for his
organization. He created a leadership program where he guided future C-suite leaders through an
entire year of “deep diving” and “soul searching” to discover their purpose and core leadership
values. He built the program from the ground up, exposing leaders to topics like leadership
storytelling related to personal brand, executive presence and communicating organizational
strategy. Additionally, they dedicated an extensive amount of time focused on leading and
operationalizing strategy, benchmarking performance against other companies and extrapolating
best practices those companies implemented as it related to organizational strategy. Benjamin
personally valued these aspects of leaders and believed the leadership programs created and
strengthened a community of connection for participants, where they could be both vulnerable
and authentic. One primary goal of the program was to help leaders refine their skills on the path
to becoming strong storytellers.
Remarkably, this exemplified the emphasis C-suite leaders placed on facilitating
understanding through storytelling. They leveraged storytelling to help employees make sense of

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the business strategy, and develop the next generation of C-suite leaders who will define the
business strategy in the future, and navigate change and transformation along the way.
Change Management
While mission, vision, and values comprised primary components of organizational
business strategy, ensuring clarity regarding the organizational mission, vision and values was a
responsibility of the senior executive leaders. That responsibility became even more of a
requisite during times of change, crisis, and uncertainty.
According to Gill (2002) effective leadership and communication, as well as adhering to
corporate values comprised the foundation of successful change implementation. Although
change is a journey, leaders are needed to steward the direction of the journey. This calls for
them to establish the tempo and ensure the well-being of employees and team members
journeying along the path to see the change come into fruition. Gill postulated that leadership is
about showing people the way and leveraging personal power instead of other types of power to
win over the hearts and minds of those who follow. Charles’ insights as a CEO also supported
the findings in this area, given the impact of storytelling and “earning your place into
somebody’s heart or mind” proves to be both a challenge and an exciting reward. Leaders need
to connect with people and provide something for those people to also connect with in a
purposeful manner. As a result, leaders need to possess a vision of the future, envisioning how to
best align employees to the change in a way that is beneficial for the long term. The integrative
model of leadership presented by Gill considered and addressed the four dimensions of
leadership (spiritual, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral) elements necessary for leaders to
serve as change agents throughout the process.

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1. The emotional dimension focused on feeling and encouraged leaders to use personal
power instead of positional power to empower and inspire people; thereby winning
people’s hearts.
2. The intellectual or cognitive dimension focused on winning people’s minds.
3. The spiritual dimension focused on a sense of worth to people and provided meaning to
the work by giving people meaning, thereby winning people’s souls.
4. The behavioral dimension focused on doing and emphasized the essentiality of clear
communication as the life blood of organization and the oxygen for change.
All 41 leaders addressed helping their teams navigate change on an emotional,
intellectual, spiritual and/or behavioral level at some point in their career, if not constantly. In the
case of Darnel, who is in his forties and serves as the SVP of sales at an EdTech company that
specializes in business-to-business (B2B) services and products, he welcomed change and
uncertainty and encouraged his team to do the same. His approach encompassed proactively
creating the expectation that change was “omnipresent.” He admitted this approach proved
difficult for his teams to embrace, however, his philosophy emphasized that when leading a sales
organization focused on B2B and enterprise technology, inherent risk and uncertainty in
forecasting and predictability remained constant.
Alternatively, if leaders did not leverage storytelling to facilitate understanding of
business strategy during times of change and uncertainty, it could have an adverse effect on
business performance. This position was explored by Amir, a senior executive at one of the
nation’s largest financial institutions. He declared why leaders need to communicate clearly
during change, because during times of uncertainty, in the absence of clear understanding, people
create their own reality in their mind. He believed that could be detrimental to how they showed

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up in the workplace, negatively affecting their contributions to the organization, thereby
adversely impacting business performance.
To avoid the negative ramifications of bad change management communication and
increase positive desired outcomes, Joseph relied on constant communication at multiple levels
throughout his organization. The focus of this communication ensured people comprehended the
strategic rationale behind the change and what their role was in driving the change forward.
Although he divulged, even with the constant communication and efforts to facilitate
understanding, the leaders still worked to help employees mitigate an abundance of stress.
Especially when considering change was “constant,” and people constantly “feared change.”
Bethany, CHRO for a technology company, remained all too familiar with the discomfort
and anxious feelings people try to navigate when experiencing change. As a result, she adapted
her leadership communication approach to include the language, “based on what is known today,
this is what I can share,” and followed that statement up with clear and transparent conversation
to help employees understand the change. She revealed that employees still inquired if she
shared everything with them, to which she responded directly and clearly that she did not
because there could be information she was not privy to, unaware of, or external activities
occurring that could bring about further change. Regardless, she communicated candidly that
they all lived in a very “volatile world,” yet she shared the knowledge, information, or data she
could share during that moment in time. The global coronavirus pandemic exemplified volatile
change and uncertainty that many employees and leaders experienced together. The pandemic
represented unfamiliar territory for many employees and the C-suite leaders, but the leaders
remained responsible for making key decisions that impacted business strategies and
performance, while also working to help employees navigate through the change.

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Thomas, the chief strategy officer approaching 45 years of experience, who authored a
book on the topic of leading through tumultuous change and taught courses on it as a business
professor at a top university in the Midwest, referred to it as the Volatile, Uncertain, Complex
and Ambiguous (VUCA) environment. From Thomas’ perspective, when he and his senior
leadership team navigated this environment, they constantly made decisions with limited
information, time, and resources. Regardless, he believed they did the best they could with what
they had available to them at that time. That meant sharing transparent stories upfront about not
getting everything right in the process, but the growing expectation was there would be
opportunities in the future to improve based on the knowledge gained from those instances of
uncertainty. His position remained that throughout the process, leaders must remain connected
and accessible to their teams. Thomas’ insights highlighted why leaders needed to communicate
data-driven stories in a clear, consistent, and compelling manner during times of change.
Benjamin confessed the challenges he and other C-suite leaders faced in managing
change over his nearly 35-year career. He believed in the criticality of developing current senior
leaders into “future-minded” leaders, well-equipped to navigate change and uncertainty. He
proclaimed that today’s leaders experience “change at a rapid pace.” Whether the change is
“digital transformation or AI or just shifts in technology,” there are a plethora of new and
uncertain matters organizations face. “That complexity, uncertainty, is not slowing down” or
ceasing because it remains a constant presence that leaders must navigate. As a result, Benjamin
drove his organization’s focus on developing “future-minded” leaders who create “big picture”
views and envision “multiple futures.” These leaders navigate complexity by adapting to change
proactively. It requires the leaders to develop and expand upon their emotional, psychological,
and cognitive capabilities. Benjamin’s perspectives reinforced the necessity for senior leaders to

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share stories authentically to connect with their audience during times of change and uncertainty.
Both Benjamin and Thomas shared perspectives around building trust and facilitating open
dialogue, especially with internal stakeholders, as CLOs of large, global organizations.
C-suite and senior executive leaders within larger organizations considered multiple
internal key stakeholders when navigating change. Their teams included the departments,
partners, colleagues, the CEO they supported, and the board of directors to whom they answered.
Hannah, chief corporate affairs officer for one of the top food delivery companies with a reported
market capitalization of over $50 million, discussed how successful change management during
volatile times is “easy to say and incredibly hard to do.” She believed that when things become
tumultuous and unexpected, as a chief officer of the company, it is her responsibility to remain
“sturdy and steady and be the one that they can count on to just have a calm, unbiased view.”
She achieved this by removing herself from “the equation,” being “unbiased” by not prioritizing
what most benefited her or her Communications team and considering the best option and
outcome for the company. She believed that if she maintained this “unbiased” approach and
focused on being a “steady” rock for the organization, then there was “no anxiety that’s clouding
your own judgment of your place in the world or your job security or your comp or whatever
thing, if you can be completely steady and grounded, you are absolutely ironclad for your
leader.” Essentially, Hannah addressed how study participants remained self-aware of how they
showed up during times of change and talked about how her approach to staying grounded as a
C-suite leader when navigating times of change and uncertainty evolved over time.
Senior leaders aimed to manage sustainable organizational change that resulted from a
reorganization, or changing externalities, like the advent of generative AI. Ebony, former retail
SVP who transitioned to CEO of her own executive coaching consulting business and has almost

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three decades of experience, believed that having a strategic plan in place and communicating in
alignment with the plan, was of the utmost importance for change management. She expressed
change occurred when an action plan of what to do existed, employees understood the
significance of why the change was occurring, and leaders like herself helped employees connect
the dots on why the change was important to them, recalling the “WIIFM.” Ebony’s knowledge
on how she navigated sustainable change within her organization demonstrated an area of
priority for senior leaders.
Isaac has nearly 25 years of experience, serves as CEO of an EdTech company, and helps
underserved high school students secure college admission ethically. He specialized in the
facilitation of understanding across various stakeholders. His background as a “screenwriter” and
experience in pitching “Hollywood manuscripts” to entertainment executives contributed to his
expertise in building stories that resonated, sold, and addressed the needs of multiple
stakeholders. In his case, this included telling stories to his clients, partners, investors, and
employees so each understood the role they played in driving sustainable change.
Summary
Overall, study findings revealed that the C-suite and senior executive leaders who
leveraged data-driven storytelling effectively cultivated belief, generated and communicated
knowledge, and considered others’ perspectives to facilitate understanding. Furthermore, the
findings, accumulated based on the research data gathered, aligned with the research questions
associated with this study.

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Chapter Five: Understanding Research Findings, Recommendations, and Constraints
This chapter reviews the findings that arose throughout this qualitative case study. The
chapter begins with an introduction to the newfound Reese Green Leadership Storytelling
Framework derived from the research findings addressed in Chapter Four. Next, this chapter
explores the four tenets of the newfound theoretical framework, generated to understand how Csuite and senior executive leaders leverage storytelling to cultivate belief, generate and transport
data, gain perspective, and facilitate actionable understanding to improve business performance.
This section then addresses the purpose and potential impact of the newfound theoretical
framework. Next, Chapter Five explores a discussion of the four findings and how they align
with the purpose of the study and the problem of practice. The chapter goes on to propose a
recommendation for practice regarding leaders improving business performance by leveraging
data-driven storytelling. The section then acknowledges the limitations and delimitations of the
research study. Lastly, this chapter concludes with a final overview of the study and pertinent
points readers can take away from it.
Introducing the Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework
The four research findings served as the impetus of my newfound Reese Green
Leadership Storytelling Framework. This theoretical framework presents C-suite and senior
executive leaders with the building blocks to create connections through data-driven storytelling,
to make an impact and improve business performance. The framework embraces a culture of
curiosity and is comprised of four key tenets around what C-suite and senior executive leaders
need to establish in order to execute data-driven storytelling effectively in a business setting. The
four tenets note the leader’s ability to perform the following:
1. Cultivate belief

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2. Generate and transport data or knowledge
3. Gain perspective
4. Facilitate actionable understanding
The aforementioned four key tenets which comprise this theoretical framework acknowledge the
actions leaders must execute and the behaviors they need to embody to enact the Reese Green
Leadership Storytelling Theory or Reese Green LST (pronounced as list) effectively.
The theory offers an avenue to analyze senior leaders’ abilities to leverage data-driven
storytelling to cultivate belief (Lipton, 1996; Schein, 2017; Sinek, 2011), generate and transport
data or knowledge (Brown et al., 2005; Conn, 2019; McKee & Gerace, 2018), gain perspective
(Bolman & Deal, 2017; Forman, 2013), and facilitate actionable understanding (George, 2003;
Nussbaumer, 2015; Von Lubitz, 2010).
Tenet 1: Cultivate Belief
The first tenet of the Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework addresses the need
for leaders to cultivate belief. This cultivation of belief starts with asking deep questions of self
along a journey of self-improvement. Reflecting upon and building an understanding of one’s
own values, identity, and purpose or sense of why. Sinek (2011) found that great leaders lead
with “why.” These leaders embody a sense of purpose that serves as a source of inspiration for
those around them. Moral purpose serves as the bedrock to one’s core beliefs and values and that
along with a sense of identity remain significant elements to long-term success (Bolman & Deal,
2017). According to Sinek (2011), locating a person’s or an organization’s “why” is a discovery
process that derives from the past. It originates from the upbringing and experience of a person
or small group. All people and organizations possess a why (Sinek, 2011). Success occurs when
companies and people are motivated by why. People neglect to buy what businesses do, instead,

