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4 Change Management Success Stories

by Panorama Consulting Group | May 17, 2021

Over the years, we’ve talked extensively about the power of  organizational change management . Yet, talking about change management is only so convincing. Sharing real-life stories can drive the point home and help you visualize your own company following suit. 

What is change management ? It is the process of looking at the human side of a project, and today, we’re sharing a few of our favorite change management success stories to inspire, encourage, and motivate you as you move forward in your ERP implementation . 

Navigating Change with Rick & Christi

The aerospace industry.

A global organization implemented an ERP system across several of its aerospace and defense (A&D) manufacturing plants. The rollout was successful, but user adoption was lagging. 

The issue? End-users were hesitant to embrace the new software. The technical features were complex, and the implementation had catalyzed a business process standardization that meant changes to their familiar workflows. As a result, end-users were  reverting to workarounds , devising their own ways of using (or not using) the system.

While the organization was planning to upgrade to the latest version of their ERP system, they realized they had to address these change management issues, first. 

The Panorama Approach

We devoted two change management experts to this project. These experts conducted on-site interviews and video interviews with the following stakeholders:

• Executive leadership team

Conversations centered on how employees were using/not using the system. Our team also inquired about how the organization had approached change management initiatives in the past and asked about the structure of the current leadership team. 

We then made recommendations for actionable steps that would help the organization reach its desired future state.

Measurable Business Results

Based on findings and feedback, the organization uncovered several internal issues that were impeding full adoption of the ERP software . To achieve full benefits realization, the organization recognized that it must address these roadblocks before moving forward with system upgrades.

You can  read more  about this case study on our website.

The Food and Beverage Industry

One of our clients in the F&B industry faced a few challenges when they replaced their legacy system with a modern ERP solution . 

Chiefly, the learning curve was substantial, and the change management plan provided by the vendor was basic, at best. Though it covered certain deliverables and activities, it failed to address important aspects, such change management communication .

Moreover, the client’s operations were spread across multiple locations. Each had unique requirements and their own set of questions and concerns. 

Recognizing the need for a comprehensive change management approach, they asked our team for support. 

We began by developing a strong relationship with the client to better understand how they operated and the facets of their company culture.

Working with their vendor’s dedicated change management lead, we developed a thorough  change management strategy , complete with:

• A communication plan and collateral
• A training plan for a change champions network team
• Branding and messaging for the ERP project

We expect that with the new change management plan in place, this company will increase employee buy-in and engagement.

This brief  explains this case in greater detail.

The Retail Industry

When a large, global retailer wanted to upgrade its systems, it turned to SAP. However, it soon realized that to maximize the return on the investment, organizational change management was required. 

Lacking experience in this realm, they hired our team to provide customized, on-site training. Simultaneously, they also needed assistance implementing several inventory management modules.

To help the retailer maximize system usage and  employee buy-in , we assigned five  change management consultants to this project. These consultants took the lead on several project initiatives, including customized training and employee communication.

Our team also equipped the client’s internal resources with the knowledge and tools necessary to continue change management entirely in-house.

As a result of our support, this retailer successfully integrated change management into its SAP implementation. This resulted in higher rates of user adoption, as well as significant cost savings. Ultimately, they received SAP’s Retail Implementation of the Year award!

You can find out more details in  this case study .

The Manufacturing Industry

This $60M tool manufacturer thought that one web-based training session would be enough to bring employees up to speed on their new ERP system. Still, they brought our consultants on board to evaluate the effectiveness of this plan. 

We conducted an evaluation after the first end-user training session concluded. We found the results to be alarming, noting that the pass rate for end-users was very low. We suggested a different approach, and then facilitated the following:

• Two in-classroom training sessions
• One follow-up web session

This delayed the original go-live date by two months, but it ensured that employees were well-educated on the system. 

Once the system went live, employees were ready for the change and knew how to use all aspects of the system to perform their respective duties. As a result, the project was successful, and the client enjoyed ERP benefits realization five months ahead of schedule. 

You can find more case studies here.

Join Our Change Management Success Stories

The case studies listed above are just a few of our change management success stories. Through the years, we’ve helped many companies around the world maximize their ERP business benefits using this approach. 

Our approach doesn’t just ready your workforce to embrace the ERP software at their fingertips. It sets your business up for long-term system usage and employee engagement. 

If you’re struggling in this area, our organizational change management consultants can help. Contact us below for a free consultation and let’s get started. 

