(MENAFNEditorial)
By Steven Clarke – Summer Reading List
Seattle WA - 06/23/15 - There are three key elements to an effective business story says leadership development expert Dov Baron. First it must capture and hold attention. Second it must transport the audience into the character's world and third it must elicit a feeling of empathy from the audience.
Baron says the third element having the audience see themselves in at least the primary character and identifying with this character is probably the most important key to an effective business story.
Baron says that despite what the business community has been told about the importance of cold hard facts they don't come close to engaging or influencing in the way a good story will. He cautions that many stories that are remembered purely because they were entertaining is because they are devoid of specific meaning outside of their ability to entertain.
In his latest book 'Fiercely Loyal: How High Performing Companies Develop and Retain Top Talent' Baron recommends developing what he calls Full Monty stories that cause the audience to attach specific meaning and ideally an emotional bond with the story.
'The difference between a 'story' and a Full Monty story is that with a Full Monty story you can feel the truth of it – and truth equals trust and trust equals loyalty' says Baron. He says this version of storytelling has more depth to it though he is also quick to point out that depth doesn't have to translate to length 'It is possible to deliver a short Full Monty story … with powerful impact' he says.
In order to elicit an all-important feeling of empathy from an audience and to form an emotional bond the business story needs to reveal the storyteller in a genuine and even vulnerable way according to Baron. This aspect is crucial he says 'if you give the audience a dose of your emotional 'blood' if you reveal a personal vulnerability the audience will feel a bond with you.'
In the book Baron points to Steve Jobs' famous commencement speech at Stanford where he told the audience 'not to settle.'
'It was during that speech in which he could have easily portrayed all his outstanding successes that he shared being fired from his own company and how it was initially a devastating experience. It was from the sharing of that bottomed-out experience that he was able to show each of us that we can still rise to the top and shouldn't settle for anything less than what we love to do' says Baron.
Dov Baron's new book: 'Fiercely Loyal: How High Performing Companies Develop and Retain Top Talent' is available at Amazon.com and all major book stores. Visit where bonus material is also available for download.
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Dov Baron is available for media interviews by appointment only.
See: for a selection of previous media appearances and published interviews.
Call Jennifer Reynolds on: (778) 397 7717 or email: admin[at]dovbaron.com
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