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they buy why they do it. Therefore, starting with clarity of why is indispensable. People and
companies must know why they do what they do (Sinek, 2011). The gift of understanding “the
why” and the significance of purpose, helps sustain people’s faith as opposed to contributing to
their burnout or retirement from a job they find meaningless while questioning if their work truly
made a difference (Bolman & Deal, 2017).
In relation to the framework, after formulating the understanding of personal motivating
factors and self-awareness, the leader is then best prepared to understand how those beliefs align
with the organizational values and how they as leaders can contribute to the success of the
organization. “When there is a snug fit between individual and organizational values, and when
these values are made explicit, job satisfaction will be higher and organizational turnover lower”
(Lipton, 1996, p. 88). From there, the leader can begin to understand how to communicate that
alignment in a manner that inspires followers to also believe in the leader’s mission and vision
for the future because it connects with the audience’s shared values.
A shared belief becomes strengthened when an organization is embarking on something
worth doing and contributing value. Clear, consistent, and shared values influence personal and
organizational effectiveness (Lipton, 1996). Where a perception of common values and beliefs
exists, trust can be built (Sinek, 2011). Those organizations then become symbols of values held
dearly by the key stakeholders and contribute to a sense of belonging. According to Bolman and
Deal (2017) symbols contain both emotional and intellectual messages that resonate with the
hearts and minds of people. They help individuals make sense of the chaotic world in which they
operate, prioritizing belief, faith and meaning; the latter of which is created. According to Schein
(2017) the espoused beliefs and values remain conscious through explicit articulation by leaders

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because they serve the moral function of senior leaders of the group, responsible for guiding the
behaviors or organizational members.
If a senior leader of an organization is incapable of articulating why the organization
exists, going beyond what it offers as it relates to its products or services, the leader cannot
expect the employees to understand why they need to come to work (Sinek, 2011). Inspiration
starts with clarity of why. Putting a “why” into words delivers the scalable, emotional context for
decision making, supporting people throughout the organization when trying to decipher if they
know they are making the right decision. This becomes important because communicating and
rationalizing how that right decision came about becomes easier (Sinek).
Moreover, Sinek proposed that organizations represent one of the tangible outcomes and
ways founding leaders prove their why. “Why” is just a belief, “how” consists of the actions
taken to realize that belief, and “what” involves a result of those actions. Consistent alignment
between the “why,” “how,” and “what” exists to the betterment of the leader, organization, and
key stakeholders.
Overall, cultivating belief requires leaders of integrity to believe in themselves and build
belief among followers. Belief in the leader’s mission and vision to move the organization
forward in a way that aligns with organizational values. Moorman and Grover (2009) believed
that consistent alignment between what a leader says and does along with the values shared
between the leader and followers defines integrity. This concept is also supported by Motivating
Language Theory (MLT) as researched by Sullivan (1988), Mayfield et al., (2015) and Holmes
(2023) which examined the language, behavior, and credibility of senior-ranking executives as it
relates to their ability to inspire workforce and organizational performance improvements. MLT

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evaluated the relationship that existed between a top leader’s verbal skills and outcomes
(Sullivan, 1988). According to Holmes (2023), MLT is conceptualized in three phases:
The antecedent or precursor phase- the leader proves their credibility and worthiness to be
listened to by the target audience.
The talk phase- the leader reveals their ability to speak with impact and influence.
The outcomes phase- the leader generates positive employee and organizational outcomes
due to the alignment between their speech and their leadership behaviors.
The third phase contains direct applicability to Tenet 1 of the Reese Green Leadership
Storytelling Framework. Snook et al. (2012) addressed how leaders need to inspire, mobilize,
and align individuals towards the same goal. This requires presence, authentic connection with
others, and the ability to motivate others.
Overall, storytellers must believe when delivering stories (Brown et al., 2005). That
belief and passion contribute to the emotional connection between the storyteller and the
audience. “This is what catches the listeners’ attention, and gives the story its “spring” and
pushes the listeners to reinvent a new story in their own contexts, and fill in the gaps to make it
happen” (Brown et al., 2005, p. 124). This connection can help leaders cultivate belief among
their audience and establish a foundation to transport beneficial knowledge.
Tenet 2: Generate and Transport Data or Knowledge
Generating and transporting data consists of developing, assessing, and analyzing
knowledge, details, and information pertinent to informing and/or influencing a challenge the
leader is working to solve. The knowledge or data arises from critical inquiry and can derive
from multiple sources, people, artifacts, technology, etc. Once formulated, the data supports
evidence-based decision making performed by the leader. Following the decision, leaders

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transport these evidence-based decisions by incorporating storytelling as a strategic tool to
communicate the decisions effectively. Essentially, the leaders leverage storytelling to deliver
reliable, relatable and retainable data to help them achieve desired outcomes and results.
Literature supports the concept regarding the connection between a leader’s ability to generate
and transport data and storytelling in a way that improves business performance.
According to Conn (2019) when conclusive, evidence-based decisions, formulated to
solve business problems, are communicated through compelling stories supported by facts,
engaging analysis, and influential information, leaders can generate desired impact and business
outcomes including increased funding for a start-up company, revenue generation, support for a
cause or mission, or harmonious connection within one’s community. Good problem solving, as
well as the accompanying storytelling, make our lives better because effectively executed
problem solving can translate into action that improves circumstances.
McKee and Gerace (2018) hypothesized that the difference between data and story can be
explained in the following ways. Data provides a list of what occurred, while story addresses
why and how it happened. Data pulls together facts based on frequency and quantity; story
unveils causalities responsible for those facts. Story removes irrelevancies, focuses on dynamic
change, and then reshapes factual information into a compelling matter that connects cause and
effect activities explored over time (McKee & Gerace, 2018). Stories captivate an audience and
remain in their memories in ways that facts alone cannot (Nussbaumer, 2015). The integration of
story and data provides immense potential for businesses looking to grow, scale and excel in the
future (McKee & Gerace, 2018).
Understanding that storytelling does not have to exist in opposition to data analysis
remains crucial. Embracing storytelling as a leader is not advising the leader to dismiss analysis

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of cost and benefits, risks and timelines, and all structural requirements necessary to implement a
complex idea in a large organization (Brown et al., 2005). Instead, leaders can perform all the
needed analysis, while also leveraging narrative to transport people inside the idea being shared.
Once the audience is inside the idea, they can feel and live out the idea, understanding how it
might work. After they are inside the idea, feeling it and understanding it, then the leader can
move to sharing the analysis with them (Brown et al., 2005).
Often analysis that is performed on new ideas in organizations is focused on the costs and
risks and difficulties, the disruptions and dislocations, because that is what people are
immediately aware of when they hear about something that will require change. It often
happens that analysts fail to think through what the benefits might be, because they are so
preoccupied with the negative side of the equation. A story can help listeners analyze
both costs and benefits in an even-handed manner (p.125).
Therefore, leaders can integrate storytelling and analysis, providing the listeners with an
opportunity to personally analyze in a more balanced way.
While all data senior leaders generate and transport requires accuracy checks, the type of
data used within a story depends on the purpose, audience, experience, and perceptions of the
storyteller (Forman, 2013). Leaders also need to execute a fluency in storytelling to deliver the
data effectively, “without fluency, we don’t have stories but rather a pile of data that’s boring
and disorganized, or a poorly conceived, poorly crafted and poorly presented story” (Forman,
2013, p. 19 - 20). Alternatively, authentic stories do not distort the facts based on their goal of
ethical representation. “Authentic storytelling about an organization is data-based storytelling”
(Forman, 2013, p. 25). The story’s details as well as those in supporting documents need to be
both fact-checked and fact-based; thereby verifying data using multiple sources. Forman (2013)

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found this supports the need for evidence-based messages where facts provide stability within
the story. Leveraging reliable data creates the basis for organizational stories born of integrity. In
this scenario, stories embed facts and work in conjunction with additional corporate
communications efforts, with the primary purpose of delivering data via products, services, and
explanations of policy, procedures, and technology. While generating and transporting datadriven decisions is important, a study conducted by Cook (2024) also noted that another critical
component of decision-making includes leaders being fluent in key stakeholder perspectives.
Tenet 3: Gain Perspective
The third tenet addresses the need for leaders to gain the perspectives of other key
stakeholders. This requires leaders to ask the right questions- creating a culture of curiosity,
listen to applicable feedback where appropriate, and adapt how they communicate while
considering the perspective of the audience when necessary. By engaging in perspective taking,
the leaders can influence and encourage a culture that values insights, empowers members to
speak out, and embraces creativity and innovation that derives from fostering an inclusive,
diverse environment that encourages ownership. Wilson (2004) proposed understanding how
leaders and organizational teams develop story listening, storytelling, and story making skills
represents a profound area for future innovation. Literature supports the concept of gaining
perspective and sharing stories with the audience in mind.
Denning (2011) argued that all good storytelling starts and concludes with listening.
Listening to storytelling involves an active mental state. Forman (2013) conducted research that
evaluated CEO approaches to being a listening storyteller. This consisted of the CEO gathering
feedback from employees by going to their various site locations and speaking with them to
understand their concerns about changes to the organizational strategy. Upon receiving feedback,

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he adjusted the way he told the firm’s story to incorporate employee perspectives. Within an
organization, storytelling must consider the audience. This consideration begins with listening to
the audience’s needs, desires, concerns, values, insights, and knowledge. After receiving these
insights, the business leader delivering the story can assess the data and adjust each version of
the stories she delivers to address the purpose of the stakeholder receiving the information
(Forman).
Presumably, leaders formulating a culture where they value insights and perspectives
from key stakeholders can support a positive culture or work environment. Bolman and Deal
(2017) researched how culture serves as a company’s most valuable asset. Schein (2017) defined
cultures as learned patterns of values, beliefs and behavioral norms that manifest at various
levels of observability. Sinek defined cultures as groups of people united by a common set of
beliefs and values, connected by a thread of why or common purpose.
When people arrive at work with a higher sense of purpose, they feel more prepared to
not only deal with challenging times in the workplace, but to also find opportunities to overcome
those times of uncertainty (Sinek, 2011). People going to work equipped with a clear sense of
why are less likely to give up after a few failures because they know the higher cause.
Furthermore, when leaders gain perspectives of other key stakeholders, like employees, it
provides employees with opportunities to offer creative insights and innovative solutions to
challenges plaguing the organization. People inside of the company, when provided with a
higher purpose, can find new ways of doing things and can bring the why to life in a way that
benefits the organization and improves business performance (Sinek, 2011). Leaders are not
responsible for discovering all great ideas, they are responsible for creating an environment
where great ideas can thrive (Sinek, 2011). Leaders are not required to provide every correct

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answer or make all of the right decisions; however they do need to model the important values of
faith, caring, justice, and excellence (Bolman & Deal, 2017).
Excellence requires a commitment to autonomy across all levels of the company (Bolman
& Deal, 2017). This type of ownership across an organizational culture allows leaders to provide
space with boundaries for employees. Thereby, building more productive work cultures for
employees to experience satisfaction of creativity and autonomy. Therefore, the leader can
demonstrate the trust she places in people to solve problems while generating better solutions
and increased motivation (Bolman & Deal, 2017). Additionally, trust of one another within the
organizational community provides opportunity to rely on each other (Sinek, 2011); contributing
to a connected culture.
Tenet 4: Facilitate Actionable Understanding
Tenet 4 of the Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework addresses the concept of
leaders creating a culture of curiosity by being genuinely interested in leveraging data-driven
stories to facilitate actionable understanding for members of their organizations. For leaders to
reach this stage of the framework, they need to ensure the first three tenets have been addressed
enroute to executing Tenet 4. When leaders embrace a culture of curiosity to cultivate belief,
generate and transport data, and gain perspectives, they are equipped to facilitate actionable
understanding through storytelling effectively.
Von Lubitz (2010) defined actionable understanding as one of the most crucial and
foundational prerequisites in strategy development. It supports the formation of how the leader
intends to share the story of the organizational strategy in a way that clear actions can be both
extrapolated and executed enroute to achieving designated strategy-driven objectives. It
encourages people to share, collaborate, and coordinate activities aligned with the strategy.

