To building a strategic narrative, you must develop a perspective. Call it a philosophy, an ideology, a viewpoint, or a religion; it’s up to you. But you need to establish and make public the fundamental set of beliefs that define how you look at a situation and how you recommend that we treat this situation.
That’s the essence of leadership.
In our context, I call this the “Perspective Story,” and it’s one of the four stories that entrepreneurs, CEOs, founders, and business leaders establish during The Strategic Narrative Workshop.
A perspective serves several functions in your business strategy. One of them is to give people a chance to disagree or agree with you.
As humans, we form groups around common values. We belong to communities of people who share the same beliefs as us. Therefore a perspective creates a connection and a feeling of belonging.
I remember going to one of the Google offices to meet with one of my clients and seeing a large neon sign in the lobby on which you could read “Focus on the user, and all else will follow”. The sign caught my eye because it was about something I also believe. This message is at the core of my own philosophy for building strategic narratives. As I was standing in Google’s lobby, I had the feeling that I was about to enter a place where I would meet a like-minded community of people.
Writing your perspective will help you build a community of followers, so think about who you want to engage in your strategic narrative.