Tell Yourself a Different Story

Leaders often tell themselves stories that shape the way they think and lead. For better or worse, our stories shape what we notice and how we interpret it. Valcour and McNulty explain in To Make a Change at Work, Tell Yourself a Different Story (Harvard Business Review, August 24, 2018) how these stories inform our decision making and behavior. If you see your workplace as a battlefield, you expect hostility. You’re primed to attack and defend. Often, these stories don’t serve us well. There may come a time when you need to shift your story to one that enables you to do things differently.