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Nussbaumer (2015) found it vital for storytellers to consider the audience’s perspective
because that can help them understand how to motivate the audience to take action. For example,
understanding if the employees are motivated by “making money, beating the competition,
gaining market share, saving a resource, eliminating excess, innovating, learning a skill, or
something else? If you can identify what motivates your audience, consider framing your story
and the need for action in terms of this” (p.175). Furthermore, consider if, how, and when data
will strengthen the story, if so, integrate it in a way that makes sense. Throughout the story,
ensure the information provided is specific and relevant to those listening (Nussbaumer, 2015).
Arguably, data-driven storytelling can help facilitate actionable understanding because
according to Bolman and Deal (2017) stories remain deeply rooted in human experience, they
provide reassurance, comfort, and hope. They convey information, morals, and myth
convincingly while simultaneously carrying the history and values of the organization and
reinforcing group identity. Notably, the facilitation of actionable understanding by way of datadriven storytelling requires an authentic leader to serve as the storyteller, and reliable data
incorporated in the story. Communicating data in a clear, digestible, and meaningful way helps
facilitate understanding for the audience receiving the information (Few, 2012).
According to George (2003) authentic leadership mandates leaders to conduct a selfassessment to understand who they are and how to lead from an authentic place. The practical
approach to achieving this feat includes the leader being clear about five characteristics:
1. Purpose and Passion: understanding what they are about, where they are going and what
motivates them.
2. Values and Behavior: remaining true to their north star comprised of their values and
experiences.

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3. Relationship and Connectedness: engaging in open communication where they listen and
build mutual trust with those they lead.
4. Self-discipline and Consistency: focusing on reaching the identified goals while holding
others accountable for doing the same. This also includes communicating clear
expectations that help others stay calm during challenging times of change.
5. Compassion and Heart: empathizing about the perspectives of others and encouraging a
culture where that type of behavior and sharing with one another is embraced.
Facilitation of actionable understanding demands leaders lead from a place of authenticity.
Authentic leaders can align their words and actions, even when delivering stories, which resonate
with employees. Often those stories can end with a call to action, ensuring that the audience
receives clarity on what is asked of them after receiving knowledge and new understanding as a
result of the leader’s story (Nussbaumer, 2015).
Purpose and Future Impact of the Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework
Essentially, as depicted below in Figure 1, the foundation of this theoretical framework
proposes that leaders leverage the power of data-driven storytelling to improve outcomes based
on their ability to embrace a culture of curiosity, create vision, and purposefully execute their
ability to cultivate belief, generate and transport data or knowledge, gain perspective, and
facilitate actionable understanding throughout the evolving mission-driven journey. Leaders
achieve this feat through intentional alignment and advancement of the organizational vision,
mission, and values.

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Figure 1: Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework
Through conducting my research study, I discovered an opportunity to establish this new
theoretical framework to help analyze the findings of my research.
The Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework is important given the dire need for
such a framework. Winston (2004) acknowledged the need for future innovation to understand
how various organizations provide success and impact of storytelling in their organizations.
Gathering and documenting the various metrics and logics the organizations use to show
evidence of impact would be highly valuable in building the field. Sharing of evaluation
practices across these and other organizations could not only help shift skeptical beliefs
that story is soft and not a useful approach in many professions, but could potentially
secure story work as central method in supporting success in a variety of organizations
(Wilson, 2004, p. 11).
The Reese Green LST broadens understanding of logic organizational leaders can use to elevate
and demonstrate the impact data-driven storytelling can have on themselves, their teams, and
their organizations at large. For instance, in the event leaders seek to evaluate their effectiveness
Facilitate Actionable
Understanding
Gain
Perspective
Generate
and
Transport
Data
Cultivate
Belief
Culture of Curiosity

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for leveraging data-driven storytelling to improve business performance, they can first assess
their ability and/or performance against the four key tenets of the viable theoretical framework. It
also offers a way to better understand how high-performing C-suite and senior executives
improve business performance, especially as it relates to advancing the organizational strategy
during times of change and uncertainty.
Additionally, the development of this theory serves as an instrumental tool for
understanding the study’s findings. If there is not a theory that fully adheres to the research study
results the need to develop a new theory arises (Gibbs, 2018). The Reese Green LST delivers
direct applicability for my qualitative case study because C-suite and senior executive leaders
across various industries may be able to adapt and apply the lessons learned from highperforming senior-level executives to address their own improvement opportunities in this arena.
Although I studied 41 cases of model, C-suite and senior executives who presumably embodied
these four tenets and appreciated and leveraged the power of data-driven storytelling to improve
organizational performance, I offer this framework for thinking analytically and systematically
about leadership storytelling across disciplines and industries.
New theoretical frameworks must be applicable beyond the study and relevant to similar
people in different situations (Gibbs). The Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework can
apply to educators striving to improve student engagement in the classroom, religious leaders
aspiring to increase inspiration of parishioners, citizens seeking to run for public office or win
elections, entertainers or creatives searching for ways to expand resonance with audiences,
brands striving to build-up affinity with customers, medical professionals interested in improving
co-collaborative opportunities to influence patient health outcomes, university presidents
working to unite campus communities during crisis, real estate professionals selling property or

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services, and more. Clearly, this theoretical framework intends to offer a variety of leaders datadriven storytelling strategies that can enhance performance.
My theory delivers a science-based research framework to validate the innovative
practices of C-suite and senior executives who leverage the power of data-driven storytelling to
improve business performance. Especially for leaders committed to shaping and sharing the
narrative around strategic organizational mission and vision during times of change and
uncertainty. The newfound theoretical framework examines the ideology that if leaders evaluate
their ability to cultivate belief, generate and transport data or knowledge, gain perspective, and
facilitate actionable understanding effectively enroute to creating a culture of curiosity that
values data-driven storytelling, they can help improve organizational performance.
Discussion of Data-Driven Leadership Storytelling Research Findings
The findings discovered during this study addressed the purpose of this research, which
examined C-suite and senior executives’ approaches to improving business performance by
leveraging the power of data-driven storytelling. I conducted this study to expand understanding
and develop credible solutions to the problem of how C-suite and senior executives need to
improve business performance by leveraging data-driven storytelling to create an inspirational
workforce culture committed to advancing the strategic organizational vision and mission,
especially during change. To arrive at this understanding, the research examined model examples
of C-suite and senior executive leaders who excelled in leadership storytelling. According to
Forman (2013), best-practice organizations leveraged the depth and reach of storytelling, and
other organizations aspire to achieve this feat. Best practice organizations attributed the depth of
storytelling to its connection to one or more core activities of the business. These business
activities included building and strengthening the organization’s strategy, brand, and culture.

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Authorized by senior executive leadership as crucial activities and gradually embraced by much
of the organization, storytelling evolved into a valued organizational norm and best practice to
communicate with people (Forman, 2013). The sentiments elevated by Forman reiterated the
findings of this study, which underscored the need for business leaders to improve business
performance by leveraging data-driven storytelling. Model leaders embraced this position and
worked to permeate effective storytelling throughout their organization in order to improve
desirable outcomes for their key stakeholders who often included employees, shareholders,
customers, and board of directors (BOD).
It is of great consequence for senior executive organizational leaders to create a deep
connection with the workforce, considering storytelling is a viable tool for building and nurturing
that connection with employees, and organizations often depend on top talent to advance the
most cutting-edge technologies applicable within their industries. My findings captured data
from C-suite and senior executive leaders of various industries, capabilities, and sizes, all of
whom benefitted from incorporating data-driven storytelling in the workplace. The research
conducted by Forman (2013) supported my findings based on her notion that regardless of an
organization’s size- CEOs, senior executive leaders of small firms, senior leaders of large
business units at massive corporations, and beyond can benefit from incorporating storytelling.
Especially when considering how the organization’s future in story form contributes a powerful
dimension to shape the direction and vision on which the organization will embark.
The findings of this study addressed the problem of practice regarding the need for Csuite leaders to improve business performance by leveraging the power of data-driven
storytelling. This need was especially relevant during times of change and uncertainty. Austin
(2016) offered insights that uplifted my findings based on his notion that the CEO holds

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responsibility for viewing a complete 360-degree view of unexpected situations. To create this
view, CEOs examine issues from multiple perspectives and engage with applicable parties to
understand the scope of the situation in totality. I agree with the research postulated by Austin
based on the findings of my study, which echoed the criticality of C-suite leaders considering
other perspectives when developing stories to convey organizational strategy. Hannah, for
example, the chief corporate affairs officer with close to 25 years of experience, noted that in
business, stories start with strategy.
Furthermore, Austin’s sentiments further supported my research findings when he
emphasized the need for CEOs to leverage established networks, perspectives, relationships
(formal and informal), during times of change and uncertainty, as those relationships become
paramount to the quality and speed of the leader’s situational awareness. Essentially, my findings
revealed that by gaining and valuing other perspectives and recognizing that those perspectives
could include valuable data, leaders enhanced their understanding of the situation and eventually
facilitated an actionable understanding of the big picture for their organizations. C-suite leaders
need to see and relay the big picture to their teams during times of change and the leaders often
struggle with communicating effectively during these times (Berger, 2014).
Discussion of Finding 1: Cultivate Belief
Finding 1 addressed the need for leaders to cultivate belief. The finding represented how
C-suite executives learned to cultivate belief and communicate value alignment through
leadership development. My findings aligned with the Wheeler and Sillanpa’a (1998) statement
that aligning values required active commitments around shared beliefs and perspectives via
dialogue and effective communication. Based on Finding 1, senior leaders need to articulate
purpose, along with the why, what, and how they believe what they believe. This is supported by

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my findings which noted how leaders’ beliefs aligned with the ways in which the leaders led as
well as their connection with the organizational values. I propose that in order for leaders to
cultivate belief, they need to first be curious about and understand what they believe or their
values, then develop answers about why they believe the vision they created or they are
furthering is achievable, significant, and relevant to those responsible for helping to advance it
across the organization.
Presumably, purpose serves as the cornerstone of cultivating beliefs. Leadership
mandates clarity around purpose because understanding one’s own “why” sets the foundation for
navigating through life and life’s journeys in various settings, including the workplace.
Leadership is a purposeful, goal-oriented, strategic, and proactive pursuit and execution of
progression that benefits the collective, transforms lives, and enhances the originating or initial
circumstances, content, and/or concept established. Responsible leaders serve as a guiding light,
assisting followers’ navigation of challenging terrain, providing direction in ambiguity, building
a durable foundation of trust for the team, and elevating organizations above the fray. Leadership
means influential vision; the ability to look up, out, and ahead, assessing the best direction to
travel that will uphold current goals and future growth while inspiring others to follow along the
path. Leadership is both a privilege and a duty. To whom much is given, much is required (King
James Version Bible, 1769/2017, Luke. 12:48). Research findings demonstrated how leaders
owned their positions of stewards of employee and organizational performance. Study
participants invested in their own growth and development to improve how they led. Leadership
beliefs and how they communicated those beliefs through serious stories underwent evolution
through personal development activities, both formal and informal, formative experiences,
cultural and religious influences, and reflective practices.