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Mobilize your organization with a powerful change story

Drives lasting change at scale for global organizations through digital transformation, operating-model redesign, enterprise agility, and leadership development

October 28, 2019 Imagine your company has set an ambitious aspiration and conducted an assessment of the organization’s performance—what an enterprise does to deliver improved results for its stakeholders in financial and operational terms—and health—how effectively an organization works together in pursuit of its performance aspirations.

So how do you use these insights to mobilize the whole enterprise, from senior management to frontline employees? As the chief human resources officer (CHRO) of a leading heavy goods manufacturer summed it up: “How can we change how the organization does things, and how do we get the rest of the executive team to buy in?”

Building consensus on priorities is critical to the success of a transformation. Executives who select initiatives that aren’t well aligned with their aspiration could quickly see the transformation run aground. However, making the right choices can generate significant benefits. Research from McKinsey found that senior leadership teams that align on their change story and share it with the organization can increase the odds of the transformation’s success six times over.

Build conviction around your organization’s transformation

In our experience, companies can take three steps to align on priorities and translate them into a focused, coherent transformation plan and change story.

Many organizations regularly measure performance. However, an assessment of organizational health provides senior management with a quantitative and qualitative fact based on how effectively an organization is functioning vis-à-vis its performance aspiration. The CHRO noted, “Once we got the data, it was key for our leadership team to fully understand the results.”

Leadership should facilitate an open discussion among executives on which priority practices—the six to ten management practices that matter most given the strategic context—can improve the organization’s performance and health.

In developing an implementation plan, senior leadership must bring managers into the process. This collaboration can take place through multiple action-planning workshops, which introduce the enterprise-wide performance and health aspiration, identify critical behavior and mind-set shifts for each priority practice, and create action plans that include owners, next steps, and timelines. Leaders need to gain a detailed understanding of the priorities as well as the corresponding mind-set and behavioral shifts, since they will be responsible for role-modeling them.

These workshops—and what happens outside of them to build on the momentum of the transformation—enable executives and managers to weigh in on critical implementation decisions, such as how goals and messages will be cascaded through the organization, timing, leadership roles, the cadence of meetings, accountability, and communication.

According to Harvard University Professor Howard Gardner, “Stories constitute the single most powerful weapon in a leader’s arsenal.” Stories take on added importance in a performance transformation, since they are a critical mechanism to inspire the workforce and create a shared sense of purpose. The best change stories provide all workers with an understanding of how their work relates to the organization’s overall vision.

A storyteller’s passion for and connection to the change story are essential to building momentum for a transformation. By involving a broader group of leaders in the process of crafting a change narrative, companies are essentially creating a “band and choir” that can communicate and amplify the change story at scale.

The previously mentioned heavy goods manufacturer followed these three steps and saw an immediate impact: top-level managers became more engaged and confident in emphasizing culture and behaviors to frontline employees. The action planning and implementation allowed the company to move from the bottom to the second quartile on organizational effectiveness within two years. This progress was accompanied by increased sales growth, better financial performance, and fewer safety incidents.

For more on leading successful large-scale change programs see the book, Beyond Performance 2.0

Learn more about our People & Organizational Performance Practice

Change Management Storytelling Examples, Types, and Techniques

Have you ever wondered why some change leaders effortlessly communicate organizational changes while others struggle to talk about change? 

The answer lies in the art of storytelling. 

Change management, the process of guiding individuals and organizations through periods of transformation, requires effective communication strategies that resonate with people at an emotional level. 

And storytelling has emerged as a powerful tool, engaging and inspiring employees, aligning diverse perspectives, and driving successful change initiatives. 

This blog post explores the fascinating world of storytelling and explains change management storytelling examples and techniques that can help organizations harness their potential for driving positive change. 

So, get ready to discover the captivating role of storytelling in navigating the turbulent waters of organizational transformation.

Let’s start 

Communication is key to successful change management

Effective communication is crucial in change management as it is the foundation for successful organizational transformations. Change initiatives inherently disrupt established norms and routines, leading to uncertainty, resistance, and even fear among employees. 

Without clear and transparent communication, these emotions can escalate, resulting in decreased morale, productivity, and, ultimately, the failure of the change effort. Effective communication in change management helps to create a shared understanding of the need for change, the vision for the future, and the specific steps involved. 

It builds trust, reduces resistance, and fosters a sense of inclusivity and engagement among employees. Additionally, it provides a platform for addressing concerns, clarifying expectations, and ensuring alignment throughout the organization. