How to Be an Effective Leader Using Narrative Psychology
Write in a journal., Look for larger themes throughout your personal story., Identify your strengths and weaknesses., Discern what stories define who you are today., Reframe your experiences as positive ones.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Write in a journal.
Get in the habit of writing every day in a journal.
Instead of recording your daily activities, write one story from your past per day.
These do not need to have a narrative structure; you will organize them later.
You should write for at least fifteen minutes without stopping.
Write as many details as you can remember.
If you cannot think of what to write about, you can choose one of the following prompts.Write about a time you overcame a personal failure.
Write about a time you couldn’t overcome your own weaknesses Write about a difficult time in your life.
What is your favorite childhood memory? What was your first job? Describe someone who helped you through a difficult period.
Describe your family growing up. -
Step 2: Look for larger themes throughout your personal story.
Once you have written a few entries, start looking back through your life to see what the common themes, patterns, and events there are.
Try to decide if there is an overriding feeling, difficulty, or identity that occurs over and over again.Sometimes it can be hard to identify these themes yourself, so you might consider asking a close friend or family member to help you do this, as long as you are comfortable sharing this information with them.
For example, if you felt as though you didn’t fit in high school and you struggled to find friends as an adult, you might decide that you always found it difficult to conform to the expectations of others.
If you’ve had many successes followed by immediate failure, you might write about how you learned never to take success for granted. , As you continue to write stories and reflect on their meaning in your life, you might start realizing what your strengths and weaknesses are.
To discover your strengths and weaknesses, you should ask yourself:
What characteristics have led to my success in life? What characteristics have led to any failures or disruptions in my life? How have I improved upon my weaknesses over time? What is my usual response to a difficult situation? Does it work? Does it not work? , As you write and reflect, you might find yourself returning to particular experiences over and over again.
This might indicate that these stories are the most definitive experiences of your life.
What this means is that, from a narrative perspective, these are the stories that have most significantly led to who you are today.
This story might be about:
A personal triumph.
For example, you might tell a story about how you managed to pay off all your debt within two years on minimum wage.
How you got your first job.
You might talk about how you networked with a local business owner to talk your way into a job.
How you overcame a personal tragedy.
For example, you might discuss how cancer has affected you and your family.
A childhood hobby or practice.
You could explain how collecting baseball cards influenced your financial decisions as an adult.
Your relationship with a family member, mentor, or significant other.
You might tell a story about how your father taught you a valuable lesson on respecting others. , How we view our stories allows us to craft our own reality.
This does not mean that you invent events or details in your story.
Rather, you consider how you took control over each step in the story and what meaning this story gives your personal narrative.Instead of thinking about how things happened to you, consider how your actions caused opportunities to arise.
Take one of your weaknesses in your life, and think about all of the times that you weren't defined by this weakness.
For example, if you believe that you are bad at communicating, think of all the times when you demonstrated effective communication skills.Keep in mind that even your perceived mistakes can be reframed as positive experiences because you can use them as learning opportunities.
For example, if you were fired from a job when you were just starting your career, then you might reflect on what you learned from that experience.
Did it teach you something about the kind of work you do and do not like? Did it show you the importance of communicating with your superiors? Try to figure out what you can take away from things that did not turn out how you wanted them to. -
Step 3: Identify your strengths and weaknesses.
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Step 4: Discern what stories define who you are today.
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Step 5: Reframe your experiences as positive ones.
Detailed Guide
Get in the habit of writing every day in a journal.
Instead of recording your daily activities, write one story from your past per day.
These do not need to have a narrative structure; you will organize them later.
You should write for at least fifteen minutes without stopping.
Write as many details as you can remember.
If you cannot think of what to write about, you can choose one of the following prompts.Write about a time you overcame a personal failure.
Write about a time you couldn’t overcome your own weaknesses Write about a difficult time in your life.
What is your favorite childhood memory? What was your first job? Describe someone who helped you through a difficult period.
Describe your family growing up.
Once you have written a few entries, start looking back through your life to see what the common themes, patterns, and events there are.
Try to decide if there is an overriding feeling, difficulty, or identity that occurs over and over again.Sometimes it can be hard to identify these themes yourself, so you might consider asking a close friend or family member to help you do this, as long as you are comfortable sharing this information with them.
For example, if you felt as though you didn’t fit in high school and you struggled to find friends as an adult, you might decide that you always found it difficult to conform to the expectations of others.
If you’ve had many successes followed by immediate failure, you might write about how you learned never to take success for granted. , As you continue to write stories and reflect on their meaning in your life, you might start realizing what your strengths and weaknesses are.
To discover your strengths and weaknesses, you should ask yourself:
What characteristics have led to my success in life? What characteristics have led to any failures or disruptions in my life? How have I improved upon my weaknesses over time? What is my usual response to a difficult situation? Does it work? Does it not work? , As you write and reflect, you might find yourself returning to particular experiences over and over again.
This might indicate that these stories are the most definitive experiences of your life.
What this means is that, from a narrative perspective, these are the stories that have most significantly led to who you are today.
This story might be about:
A personal triumph.
For example, you might tell a story about how you managed to pay off all your debt within two years on minimum wage.
How you got your first job.
You might talk about how you networked with a local business owner to talk your way into a job.
How you overcame a personal tragedy.
For example, you might discuss how cancer has affected you and your family.
A childhood hobby or practice.
You could explain how collecting baseball cards influenced your financial decisions as an adult.
Your relationship with a family member, mentor, or significant other.
You might tell a story about how your father taught you a valuable lesson on respecting others. , How we view our stories allows us to craft our own reality.
This does not mean that you invent events or details in your story.
Rather, you consider how you took control over each step in the story and what meaning this story gives your personal narrative.Instead of thinking about how things happened to you, consider how your actions caused opportunities to arise.
Take one of your weaknesses in your life, and think about all of the times that you weren't defined by this weakness.
For example, if you believe that you are bad at communicating, think of all the times when you demonstrated effective communication skills.Keep in mind that even your perceived mistakes can be reframed as positive experiences because you can use them as learning opportunities.
For example, if you were fired from a job when you were just starting your career, then you might reflect on what you learned from that experience.
Did it teach you something about the kind of work you do and do not like? Did it show you the importance of communicating with your superiors? Try to figure out what you can take away from things that did not turn out how you wanted them to.
About the Author
Andrea Turner
Enthusiastic about teaching creative arts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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