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My findings aligned with the evidence Forman (2013) found about how effective
storytelling in business often pulls from leaders’ firsthand experiences and links to a specific
business purpose. These stories provided space for individual expression and corporate
representation. Study findings examined the alignment of C-suite and senior executives’ personal
and organizational values as explored in their professional development experiences and
understanding of their own leadership values.
The findings demonstrated how senior leader origin stories, or what Forman (2013)
referred to as a signature story, often derived from personal, formative experiences. They
explained why leaders were motivated to advance business strategy around the organizational
mission and vision. This origin story was unique to the leader and likely the most personal of
stories the leader would share in a business setting. Forman astutely captured the study findings
when she stated how the signature story revealed something about the leader’s character, what he
or she valued, a significant personal experience, relationship, achievement, or failure that
provided the audience with insights about who the leader was as a person and a professional. I
found that understanding the origin and how it shaped the origin or signature story contributed to
the leader’s ability to cultivate belief.
Moreover, leaders can influence and inspire followers to achieve unified goals by
leveraging the power of storytelling to provide followers with a vision and give them hope for
the future (Bolman & Deal, 2017). Based on the literature and its support of my findings, I
posited that sharing stories can influence and inspire individuals to walk in their purpose, achieve
shared goals, envision the future, and execute the mission. However, beginning from a place of
clarity of purpose is necessary. That insight helped study participants cultivate belief, and that

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cultivation began with self-reflection, the act of being intentional, and thinking back on what,
why, and how one acts in a certain way.
Reflection provided an avenue for leaders to learn more about themselves, assess why
they did what they did, and articulate that understanding clearly to gain a deeper understanding
of what they valued and how they demonstrated those values through behavior. It served as a
way for them to connect to themselves, gain clarity around what they believed, and pull forward
selected stories or experiences they wanted to share after partaking in reflection.
The goal was to ruminate on the lessons learned from what was done well and poorly to
improve. Sharing those lessons through stories and connecting with others who experienced
similar journeys may have helped leaders cultivate belief in their own abilities and cultivate
belief across the audience introduced to the leader’s story. Additionally, a practical balance of
articulating the data existed between the science and the art of how those stories were told.
The latter presented an opportunity for creativity in how the story was shared so it
connected and resonated with the audience. Creativity can benefit senior executive leaders as
they cultivate belief and communicate value alignment, whether those leaders are business
leaders, oversee support organizations, are entrepreneurs, or leading in corporate environments.
The leadership benefits range from both personal development and professional development.
An example of Finding 1 became visible in the position shared by Zachary, the founding
CEO of a successful EdTech company who is in his fifties and invested in over 30 startups.
Zachary’s sentiments supported my findings that C-suite and executive leaders cultivated belief
because he cultivated belief within his team by continuously discussing his core values, and
ensuring his actions aligned with his words. I postulated that Zachary cultivated this belief due to
his specific and intentional categorization and communication of his three core beliefs that

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included: 1. being intellectually honest, which meant he was transparent with his thoughts,
decisions and actions; 2. practicing continuous improvement, which meant his team knew he was
rarely satisfied with the status quo in a quest to always get better; and 3. do the right thing, which
he shared was priority even if it was at the expense of the company or him personally. Zachary’s
commitment to identifying, formulating, communicating, and reiterating his values through
action, and aligning them with the companies he led was how he cultivated belief in the mission
and vision of his organizations.
Essentially, while communicating “the why” was vital, for leaders to serve as a guide for
why, they needed to also understand multiple aspects of “why.” This included understanding
their own why, the why behind their company, why or what motivated their teams, and knowing
the why of their other key stakeholders within and outside the organization.
Discussion of Finding 2: Data-driven Storytelling
Finding 2 stated that C-suite leaders problem solve by generating and communicating
data-driven decisions effectively to improve business performance. Matias (2013) underscored
my findings through the acknowledgment that certain knowledge is elevated above others in a
process of power. Study findings found that C-suite leaders were in positions of power and the
way they generated knowledge, and decided on sources of knowledge, served as acts of power
that required communication with key stakeholders to help cultivate cultures of trust and inquiry.
Secules et al. (2020) discovered additional data in support of my findings by noting how
epistemology is a mechanism for how we comprehend and generate knowledge, which is heavily
influenced by our life experiences. Based on the literature and evidence captured in Finding 2,
the act of generating knowledge meant researching and collecting the data, facts and figures that
informed decision making. It involved the act of being rigorous, analytical, and dedicated to

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discovering the origins of where, their “why,” “how,” and/or “what” begins, and having that
information help shape and inform their decisions. My findings revealed how collecting the
details, mining for data, and excavating for evidence helped create the information leaders knew
and understood. Therefore, when leaders stated they believed in something, it was supported by
the work performed to best shape their knowledge around the subject. Forman (2013) further
supported my findings through her acknowledgment of the necessity for leaders to incorporate
reliable data as the cornerstone of authentic stories. This is because stories embed facts and
complement other forms of communication, primarily used to convey facts such as information
and explanation about policies, processes, and procedures. I asserted that knowledge-sharing
stories, a concept examined by Denning (2011), served as a poignant method for generating and
communicating data-driven decisions.
Elizabeth, a retired global CLO with nearly three decades of experience who worked for
one of the largest telecommunications companies in the country, captured an example of this
approach to knowledge-sharing stories. She underscored the findings from this study when she
shared her approach to using KPIs, tracked on an hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly basis, as key
pieces of data to identify a pain point in the business. In this case, the company technicians
installed service products in customer homes and one southeast city showed that the technicians
had to return to customer homes over 50% of the time to fix initial installation problems. This
problem countered the organizational goal to only have technicians return if the customer
ordered additional equipment or services.
Upon further investigation of the data, Elizabeth discovered the technicians and their
supervisors did not have adequate knowledge on how to troubleshoot customer issues
effectively. As a result, Elizabeth communicated her evidence-based decision to her team; they

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needed to build a two-day learning/training experience that included real-life stories and
scenarios that revealed the cost of improper troubleshooting to the technicians and supervisors at
the end of each learning activity. Elizabeth’s story underscored the findings of the study because
as a result of generating and communicating data-driven decisions effectively, and incorporating
appropriate financial data in the learning scenarios or stories, Elizabeth led her company to
experience over a 500% return on investment for building and delivering that training course.
Leadership storytelling helped positively impact business performance, reducing costs accrued
by the service trucks visiting the homes. The training program became a required course for all
company technicians and supervisors, over 20,000 employees. The program became a part of the
budget for the entire organization the year after rollout, based on exceeding desired business
outcomes, thereby improving business performance.
Overall, my research study data illustrated that to help make sense of problems and
decisions that influenced the implementation of viable solutions, leaders committed to intentional
communication. Communication incorporated stories about how certain types of data influenced
decisions, why they administered certain policies, what resources they valued as reliable sources
of information, why various activities occurred, decisions were made, and changes took place to
solve a problem impacting their team, organization, or business. Evidence-based decision
making arose in the form of incorporating data, research, facts, or knowledge to make business
decisions. The decisions included who leaders hired to work within the organization, how leaders
influenced other leaders’ decisions, what the leaders included in leadership development
programs they offered and which direction they took relating to financial or strategic planning.
Business strategies served as a primary tool for solving problems organizations faced.
Senior executives generated knowledge around how to solve complex problems within their

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organization based on reviewing and analyzing appropriate data and combined that knowledge
with the knowledge acquired from considering insights and perspectives from key stakeholders.
My findings highlighted how C-suite and senior executives influenced and communicated
change using data-driven storytelling. As senior company leaders, they maintained responsibility
for developing, overseeing, and implementing organizational strategies, evaluating applicable
benchmarks to gauge progress toward achieving performance goals, and communicating the
vision, mission strategies, overall performance, challenges, and accomplishments to the
employee base. The data-driven decisions made by study participants carried massive impact
given they held multiple accountability relationships with key stakeholders, including their BOD,
shareholders, other company leaders, and employees. They also held a fiduciary responsibility to
ensure sound financial practices within the organization. That included the allocation of adequate
resources and investment in the employee talent pipeline to secure a thriving future for their
organizations, industries, and the U.S. economy.
Study participants exemplified how Finding 2 elevated the need for leaders to generate
and communicate data-driven decisions effectively to improve business performance. My
findings examined how study participants were intentional about their approach to asking
questions that led to evidence-based decision making to generate knowledge about the
organizational vision and mission. Those leaders then used that knowledge to shape how they
incorporated data-driven storytelling to disseminate information and communicate business
decisions to improve organizational performance. My research findings showed leadership as the
act of deciding to step up, step in and step out, personified. Participants chose to step up and
serve as focal representatives of their organization. They stepped into leading during challenging

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times. They decided to step out on faith, embarking on a decision-making journey that influenced
people’s lives and business outcomes.
Discussion of Finding 3: Considering Other Perspectives
Finding 3 stated that C-suite leaders considered other perspectives when formulating
stories to create a culture of connection within their organization. This finding emphasized the
need for senior leaders to expand their insights by gaining and valuing the inputs of others,
understanding what inspires and motivates them.
While varying and extensive literature exists on the science of motivation, Torrington et
al. (2007) defined motivation as the desire to exceed expectations, driven by internal factors,
while striving for continuous improvement. Their sentiments supported the findings of this study
which emphasized the need for C-suite and senior leaders to gain the perspectives of others and
understand what motivates members of their organization. Erceg and Šuljug (2016) addressed
aspects of the study findings through their position on how leaders need to be aware of
employees’ goals and the general actions they take to reach them. Leaders being able to
understand employee motivation is a tool that companies can use to increase competitiveness in
the market. It can be vital for supporting the survival or contributing to the demise of a company.
In terms of survival, the leaders’ ability to comprehend employee motivation can significantly
increase productivity, thereby improving employee performance in support of the company
strategy (Erceg & Šuljug, 2016).
My findings showed that leaders gained other people’s perspectives by gathering
feedback from them about their needs, desires, and challenges. Leaders cared enough to inquire
and contemplated where others may be along the journey of the organizational story, how they
may perceive certain actions or occurrences, what they could be unclear about as it related to

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leadership messaging, why they may care about the topic at hand, and what data or knowledge
they needed to believe in what leadership shared. Leaders cared genuinely and displayed
curiosity authentically about the notion that their teams may have varying perspectives.
My findings also demonstrated that C-suite and senior executives spent a substantial
amount of time focused on being curious and authentic in their approach to caring about the
well-being of their teams and considering team member’s perspectives to build connection and
community. C-suite and senior executive leaders reiterated this position through the frequent
focus on the WIIFM when explaining the organizational mission, vision, goals and change from
the perspective of other key stakeholders. Although I recognize the necessity of gaining other
perspectives, I also acknowledge that not all perspectives are productive and similar to the
sentiments echoed by Nancy that there are instances where leaders make difficult decisions to
support unproductive and unwilling employees in their exit from the company. Deborah also
noted times when certain employee perspectives cannot be factored into the decision, and in
those instances, it would do more harm than good to seek the perspectives with no intention of
incorporating them. Ultimately, leaders have the challenge of making the decisions that benefit
the good of the business and the broader good of those working within the organization.
C-suite leaders desired to grow, scale, and improve business performance in the current
and future economies, and that required the mental agility of adaptation and incorporation of
varying perspectives and experiences. Wheeler & Sillanpa’a (1998) astutely echoed the
sentiments of my findings based on their assessment that in the current context of economic
globalization, technology and mass communication, companies that include stakeholders by
listening, and responding, and take a long-term view of the interest of their key stakeholders (i.e.
employees, customers and investors) will increase their competitiveness. Gaining other

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perspectives helped senior leaders develop and tell stories that met people where they were, and
in some instances, allowed those people to be the heroes of their own stories. According to
Forman (2013) heroism, whether individual or team, is a realistic aspect of a business enterprise.
When present, stakeholder engagement can increase because the stories connect to deep
emotions within them. Basic heroic stories involved the successful quest of a worthwhile goal
while encountering significant obstacles. Leaders can benefit from remembering this perspective
of supporting others in being the hero in the journey, especially during challenging times.
An example of this application of perspective taking is displayed in the story shared by
Aisha, who has about 40 years of retail experience and served as the senior vice president of
customer experience for a major grocery store chain. Aisha spoke at length about considering
other perspectives when communicating the story of how generative AI could impact both the
industry and her company. Based on the feedback she received from her team, she recognized
the angst around the threat of AI eliminating jobs within the organization. Aisha’s story
supported Finding 3 because she understood the value the team placed on transparent
communication based on the connection and trust she built up with them. Based on that
information, combined with the data regarding the vision, mission and strategic goals of her
organization, she displayed the concept of the findings by building an applicable, relatable story
that communicated in a transparent manner. She shared that while AI may remove roles in some
instances, it will enhance opportunities for employees to thrive in others. Whether that is in the
form of how they will connect with customers or build opportunities to help employees provide a
better future for their families. By painting a picture where the employees can provide a better
future for their families, Aisha made the employees the heroes of the stories.

