NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 20: Taylor Swift performs onstage during NSAI 2022 Nashville ... [+]
According to new McKinsey research, the best leaders and CEOs are exceptional storytellers. Storytelling, a “foundational skill,” builds strong cultures, aligns teams, and inspires people to do more than they ever thought possible.
Storytelling is a skill and an art, so leaders and business communicators can learn a lot from artists famous for turning feelings into stories. And that’s where superstar Taylor Swift comes in. Twenty years after writing her first song, Swift was recognized as “Songwriter-Artist of the Decade” at a recent awards program in Nashville.
It’s not surprising that Swift delivered a beautifully-written speech that honors artists “who live for that rare, pure moment when a magical cloud floats down in front of you in the form of an idea for a song, and all you have to do is grab it. Then shape it like clay. Prune it like a garden... and make someone feel seen, feel understood, feel joined in their grief or heartbreak or joy for just a moment.”
Turning ideas into words that make people feel something “for just a moment” can seem like an impossible task for most people who aren’t professional storytellers. That’s why it’s worth paying attention to someone like Taylor Swift, who explored the creative process in her speech.
Swift revealed for the first time the process by which she categorizes and writes songs. The process by which Swift taps into her emotions to turn ideas into stories is a method anyone can apply to be more creative and to find the stories that will resonate with their audiences.
Swift says she mentally categorizes stories into three genres.
“Quill Style.”
Swift calls the first style “quill” if the words and phrases of a song were inspired after reading Charlotte Bronte or Emily Dickenson. For example, Swift pointed to a song called “ivy” from the Evermore album.
Swift reads many books and often points to specific titles that have inspired her music.
The best storytellers in business share Swift’s love of reading, both fiction and non-fiction books. Leaders are readers, and the most inspiring ones typically read far more books than the average person. They apply stories from history books that apply to the challenges they face today. They choose stories from biographies to motivate their teams, and they re-tell stories about fictional characters who exhibit values or traits they wish to instill in others.
“Fountain Pen Style.”
Most of Swift’s lyrics fall into this category, songs with “modern storyline or references with a poetic twist.” In these songs, Swift tries to paint a vivid picture of a scene or situation “down to the chipped paint on a door frame” or two people dancing around the kitchen “in the refrigerator light” (from “All Too Well” on the album, Red).
Swift can paint vivid pictures in these songs because many are based on her own experiences. In business storytelling, personal experiences are nearly always the most impactful stories to share. For example, in 2005, Steve Jobs delivered one of the most famous commencement speeches ever. When CNN asked me to explain why the speech is the ‘most watched’ in history, I pointed to Jobs’s use of storytelling as a vehicle for education.
Jobs told three stories from his life, all of which carried messages about love, life, and careers that inspired his audience. Personal stories—with a few vivid details—can paint a picture that connects audiences with speakers in a remarkable and profound way.
“Glitter Gel Pen style.”
Swift calls the third category “glitter gel pen,” which means the stories are “frivolous, carefree, bouncy” that don’t take themselves too seriously. Swift’s mega-hit “Shake It Off” is an example of a song that’s just fun to hear.
Storytellers don’t always have to take themselves seriously. The world’s bestseller author, James Patterson, told me that he often opens his speeches with the line “Hi, I’m Stephen King.” Since it’s well-known among Patterson fans that he’s not exactly close with King, the line elicits a laugh and signals to the audience that his speech will be lighthearted and fun.
Tapping into the creative process is hard work—and even tougher to explain. So when a professional storyteller talks, it pays to listen.
