Storytelling as a Leadership Skill

Are you struggling to inspire change and persuade others to adopt new ideas or ways of thinking within your organization? Helen Hunt Jackson, through her groundbreaking novel Ramona, offers a compelling example of how storytelling can be a powerful tool for creating change and influencing those we lead. 

Jackson began her writing career with books of poetry and children’s stories, usually publishing under the pseudonym “H.H.” Her poetry, appearing in The Atlantic and Independent publications, caught the eye of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who quickly became a fan and began including her poems at public readings. As recognition for her work increased, she began publishing novels, including Mercy Philbrick’s Choice and Hetty’s Strange History, in the anonymous No Name Series. 

In 1879, Jackson attended a lecture where the Ponca Tribe chief, Standing Bear, shared how United States government agents forcibly removed his people from their ancestral lands and onto the Quapaw Reservation, where many died from starvation and disease. Devastated by this account, Jackson began researching and publicizing accounts of government sanctioned cruelty against Native Americans, circulating petitions and writing letters to newspapers, like The New York Times. 

Two years into her crusade, Jackson published A Century of Dishonor, which meticulously documented the history of broken treaties and injustices perpetrated against Native American tribes by the U.S. government. Despite mailing individual copies of the book to every member of Congress, she received very little attention from policymakers. Response from the public was even more subdued, with critics blaming her scholarly approach as too removed to engage her readers effectively.

Undaunted, Jackson sought a more impactful approach to advocate for Native American rights. Recognizing her past success with storytelling to engage and inspire, she wrote Ramona, a novel that immersed readers in the poignant tale of a mixed-race Native American girl named Ramona, and her struggles against the prejudiced and dangerous backdrop of Southern California. Through the character of Ramona, Jackson humanized Native Americans for her readers, and conveyed the injustices they faced in a more accessible and emotionally resonant manner. This shift in approach proved to be wildly effective, as Ramona not only became a best seller, but sparked a national conversation about Native American rights. 

Today’s leaders can learn much from Helen Hunt Jackson’s approach. Here are some key strategies:

1. Humanize the Issue -  By crafting a compelling narrative that humanized Native Americans and vividly depicted their struggles, Jackson was able to evoke both empathy and understanding in her readers. The people we lead need to care about the “why” before they will accept the “what.” Sharing personal anecdotes, real case studies or client stories can help others relate to the issue on a deeper level and inspire them to share your goal and take action.  

2. Make it Memorable - After Ramona’s release, both the public and policymakers began to repeat the story, using it as an entry point to discussions about Native American rights. Neuroscience shows that when presented with dry facts and data, only the brain’s language processing centers are activated, but stories activate multiple regions of the brain simultaneously, including those responsible for processing emotions and forming memories. Storytelling can help our message become more memorable and increases the chance it will be shared and reinforced among our team members.  

3. Foster Connection and Engagement - Jackson’s book brought people into alignment who would not have otherwise conversed or agreed. Readers from different backgrounds came together because Ramona’s story moved them. It gave them a common experience and a common cause. As leaders, we can use the power of authentic storytelling to bridge divides between our teammates, and connect people from vastly different backgrounds. 

Helen Hunt Jackson’s advocacy for Native American rights demonstrates the transformative power of storytelling in creating change. By using narrative to humanize complex issues and evoke empathy, Jackson’s Ramona was able to engage people in a way that A Century of Dishonor could not. By harnessing the neuroscience behind storytelling, we, as leaders, can engage, persuade and inspire others, and drive meaningful change in our organizations. 

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