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Additionally, she took it a step further, discussing the truths and myths of AI, and
explained how it intersected with the workforce, business, and customers because she cared
about how her team understood, internalized, and executed with the future of AI in mind.
Altogether, Aisha shared stories that connected the new technology back to the business and
applicability to the people to generate buy-in. Thereby, reinforcing the key concepts around
Finding 3.
Moreover, study participants prioritized other perspectives not only because of the
valuable insight, but also because of the organizational performance advantages that
accompanied the feedback. According to Wheeler and Sillanpaa (1998), a study conducted by
two Harvard academics, Kotter and Heskett, found that over 11 years, large established U.S.
companies that equally prioritized employees, shareholders and customers delivered four times
more sales growth and eight times more employment growth than that of companies with a
shareholder first mentality. Notably, additional perspectives served as vantage points for helping
to improve business performance. Given the notion that authenticity in organizational
storytelling is social, flexible and begins with listening (Forman, 2013), senior executives need to
develop the skills of listening and reflecting back stories that resonate with the audience.
Discussion of Finding 4: Facilitating Understanding
The fourth finding emphasized the need for senior executive leaders to combine their
abilities to cultivate belief, generate and communicate data, and consider perspectives to
facilitate understanding. To facilitate understanding, leaders created a culture of curiosity and
then reflected on how to cultivate belief, inquired about other people’s perspectives, and
executed how they problem solved and communicated that knowledge effectively.

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Facilitating understanding required leaders to engage in perspective taking to help people
connect the dots. Considering their needs and position, then providing them with enough
applicable data and inspiring them to ask questions to learn more. This type of solicitation of
feedback and then enacting on the information learned, required senior leaders to establish
accountability mechanisms within the organization. These accountability mechanisms could also
support the organizations as they navigated change and uncertainty, especially considering that
70% of all organizational change efforts fail (Church & Dawson, 2018). Accountability
represented the most noteworthy component for ensuring an intervention delivered the desired
sustainable results. Church and Dawson astutely affirmed the relevance of the findings through
their research which addressed the need for established accountability mechanisms to track,
reinforce, and provide new insights into how development and change occur. Numerous
interventions remain single events executed at a single point in time. While these events could
lead to high engagement and motivation, their impact on long-term behavioral change was
limited. Although large organizational systems mandate alignment (Burke & Litwin, 1992), if
new behaviors are not defined, measured, and reinforced through proper feedback processes or
tools at the individual level, larger efforts will fail (Church & Dawson, 2018).
Acknowledgement of the accountability and responsibility models within the
organization was exceedingly valuable considering the level of organizational oversight that
resided with study participants. They possessed the power, authority, and responsibility for
ensuring the company employed the right people in the right roles to achieve organizational
goals, gain competitive advantages, excel, and sustain effective workforce practices that
advanced strategic objectives and grew company performance. Additionally, these executives
owned responsibility for inspiring vice presidents, directors, front-line managers, and other

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organizational leaders, while also ensuring those leaders had the resources, skills, and knowledge
they needed to align their practices with the mission of the organization.
Presumably, the findings demonstrated how senior leaders guided employees with clear,
consistent and compelling messaging that incorporated meaningful stories throughout the
organizational change journey. Harry offered that part of storytelling’s value lies within its
ability to encourage people to contemplate “how can they do things differently and remember it.”
While study participants addressed how storytelling helped with memory and served as a reliable
mechanism for helping employees navigate change, Harry is the single study participant that
spoke directly to the power of storytelling being used to help people think about how they can
behave in a different manner and memorize the new behavioral approach in an effort for it to be
sustainable. I agree that one of the underrated values of leadership storytelling in a business
context derives from its ability to not just reach people’s hearts and minds (Forman, 2013;
Holmes, 2023; Mayfield et al., 2015; Sullivan, 1988), but to also fundamentally alter human
understanding of personal behavior. Imparting an impact so profound that it changes the
trajectory of the person’s actions for the long-term based on the renewing of the mind, heart, and
spirit. This approach to leadership storytelling can help the audience make sense of themselves
and their place in the world, organization, and team.
This realization becomes increasingly more relevant as employees depend on leadership
storytelling as a sensemaking tool to understand the change and their role in it. My findings
deemed it necessary for C-suite leaders to help teams make sense of change and their role within
the change. Sensemaking occurred in the form of the leaders leveraging stories about prevailing
against previous experiences of uncertainty to facilitate an actionable understanding of the

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business strategy. That insight helped employees know what actions to take to navigate the
change effectively, despite uncomfortable emotions that may have accompanied the change.
Furthermore, Finding 4 stated that C-suite leaders leveraged storytelling to facilitate
understanding of the business strategy, particularly during times of change. This finding
demonstrated how facilitating understanding served as an act of empowerment, where C-suite
leaders provided teams with the tools they needed to make informed decisions they could own
during times of uncertainty, that aligned with the leaders’ mission and vision.
The stories imparted by Terrance, global head of communications for a technology
company, exemplified Finding 4. Terrance addressed the criticality of facilitating understanding
by helping people connect with the message, product, service, concept, or objective at-hand, and
identified storytelling as the ideal method to facilitate this understanding. Prepared with over 10
years of industry experience, he based this on the need for key stakeholders to understand how,
what, and why one’s brand, product, and/or service aligned with key stakeholder’s needs or
desires. Storytelling remained at the heart of this explanation and built the connection between
the one delivering and those receiving the message. I agree with Terrance about the utility of
storytelling being partially due to its ability to seek, build and maintain relationships while
simultaneously functioning as a mechanism for understanding. Based on that understanding,
people are prepared to take ownership and equipped to make decisions aligned closely with the
organizational goals, mission, and vision.
Fundamentally, facilitating understanding occurred when leaders supported employee
exploration that may have led to connection and comprehension of why the leader’s vision,
organizational mission and values mattered. Forman (2013) found data that supported my
research findings and noted how stories about strategy, a business function typically viewed as

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primarily analytical and metrics-based, can reach the hearts and minds of employees while
promoting organizational agendas in a compelling manner. Because the story holds the ability to
link the storyteller and the audience as they navigate the organizational journey. Along that
journey, leaders facilitate understanding by painting a picture of how employees can be involved,
what it all means and inspiring them to believe in the reasons behind why the organizational
journey is a story they should choose to embark upon.
Overall, storytelling remains a key tool senior executives embrace to help align and reach
the hearts and minds of key stakeholders while simultaneously garnering support for business
initiatives (Forman, 2013). I asserted that power exists in its ability to not just reach hearts and
minds, but in the renewing of those hearts, minds, and spirits for long-term improvement. It
helped articulate and strengthen core business focal points like corporate strategy, culture, and
brand. My findings aligned with the study conducted by Forman, which found that practicing
storytelling mitigated challenges of trust within organizations, served as an advantage over
external competition based on the knowledge-sharing practices through story, and inspired
workforce engagement. Regardless of an organization’s size, leaders used stories to differentiate
their business from the competition, display human connection, engage internal and external
stakeholders authentically, and paint a picture of the organizational mission, vision, and values
that inspired followership. Thus, senior executives must be prepared to inspire action that uplifts
the greater good for employees and propels the organization forward.
My findings also displayed the need for senior executive leaders to help their teams make
sense of change by differentiating between what was known, what was unknown, considering
other perspectives on how they may experience change, and helping them understand how to
navigate the change in a way that advances the organizational strategy. Therefore, leaders need

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to prioritize the perspectives of their key stakeholders to facilitate actionable understanding of
the business strategy during times of change. This is particularly relevant when considering what
key stakeholders care about when telling stories of how the change will impact them.
Ultimately, Leaders need to engage in reflection to know what they have done, are doing,
and will do to make believers out of their team; assessing the ways their leadership behaviors
align with the stories they are sharing while simultaneously building trust and connection. Selfaware leaders make and clearly articulate intentional, informed, and definitive decisions while
remaining adaptable to situations, encouraging curiosity and iteration, and inspiring others to
connect, uplift and excel with integrity and resilience. Leaders pioneer, leveraging what they
know about their teams, positions, organization, environment, circumstances, and possible
outcomes to influence how, when, where, and why they encourage their teams to create the great
or navigate uncharted territories.
Recommendation for Practice
The purpose of the study was to understand the innovative practices C-suite and senior
executive leaders implement to improve business performance by leveraging the power of datadriven storytelling. Discovering solutions to this challenge was pertinent when considering the
alternative of senior leaders not leveraging the power of storytelling to improve business
performance. Senior leaders’ inability to adequately shape and share the narrative around
organizational mission, vision, and values, especially during times of change and uncertainty
(Denning, 2011), impacts business operations negatively (Ernst & Young, 2021; Hills, 2021;
McKinsey, 2023). Addressing this problem is beneficial because scientific research demonstrated
a solid empirical understanding of storytelling serving as a clear aid to memory, a way to make

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sense of the world, a means to develop and increase emotional connections, and a method for
recognizing and identifying with brands of any type (Herskovitz & Crystal, 2010).
Acknowledging the need for C-suite and senior executives to improve business
performance by leveraging data-driven storytelling is vital. Therefore, this study proposes the
following recommendation to address the problem, based on the four research findings, which
can deliver effective outcomes. The recommendation is to improve performance by upskilling
future and current leaders in the Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework. This
recommendation can be implemented through learning and development offerings, like executive
coaching, leadership bootcamps, and public speaking and storytelling workshops that foster a
people and performance-centered culture within the organization.
This recommendation is supported by data examined in a New York Times article, which
captured interviews with communications professionals and leaders who use public speaking,
like storytelling, to advance within their organizations or promote the work their companies do
(Ligos, 2001). Proper training in storytelling may help address the fear that consumes leaders
around public speaking, noting that 40% of U.S. citizens experience terror at the thought of
talking to an audience. However, the fact that more companies are placing a higher premium on
leaders being able to engage in face-to-face interaction and deliver meaningful messages, leaders
are recognizing their need to deal with the fear. Thus, embarking on training, like Dale Carnegie
and Toast Masters, turning to communications consultants for one-on-one guidance, and creating
visualizations and pre-stage routines to help work through stage jitters and speak well on stage
(Ligos, 2001).
Furthermore, Nussbaumer (2015) found that building competency around storytelling
with data within organizations occurs by learning and applying applicable lessons. Effective data

