Data convinces. Stories move people. So why do we still lead with the spreadsheet?
In this best-bits episode of Building Better Cultures, Scott McInnes goes back to two conversations about the power of narrative at work: Richard Newman (EP108) on the neuroscience of emotional engagement, and Alison Esse (EP012) on purpose-led storytelling at scale.
Richard Newman explains what actually happens in the brain when you open with a chart instead of a story. Spreadsheets speak to the logical mind, but the emotional brain decides first and it decides whether anything gets through at all. He walks through the leadership retreat where nobody could remember a single decision three months later, why "cognitive fatigue" is a better diagnosis than screen fatigue, and the line that sums up the whole problem: we treat people like human doings rather than human beings. Alison Esse picks up the organisational side: the corporate narrative, the red thread that has to run from the frontline to the CEO, and why leaders are so often the worst people at telling their own stories.
The common thread? Engage people emotionally first, logically second. Do it the other way round and nothing sticks.
Key Takeaways
- The emotional brain gets there first. Every input passes through it before the logical mind sees it, so if you open with data you have already lost the room.
- Data convinces, stories move. Being right is not the same as being understood, and it is definitely not the same as being acted on.
- If nobody can repeat it, it did not land. People remember stories and quote lines from them. Nobody quotes a slide.
- It is cognitive fatigue, not screen fatigue. People will happily binge four hours of Netflix after a long week, so the screen is not the problem, being engaged logically all day with no emotional connection is.
- Storytelling is misunderstood, not soft. It is not anecdotes about your weekend, and it does not need the hero's journey. It is sharing information in the way the brain wants to receive it.
- Every organisation needs a red thread. A narrative that connects the frontline to the CEO gives people something to believe in and repeat.
- Leaders are often worst at telling their own story. The people with the most to share are usually the most reluctant, which is why story champions matter.
Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction: why we still lead with the spreadsheet
00:30 – Richard Newman: how stories help leaders influence, and the retreat nobody remembered
04:00 – Inception, and why a story goes deeper than a slide
05:00 – Cognitive fatigue vs screen fatigue
05:38 – "Human doings, not human beings": engage emotionally first, logically second
05:47 – Alison Esse: corporate narrative, purpose and the red thread from frontline to CEO
10:16 – Wrap-up: what story is your organisation telling right now?
Hear the full conversations
EP108 – Richard Newman: https://inspiringchange.libsyn.com/108-the-science-of-storytelling-how-it-works-richard-newman
EP012 – Alison Esse: https://inspiringchange.libsyn.com/ep12-alison-esse-co-founder-the-storytellers
Resources & Links
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Tags
storytelling, business storytelling, communication, leadership communication, neuroscience, emotional engagement, cognitive fatigue, corporate narrative, purpose, internal communications, employee engagement, workplace culture, influence, presentation skills, Richard Newman, Alison Esse, Scott McInnes, Building Better Cultures, Inspiring Change, best bits, podcast compilation
