More Than Facts: Why Storytelling is the Most Important Business Skill You’re Likely Ignoring

Over the past few years, a major trend has emerged in the business world: the rise of storytelling. But why?

We are all born storytellers. As children, we use our imaginations to weave fantastical narratives. But as we get older, something changes. We're taught to put away "childish things," and storytelling is often one of them. In the workplace, this translates into a reliance on facts, data, and logic, with a fear of anything that feels too "soft" or "emotional."

We convince ourselves that a business presentation is about sharing as many compelling data points as possible (“showing up and throwing up”), believing the data will speak for itself. But it won't. This approach fails to recognize a fundamental truth: stories move us because they move us emotionally.