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communications mandates effective training strategies to harness organizational skill sets in
these areas. Potential training strategies include the following: investing in an expert, upskilling
everyone; or outsourcing this part of the process (Nussbaumer, 2015). Study participant Julia
also reinforced the need for increased training on leadership storytelling due to the lack of
training and knowledge on “how to tell stories for impact,” which she found critical for sharing
information in a memorable way when considering “people are more distracted than they’ve ever
been, and stories are what people remember.” Notably, the notion of upskilling through training
and investing in an expert underlies the primary recommendation within this study.
Study Findings and Literature Support for Recommendation
The data from the research study demonstrated how C-suite and senior leaders from
various parts of their organizations, such as CEO, COO, CHRO, CLO, Chief Data Officer, and
more, participated in and facilitated several types of learning and development engagements
within their organizations. These activities focused specifically on developing the executives’
storytelling capabilities to build future-minded leaders, benefiting the workforce, and improving
business performance. The leaders believed they learned to communicate relevant stories in a
way their stakeholders understood and could take action based on that understanding. As the
research data demonstrated, the study participants learned this skill through a variety of methods
that included trial and error then share, mentorship/coaching, observation, some form of creative,
artistic engagement, professional and personal development, and more.
They may have also learned this skill by becoming clear about their individual values and
identifying how those values aligned with the organizational values. All 41 (100%) study
participants shared how they learned how to use storytelling to cultivate belief through
embracing some form of personal and/or professional development opportunities. An equal

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number of study participants accredited part of their problem-solving acumen to their ability to
communicate data-driven decisions to key stakeholders through storytelling and believed in
leveraging storytelling to communicate “the why” behind the business strategy, especially during
times of change, to deliver impact.
Presumably, leveraging theory effectively can help leaders embody the adage echoed by
Mahatma Gandhi, to be the change they want to see in the world. Being that change would
involve executing on leading change and the skill set of using leadership storytelling effectively
to communicate about the organizational strategy in the midst of change. If the Reese Green
Leadership Storytelling Framework is incorporated in learning and development offerings for
leaders, like storytelling workshops it may help leaders enhance their leadership storytelling
skills. This is particularly relevant given that storytelling workshops provide a systematic
introduction to the concept of leadership storytelling, helping to build people’s fluency in the
skill while also teaching them how to explain the organization’s business model and branding
story - thereby establishing storytelling as a cultural norm while building the business (Forman,
2013). Storytelling workshops can also support businesses in dealing with practical matters
beyond communicating change in strategy, culture, and brand.
Study participants addressed their role in pushing the business strategy forward and how
they communicate with key internal stakeholders to achieve this goal. The research study data
showed that C-suite leaders are responsible for helping to develop the business strategy and
facilitating an actionable understanding of the strategy, especially during times of change.
Leaders have a duty to help employees navigate organizational change in the workplace and that
responsibility is further heightened given the current and rapid changes sweeping across the
workforce and impacting various industries today (Boston Consulting Group, 2018; Ernst &

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Young, 2021; McKinsey, 2023). Leaders weathering change and leading their organizations
through it remains a priority for organizations. McKinsey (2023) found the demand for learning,
developing, and possessing social and emotional skills, like leadership, is becoming increasingly
more pivotal, especially as the world evolves and becomes more technologically advanced.
Additionally, when leaders have a clear head, and are aligned with company priorities,
they are in a better position to lead their teams in ways that improve business performance, even
during times of uncertainty and volatility. CEOs can never over prepare for mitigating a volatile
change or crisis situation; especially when considering the livelihood and/or lives of the CEO’s
employees can be jeopardized in numerous situations (Austin, 2016). The demand for this type
of cognitive skill will increase, with demand shifting from basic to complex cognitive skills like
critical thinking, complex information processing and creativity. McKinsey (2023) surveyed over
700 business executives and the data reiterated the focus on social, emotional, and advanced
cognitive skills, with leadership and managing others registering at number one, as companies
build their learning portfolios. These skills are a necessity in order to operate in digital
environments while continuously adapting to new ways of working and new occupations.
When C-suite leaders learn through observation, planning, and preparation, they put their
organizations in the best position to mitigate threatening situations and navigate the metaphorical
and unexpected storms (Austin, 2016). This practical approach to leadership development can be
essential because according to McKinsey (2023), research shows that the demand for essential
leadership skills will increase from 18% of hours worked to 22% by the year 2030. Formal
leadership training to develop as a professional and as a leader within an organization may be
paramount for building and expanding skill sets that help leaders champion change effectively.
Rapid advancement in technology is an example of tremendous change that is impacting and

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reshaping the world of work as we know it (McKinsey, 2023). The advancements are vastly
accelerating innovation, introducing new efficiencies, creating new services and products, and
leading to new potential for scale and speed, but new challenges are arising as well. Among the
most pertinent challenges is the skills revolution, where different and more advanced skills
(including social and emotional, technology, and higher cognitive skills) are quickly becoming
more invaluable, and basic digital competencies are now vital in a variety of professions.
However, businesses have continuously grappled with the fact that making an investment
in employee development could make that individual more attractive to other employers
(McKinsey, 2023). This shift in mindset, emphasizing the value of investing in employee
development, demands organizations to place a renewed emphasis on coaching and designing
internal career paths that provide employees with broader workplace/portfolio experiences
(McKinsey, 2023). Reimagining the learning and earning nexus of the global workforce while
investing in the shifts required to provide people with the skills of tomorrow has become a
primary focus for private and public-sector leaders around the world (McKinsey, 2023).
The requirement for leaders learning and developing strong leadership skills in a global
work environment is becoming more pressing (McKinsey, 2023). Therefore, one priority of
leaders is to train and develop other leaders (Snook et al., 2012). Professional development needs
to provide a space for leaders to test their new skills and learn from their mistakes along the way
and allow for opportunities to observe other leaders. Regardless of whether the examples are
correct or incorrect, senior executive leaders learn from observing the behaviors of other leaders,
extrapolate lessons from those lessons and apply those lessons to their own lives. When positive
leadership examples are accessible to senior executives, then they can expand their development
beyond observation and develop a coaching and/or mentorship relationship with the positive

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examples. Sinek (2011) defined best practices as copying how other high performing leaders or
organizations operate and believing those lessons will inherently work for your organization.
This is a fallacy because what is good for one is not necessarily good for another. However,
when “what” and “how” leaders operate aligns with their “why,” they can then adapt practices
appropriately to improve organizational performance. While observing others can be helpful, the
challenge lies in understanding what practices and advice to follow (Sinek).
I asserted that this is where the guidance provided via implementation of the Reese Green
Leadership Storytelling Framework through learning and development offerings can help leaders
better understand direct applicability of best practices and how to adapt them in a way that
benefits the leaders, employees, and organization. Arguably, people leaders need to excel, and
that requires telling stories that help propel others and their organization to new heights. Marzec
(2007) postulated that best practice organizations acknowledge the criticality of leaders
demonstrating their story in a multitude of ways. This included telling stories through learning
and development offerings, management and hiring decisions, and showcasing organizational
values and operating practices.
Moreover, the executive coaching, workshop and bootcamp trainings based on the Reese
Green Leadership Storytelling Framework can include optional cultural and religious affinity
group options for leaders to participate in when developing and sharing stories. Especially when
considering how a leader’s cultural and religious heritage can influence their formative beliefs
about envisioning and communicating their why. This notion is particularly relevant when
leaders need to be mindful, intentional, reflective, and connected when charting the vision of
where an organization needs to go in the midst of change.

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Hallinger (2002) discovered data that supports this recommendation based on his notion
that vision is foundationally based on a moral and spiritual nature. Vision in a religious context
suggests the idea of a sacred calling from within the person (Barth, 1990; Bolman & Deal, 1992;
Deal & Peterson, 1990; Fullan, 1993; Fullan & Hargreaves, 1992; Hallinger, 1996; Sergiovanni,
1992; as cited in Hallinger, 2002). Vision is a boundless source of inspiration for a person’s life
work (Hallinger, 2002). The vision’s power derives from a well-spring of personal motivation
that acts as a catalyst of action for the leader herself and those she leads.
In this study, senior executive leaders were often responsible for creating and
communicating the vision of where the organization needed to go to succeed, excel, prevail, or
evolve. As Elija noted during the data collection portion of this study, a CEO creating a vision
for an organization can often be a personal act of appreciation for the organization and the people
who support it. Envisioning plans for the future can be a spiritual, emotional, and enlightening
experience. His perspective highlighted the depth of vision explored in this study. Particularly,
when pulling from one’s cultural or religious foundation or roots. Leaders need support in
learning how to develop the signature stories deriving from their formative experiences.
Additionally, they require support in learning how to connect their origin story to how they
identify and share the organizational story of vision, mission, and values.
C-suite leaders investing in learning sends a message throughout the organization. Strong
leaders are always open to more learning (Clutterbuck & Hirst, 2002). Valuing the management
of self-learning can drive organizational learning and direction. Leaders demonstrate the value of
learning through their own behavior, because if they are viewed as effective learners from the
organizational environment, others will emulate that model within the system (Bennis, 1997).
Thereby exhibiting a people and performance-based culture within the organization.

139
A people and performance (P+P) centered culture emphasizes the importance of investing
in employees as well as processes and procedures to improve operations and overall
organizational performance (McKinsey, 2003). Senior executive leaders who prioritize peoplecentric systems that help facilitate organizational learning stand to boost their bottom lines over
the long term, while simultaneously delivering value for employees (McKinsey, 2003). Research
showed that organizations that focused on both people (human capital) development and
management experienced a competitive performance advantage over the long-term. The
advantage of being an organization focused on P+P was demonstrated in greater earnings
resilience as well as a superior ability to attract and retain top talent. These organizations thrived
as talent magnets with attrition rates about five percentage points lower than companies focused
solely on performance instead focusing on human capital development simultaneously. These
P+P focused organizations also experience 30% higher revenue growth than companies that
focus just on performance or just on people, for every dollar invested in human and
organizational capital, spending that averages to about one-third of all company’s revenue
(McKinsey, 2023). Companies that maintained a dual focus on both P+P were 4.3 times more
likely than average companies and 1.6 times more likely than performance-focused companies to
remain in the top quintile of their sectors in return on invested capital (ROIC) for at least nine out
of ten years, from 2010-2019 (McKinsey, 2023). Dually focused companies also exhibited lower
earnings volatility across the 10 years, with a nine percent standard deviation in ROIC, compared
to a 16% deviation from performance-focused organizations.
Furthermore, organizational culture needs to support outside-the-box thinking and
champion courageous, intelligent evolution instead of a fear-driven status quo (Austin, 2016).
Today, workforces are increasingly remote, and numerous digital projects require employees

140
from across the organization to work collaboratively as an integrated team; these learning
cultures and social communities are more valuable now than ever before (Boston Consulting
Group, 2021). Arguably, creating an environment where employees are engaged, connected, and
valued can lead to improved organizational performance. Leveraging knowledge transfer through
stories can also help facilitate that culture of learning and development within the leaders’
organizations.
The study showed that executives’ authentic care for their people, combined with their
recognition that leadership storytelling provided a viable tool to help them achieve favorable
outcomes and impact, served as pertinent factors as to why they believed they were inspired to
utilize data-driven storytelling to improve business performance.
Frank, the second-generation CEO of a family-owned construction company, exemplified
why the focus on people and performance represented a viable solution. He hired an executive
coach to support his continuous development and an accountability coach for the company to
reinforce an accountable organizational culture. He attributed his highly engaged workforce and
organizational culture, which focused on people and performance, as the number one factor in
the company’s success. Through his participation in various coaching and external training
programs, he collaborated with experts to develop the approximately 30 fundamentals that
comprised the foundation of the organizational culture. These fundamentals unified the team
around common stories, goals, and behaviors, given they shared stories consistently around what
they referred to as the ‘fundamental of the week.’ One of those fundamentals focused on
educating employees, because he believed that proper internal education, whether it occurred
through internal or external training, on-the-job training, virtual seminars, or webinars, can
transform people’s careers, job growth opportunities, and lives overall.

