Great business leaders who truly move people can not only see the big picture, but they can vividly share it. They think like an author writing an epic who appreciates his/her characters, understands the subtext of situations, and embrace change as the organization and its players arch through the power of story.

Robert McKee Interview #5: "Great Business Leaders Think Like Authors"

To the wise business mind, contradiction makes perfect sense. McKee surveys how brilliant leaders are able to embrace irrationality to make rational decisions to move their business forward.

Robert McKee Interview #6: "Contradiction is at the Heart of Human Nature"

Email has caused more misunderstandings than any other business medium because it is not human. Businesses need to get back to face-to-face communication with their employees, board members, vendors and customers and use the proven power of storytelling to succeed.

Robert McKee Interview #7: "The Water Cooler is the Company Campfire Again"

Branding is the story consumers tell themselves every time they buy your product. Those that tell and " live" the best stories, like Sir Richard Branson, Nike, and RebBull win.

Robert McKee Interview #8: "The Fabricated Stories of Branding"

We all are of two minds: the conscience mind and the survival mind. Sometimes our two minds are at odds with each other as the conscience wants to do the right thing and the survival mind wants to do whatever it take to stay alive, right or wrong. And they tell us stories like a lobbying effort to get us to act on their side. Which is correct?

Robert McKee Interview #9: "The Double-Edged Sword of Storytelling"

Storytelling is enjoying a resurgence in the business world. So what do we attribute to its resurrection? Robert McKee explores the new-found power of story and how the great leader has wisdom, vision and understanding of life shared through the power of storytelling.

Robert McKee interview #10 "The Resurrection of Story in Business"

In the remarkable 6-part series called The Power of Myth, Bill Moyers interviews legendary mythologist, Joseph Campbell, on how stories power our lives. In this, the first segment in the series, Campbell takes us on the discovery of the Hero's Journey, a story cycle found throughout our lives.

Joseph Campbell on the "Hero's Journey"

I had a rare opportunity to sit down with acclaimed National Geographic photographer, Chris Rainier, to get a few tips on capturing a compelling story within in a single image. 

Podcast: Nat Geo Photographer Chris Rainier on Visual Storytelling

The primaries are approaching and we’re inundated with the typical screeching political attack ads. But a surprising thing happens when you replace vitriol with ingenious storytelling. People take notice. And in this rare case, laugh. Patrick Hunt, partner in Minneapolis ad agency Hunt Adkins, shares how they created the viral Bigfoot ad for Dean Phillips for Congress Campaign. They married truth with brilliant brand storytelling to call out five-time incumbent Erik Paulsen, a Congressman with a strong aversion of interacting with voters. “How can you have tens of thousands of people looking for you all the time and not one of them find you?” asks a clearly impressed Bigfoot. “I started to wonder, does Erik Paulsen really exist?” Hunt reveals how his team managed to get their client to take a chance with Bigfoot and create this viral ad on a shoestring budget in just three and a&nbsp;half weeks. Get a peek into the nuances of ad production, where you can learn about different production aspects that went into making this&nbsp;virally successful campaign. Patrick shares some interesting information about the Dean Phillips campaign. Did Dean’s progressive attitude encourage Patrick to try this radically different approach? Learn about Dean’s campaign strategy to create erikpaulsen.org, a creative website that highlights the competitor’s differences complete with a Pac Man game – with Erik as Pac Man, of course. Tune in to discover how attributes like confidence and selflessness can help you design strategic and responsible brand storytelling.

#164: Rare Story Sighting: Bigfoot in Brilliant Political Ad

In the third of our 10-part podcast series with famed screenwriting coach Robert McKee, we explore why the prudent manager leans on what they believe is the safety of data to get things done, while the passionate entrepreneur moves people with the power of storytelling. Which is more frightening to deliver: data or story?

Robert McKee Interview #3 - "Why Leaders Should Turn Data Into Drama"

I use the power of brand storytelling to nudge the world in any direction you choose. I can show you how to do it.

Park Howell

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