141
Since implementing this focus on organizational culture, he attested to his business
experiencing top-line growth, growth in the company’s EBITDA margins, higher engagement
from employees, and low attrition rates. The company was voted one of the top 100 places to
work in the state for the past three years in a row. He listened to his team’s needs and
communicated understanding through story. He told the story of a new organizational approach
and demonstrated his value of the culture by announcing plans to convert the company into an
employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) to further reinforce employee ownership and connection.
Frank strove to foster an environment where employees felt connected and inspired to advance
their careers, the betterment of the team, and the improvement of the organization at large.
Ultimately, leaders listening to employees’ perspectives, understanding their point of
view, and intentionally seeking their feedback, benefits the employees while building a
connected community that embraces curiosity around improvement. Feedback benefits the
leader, the organization, and the business at large as leaders strive to obtain favorable business
outcomes and results.
The CEO possesses a large responsibility to ensure support exists for clever ideas to
flourish properly (Austin, 2016). The inherent power of the CEO position allows for making
deliberate organizational changes. Through listening to and supporting employees and their
ideas, CEOs can steward effective changes and demand sustainable relevance and success on a
commercial and cultural level (Austin, 2016). C-suite leaders have a responsibility to create
cultures and environments that allow for innovation, creativity, and iteration to thrive.
Leadership storytelling provides a creative avenue for leaders to build a connected culture
that encourages engagement and input from stakeholders. Essentially, the Reese Green
Leadership Storytelling Framework intends to also support training and developing leaders on

142
how to leverage data-driven storytelling to effectively communicate elements of the business
strategy, particularly during times of change. Ideally, this can help create a pipeline of future Csuite and senior executive leaders who are prepared to lead in a rapidly changing environment.
When communicating the strategic plan to internal stakeholders, effective leaders commit to
transporting the knowledge of the plan. They consider the perspective of those employees who
will hear about the plan during the change, and help those employees connect the dots between
the strategic plan, ongoing change, and their role in improving business performance.
Practical Implementation of the Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework
To practically address the recommendation of upskilling current and future leaders in the
Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework within organizations, C-suite executives need
to ensure the leadership learning and development offerings incorporate accountability
mechanisms following the conducted learning and development-based sessions. This can occur
through the usage of a leadership portal and toolkits utilized to help expand leadership acumen
around scientific-based research practices for improving data-driven storytelling skills.
Additionally, capturing diverse stories from people of different backgrounds and
experiences needs to be incorporated into all of the leadership development activities. According
to Pace (2018), all sectors and industries can benefit from developing a diverse leadership
pipeline. Organizations with the most ethnically diverse executive teams were 33% more likely
to outperform peers on profitability, and those with senior executive-level gender diversity
globally maintained a 21% likelihood of outperforming their industry competitors. Northouse
(2022) explored how gender and leadership theory examined the global phenomenon of the
gender gap in leadership, whereby women were underrepresented in executive leadership
positions of power. A recent study of VC companies found that more diverse teams experienced

143
higher financial returns than their homogenous counterparts (Pace, 2018). This data reiterated the
criticality of ensuring diverse leadership stories were included, nurtured, and celebrated.
Arguably, inclusive representation mattered both from societal and business standpoints.
Leadership development offerings can influence the moral perspective leaders take to eradicate
the gender gap (where applicable), their commitment to purpose, and their dedication to
achieving the collective betterment of inclusive leadership.
To help facilitate the improvement of performance by upskilling current and future
leaders in the Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework through learning and
development offerings that foster a P+P culture, organizations can hire an executive coach to
conduct one-on-one, large-group interactive presentations and small-group training sessions with
members of the senior executive team as well as those identified for C-suite leadership in the mid
and near-term. The expert-led activities can incorporate training topics around change
management, cultivating people and performance-centered organizations, leadership
communication and more. A dedicated, well-informed, experienced, and effective coach can help
senior leaders leverage data-driven storytelling to execute and communicate their responsibilities
effectively. Thereby increasing leadership and organizational effectiveness and competitiveness.
This commitment to ongoing and sustainable growth and improvement requires the organization
to invest in the development of current and future senior leadership, with a goal of gaining a
return on the investment. Additional practical implementation efforts that can occur through
these learning and development offerings include:
1. Offer on-the-job training and experiences for the leaders to prepare and build their datadriven storytelling skills during times of change.

144
2. Consider incorporating affinity-group-based breakout sessions where leaders have an
optional opportunity to engage in training aligned with their cultural or religious
backgrounds.
3. Train leaders on how they can leverage data-driven storytelling to hire and build highperforming teams.
4. Provide leaders with case studies, shadow opportunities and observations of successful
strategies and promising practices from C-Suite executives across other industries who
successfully leverage data-driven storytelling practices within their organizations
effectively.
5. Teach participants how to discover and develop an effective signature story leveraging
the data-driven storytelling framework.
6. Coach executives on how to inspire behavioral changes within diverse and inclusive
leadership teams and implement applicable employee feedback to build enthusiasm,
connection, and sense of ownership of strategic and organizational performance.
7. Build leadership storytelling and listening skills to help communicate the strategic
mission, vision, and values effectively.
The effectiveness of this recommendation is supported by the literature, which stated that
leaders learned how to tell their own stories in a leadership storytelling training environment or
program, which provided insight into individual experiences and served as a cathartic endeavor
(Snook et al., 2012). Creating an environment where leaders can gain this type of training and
insight through intentional learning and development offerings rooted in the Reese Green
Leadership Storytelling framework may help C-suite leaders in the development of their data-

145
driven storytelling skills. Therefore, it is necessary to coach C-suite and senior executive leaders
on how to integrate data-driven storytelling into their leadership skill set.
The practical implementation of these Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework
training offerings may allow opportunities for leaders to provide other leaders with feedback in
small group settings. Additionally, it presents a forum for participants to share their own
developing stories. Listening to other leader’s stories can enable vicarious learning for
participants, using transference, projection, and identification as tools for improved
understanding of themselves (Balint, 1957; Balint, Ornstein & Balint, 1972; Etchegoygen, 1991;
Kets de Vries, 2007; as cited in Snook et al., 2012).
Furthermore, the proper implementation of the recommendation may provide C-suite
leaders with an opportunity to advance self-discovery and awareness. Self-discovery and
development are profound attributes, and the strongest leaders are life-long learners (Snook et
al., 2012). C-suite leaders motivated to implement storytelling to communicate the organization’s
mission and vision can support these efforts to contribute to a culture of organizational learning
in the workplace. Building a work environment that enables learning and cultivating
organizational leaders who value learning is imperative to the growth and sustainability of
organizations and can also support improved business performance (McKinsey, 2023). Through
dialogue and storytelling, strategic leaders shape the evolution of agent interactions and build the
shared meanings that present the rationale by which the past, present, and future of the
organization coalesce (Boal & Schultz, 2007). While leaders sharing stories to foster a connected
environment is important, whether anything comes from the leader telling the story or facilitating
the understanding depends on the listener (Brown et al., 2005). This is because the audience’s
own, personal story will be exciting, energizing and liberating.

146
Summary
Overall, my research findings demonstrate that professional and personal development,
combined with leadership values may be prominent contributors to how C-suite leaders learned
to tell stories with purpose and intention. Stories that cultivate belief in who they are as people,
leaders, and role models. I found that collectively, study participants believed that formative
experiences, cultural or religious underpinnings, and purposeful development also contributed to
how some leaders learned to know and understand their “why.” I asserted that knowledge and
understanding supported their ability to communicate how who they are and what they value
aligned with the organizations they lead or have led throughout their career. Leaders found that
these skills became more useful during times of change. Successful leaders are ahead of change,
whether intentional, unintentional, unexpected, or uncertain (Austin, 2016). I found that leaders
get ahead of change through training, preparation, navigation, and appropriate communication of
change. Study participants also perceived leadership storytelling as a strategic tool to assist in
generating and transporting knowledge or data across their organization based on its utility for
aiding in sensemaking, data-driven decision making, and problem solving.
Therefore, I discovered the Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework and
presented it as my offering to expand the field. Improving performance by upskilling future and
current leaders in the Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework may help prepare leaders
with the data-driven storytelling skills pertinent to enhancing their ability to cultivate belief
during times of uncertainty, essential for improving business performance. I asserted that C-suite
and senior executive leaders need to propel a culture of curiosity and seek wisdom to improve
organizations, communities, cultures, and society. This wisdom can arrive in the form of learning
and development offerings like executive coaching, leadership development workshops and

147
storytelling bootcamps that foster a people and performance culture within the organization.
These offerings can instruct and upskill leaders on how to leverage the power of data-driven
storytelling. Leaders can also build this skill to cultivate learning environments where intentional
leaders thrive and champion the cultivation of diverse and inclusive leaders in an organizational
culture that encourages equitable engagement.
Presumably, benefits exist for leaders who care for their people, value other perspectives,
and understand that seeking out alternative thoughts can provide multiple levels of success. That
requires the C-suite executives to cultivate an environment that builds purpose-filled leaders,
committed to envisioning and driving transformative change within their organizations.
Accomplishing this feat can occur through leaders learning how to adapt the stories they tell
certain audiences, so the stories resonate, lead to desirable outcomes, and deliver impact.
I assert that upskilling leaders in the Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework
will improve their ability to integrate how they cultivate belief, generate, and transport
knowledge, and gain perspectives of others, to help facilitate actionable understanding. Chief
executive leaders need to create, embody, and foster a culture of curiosity, based in critical
analysis and deep inquiry of self, organization, employees, and key stakeholders, where they
seek to understand how to improve their data-driven storytelling skill sets. Senior leaders can
leverage storytelling to empower their employees to take ownership of their decisions and
envision their own role in improving business performance (Brown et al., 2005).
Limitations and Delimitations
Limitations include matters outside of my control as the interviewer. Due to the
confidentiality requirements of this study, any documentation provided by study participants was
not formally cited because the organizational strategy and/or financials were too specific. The

148
specific details would reveal the identities of study participants and/or the organizations in which
they worked. Therefore, this served as a limitation of the study. The limited amount of time to
conduct the study served as an additional limitation.
Delimitations consist of boundaries imposed by the researcher (Ross & Zaidi, 2019) that
have implications on the data collected. Study delimitations included the parameters surrounding
this study, which examined the positive power of data-driven storytelling. Contrarily, there may
be negative impacts of storytelling, however, this research focused solely on leaders who
recognized, embraced, and modeled positive leadership storytelling to improve business
performance. An additional potential delimitation of the study included the amount and type of
questions I posed to interview participants.
Conclusion
Essentially, leadership storytelling served as a critical, strategic tool that helped C-suite
and senior executives improve business performance. Given the need for organizations to
achieve a competitive advantage in a constantly evolving and technically advanced global
landscape, leaders need to embrace opportunities to differentiate and advance organizational
strategy. Significantly, leadership storytelling may provide a differentiating factor that supports
employee engagement, involves key stakeholders, and enhances organizations. Within this study,
self-aware leaders made and articulated informed and definitive decisions while remaining
adaptable to changing situations, encouraging curiosity, and inspiring others to connect, uplift,
and excel with integrity and resilience.
My Reese Green Leadership Storytelling Framework proposed that effective leadership
storytelling invokes the leader’s ability to cultivate belief, generate and transport data or
knowledge, gain perspectives, and facilitate actionable understanding while fostering a culture of

149
curiosity to improve business performance. C-suite and senior executives have a responsibility to
champion uplifting organizational cultures that value ethics, advance strategy, encourage
creativity, embrace empowerment, require effective productivity, inspire growth, seek
sustainability, and focus on people and performance with future vision in mind and in constant
pursuit of excellence. Leaders who leverage the power of data-driven storytelling to improve
business performance and are inspired by purpose can enhance the greater good for today and
tomorrow.

150
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Appendix A
Protocol: Semi-structured Interview
Interview Questions Potential Probes Research Questions (RQ) Key Concepts
Tell me about your
organization Background Background
What is your role as a
leader within your
organization?
For instance, what are
your roles and
responsibilities as a
manager? Background Background
What is your perspective
about the role
communication plays in
being a leader?
Why do you believe
leadership
communication is
important?
Background Background
Where in your business do
you find leadership
communication to be
most effective?
For instance, do you
find it most effective in
communicating to
middle managers,
communicating to new
hires to support
recruitment efforts,
communicating to
current employees
around engagement,
etc.?
RQ2: Why do C-suite and
senior executive leaders
leverage data-driven
storytelling to improve
business performance?
Organizational
Performance;
Storytelling;
Leadership
How, if at all, do you
inspire or motivate
talent to embrace your
organizational vision
and mission?
How, if at all, has that
approach impacted the
business performance
within your
organization?
What are examples of
where you have
communicated purpose
or vision in a way that
inspires employees?
RQ1: How do C-suite and
senior executive leaders learn
to leverage storytelling?
RQ2: Why do C-suite and
senior executive leaders
leverage data-driven
storytelling to improve
business performance?
Storytelling;
Leadership;
Organizational
Performance
What inspires you to
demonstrate
organizational values
through your leadership
behavior?
RQ1: How do C-suite and
senior executive leaders learn
to leverage storytelling?
RQ2: Why do C-suite and
senior executive leaders
Organizational
Performance;
Storytelling;
Leadership

163
leverage data-driven
storytelling to improve
business performance?
What value, if any, do you
believe storytelling
offers to leaders who
aspire to improve
business operations?
Where within your
business do you find
leadership
communication to be
most effective?
What aspect of your
business are you most
prone to leverage
storytelling?
RQ2: Why do C-suite and
senior executive leaders
leverage data-driven
storytelling to improve
business performance?
Organizational
Performance;
Storytelling;
Leadership
What are examples of
strategic business goals
within your
organization?
What is your approach
in communicating this
information to your
workforce?
How, if at all, do you
assess your workforce’s
understanding of
organizational goals?
RQ2: Why do C-suite and
senior executive leaders
leverage data-driven
storytelling to improve
business performance?
Organizational
Performance;
Leadership
How did you learn to
communicate with your
workforce in a way that
improves organizational
performance?
RQ1: How do C-suite and
senior executive leaders learn
to leverage storytelling?
RQ2: Why do C-suite and
senior executive leaders
leverage data-driven
storytelling to improve
business performance?
Organizational
Performance;
Storytelling;
Leadership
When did you begin to
value storytelling as a
strategic business tool
to improve
organizational
performance?
What, if anything,
occurred within your
career or lifetime that
ignited your desire to
incorporate storytelling
into your
communication
methods?
RQ1: How do C-suite and
senior executive leaders learn
to leverage storytelling?
RQ2: Why do C-suite and
senior executive leaders
leverage data-driven
storytelling to improve
business performance?
Organizational
Performance;
Storytelling;
Leadership
What primary results do
you seek from investing
in leadership
storytelling?
RQ2: Why do C-suite and
senior executive leaders
leverage data-driven
storytelling to improve
business performance?
Organizational
Performance;
Storytelling;
Leadership

164
What business performance
improvements, if any,
have you seen as it
relates to seeing a return
on your investment in
leveraging leadership
storytelling?
How did storytelling
help you achieve the
organizational goals?
RQ2: Why do C-suite and
senior executive leaders
leverage data-driven
storytelling to improve
business performance?
Organizational
Performance;
Storytelling;
Leadership
What are examples of key
messages where you
leverage storytelling?
RQ2: Why do C-suite and
senior executive leaders
leverage data-driven
storytelling to improve
business performance?
Organizational
Performance;
Storytelling;
Leadership
How do you use new
technologies to
communicate those key
messages?
For instance,
incorporating AI
solutions to help you
communicate?
RQ3: What inspires C-suite
and senior executive leaders to
use storytelling to advance
organizational strategy?
Storytelling;
Leadership;
Technology
Why do you believe it is
important to
communicate with the
workforce about the
potential impacts of
new technologies on
business performance?
RQ1: How do C-suite and
senior executive leaders learn
to leverage storytelling?
RQ2: Why do C-suite and
senior executive leaders
leverage data-driven
storytelling to improve
business performance?
RQ3: What inspires C-suite
and senior executive leaders to
use storytelling to advance
organizational strategy?
Organizational
Performance;
Storytelling;
Technology
How do you inspire your
teams to make meaning
of their role within the
organization in the face
of new AI
technologies?
RQ2: Why do C-suite and
senior executive leaders
leverage data-driven
storytelling to improve
business performance?
RQ3: What inspires C-suite
and senior executive leaders to
use storytelling to advance
organizational strategy?
Organizational
Performance;
Storytelling;
Technology

165
How do you tell the story of
your organization as it
relates to financial
performance?
What, if any,
technology tools do you
use to help craft the
financial performance
story?
RQ2: Why do C-suite and
senior executive leaders
leverage data-driven
storytelling to improve
business performance?
RQ3: What inspires C-suite
and senior executive leaders to
use storytelling to advance
organizational strategy?
Storytelling;
Organizational
Performance;
Technology
What, if any, policies or
practices do you have in
place to assess
employee perception of
leadership messaging? How do you gauge
workforce
understanding of
leadership messaging?
RQ1: How do C-suite and
senior executive leaders learn
to leverage storytelling?
RQ3: What inspires C-suite
and senior executive leaders to
use storytelling to advance
organizational strategy?
Organizational
Performance;
Leadership;
Technology
What is an example of one
of the most powerful or
influential stories you
have ever told?
What was the result of
you sharing that story?
RQ1: How do C-suite and
senior executive leaders learn
to leverage storytelling?
RQ2: Why do C-suite and
senior executive leaders
leverage data-driven
storytelling to improve
business performance?
Organizational
Performance;
Storytelling

166
Appendix B
Exploring the Alignment Between the Research Questions and the Findings
The findings discovered during this study address the problem of practice, align with the
three research questions, and align with the four findings from this study. The research findings
aligned with the research questions in the following way:
Finding 1: C-suite executives learn how to cultivate belief and communicate value
alignment through leadership development.
Research Question 1: How do C-suite and senior executive leaders learn to leverage
storytelling?
a. Connecting the research question and finding: C-suite executives learned to
leverage storytelling by cultivating belief in their why.
2. Finding 2: C-suite leaders problem solve by generating and communicating datadriven decisions effectively to improve business performance.
a. Research Question 2: Why do C-suite and senior executive leaders leverage
data-driven storytelling to improve business performance?
b. Connecting the research question and findings: C-suite and senior executive
leaders leverage data-driven storytelling to problem solve and facilitate
understanding that advances organizational strategy.
3. Finding 3: C-suite leaders consider other perspectives when formulating stories to
create a culture of connection within their organization.
a. Research Question 3: What inspires C-suite and senior executive leaders to use
storytelling to advance organizational strategy?

167
b. Connecting the research question and finding: C-suite executives are inspired
to use data-driven storytelling to gain perspective and create a culture of
connection within their organization.
4. Finding 4: C-suite leaders leverage storytelling to facilitate understanding of the
business strategy, particularly during times of change.
a. Research Questions 1, 2, and 3
b. Connecting the research questions and findings:
i. C-suite leaders learned storytelling through the facilitation of actionable
understanding (personal and professional development), which helped
them communicate the alignment of personal and organizational values.
ii. C-suite leaders use data-driven storytelling to facilitate actionable
understanding when striving to improve business performance.
iii. C-suite leaders are inspired to use data-driven storytelling because of its
ability to help facilitate actionable understanding and advance
organizational strategy.
Ultimately, the findings of the study align with the research questions and reveal pertinent data
about C-suite perspectives around leadership data-driven storytelling.

168
Appendix C
Table 3 overviews the leadership responsibility of the 41 study participants. The table
captures the participants names, titles, and the following data:
1. Size of Team: Approximate amount of people the study participants managed directly.
This data was collected directly from the study participants.
2. Size of Department: Approximate amount of people within the leader’s department. This
data was collected directly from the study participants.
3. Size of Organization: Approximate amount of people that comprise the overall
organization or company. This data was collected directly from the study participants or
via published/publicly available sources.
Table 3:
Overview of Participants’ Scope of Responsibilities
Participant
Pseudonym
Title Size of Team Size of
Department
Size of
Organization
Aisha Senior Vice President,
Customer Experience
10 40,000 40,000
Akoni Chief Learning Officer 10 80 190,000
Amir Senior Vice President,
Human Resources
30 350 250,000
Benjamin Chief Learning Officer 10 50 6,500
Bethany Chief Human Resources
Officer
10 75 3,800

169
Celeste Chief Branding Officer 5 30 300
Charles Founding Chief
Executive Officer
20 200 230
Daniel Chief Learning Officer 10 1,000 2 million
Darnel Senior Vice President,
Sales
5 300 2,500
Deborah Chief Executive Officer 10 50 700
Ebony Founding Chief
Executive Officer
5 700 7,100
Elija Founding Chief
Executive Officer
10 1,500 62,000
Elizabeth Chief Learning Officer 700 700 175,000
Esther Founding Chief
Executive Officer
5 30 30
Frank Founding Chief
Executive Officer
15 450 450
Hannah Chief Corporate Affairs
Officer
5 80 3,400
Harry Chief Learning Officer 5 150 26,000
Isaac Chief Executive Officer 10 25 25
Jack Chief Commercial
Officer
10 30 3,800

170
James Chief Communications
and Government
Relations
10 30 3,100
Joseph Chief Executive Officer 30 6,800 6,800
Julia Chief of Staff and Chief
Strategy Officer
1 15 15
Kamal Senior Partner 15 15 410
Krish Chief Data Analytics and
Artificial Intelligence
Officer
1 50 5,300
Laila Chief Learning Officer N/A N/A 8,800
Luke Chief Executive Officer N/A 10,000 10,000
Maria Chief Financial Officer 5 20 250
Mark Head of Product &
Strategy
10 90 5,500
Miriam Founding Chief
Executive Officer
10 10 10
Nancy Founding Chief
Executive Officer
10 250 11,500
Nneka Chief Learning and
Diversity Officer
5 50 43,000
Parth Founding Chief
Technology Officer
5 15 15

171
Rebecca Chief Research and Data
Officer
N/A 65 1,100
Ronaldo Chief Operating Officer 10 25 5,400
Ruth Chief Learning Officer 25 25 5,300
Samuel Chief Branding Officer 20 20 350
Sarah Senior Advisor 5 N/A 550,000
Terrance Head of Global
Communications
10 150 6,300
Thomas Founding Chief Strategy
and Learning &
Development Officer
15 100 15,000
Veronica Head of Learning 5 25 164,000
Zachary Founding Chief
Executive Officer
5 450 450
Approximate numbers were reflected throughout Table 3 to further support participant
confidentiality. All study participants were asked or contacted to provide data regarding their
scope of responsibility as referenced in Table 3. Notations of “N/A” within Table 3 represent
where study participants did not provide requested information.

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Creator Reese Green, Constance (author)

Core Title Leveraging the power of data-driven storytelling: C-suite executive leadership approaches to improving business performance

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Degree Conferral Date 2024-08

Publication Date 07/26/2024

Defense Date 04/25/2024

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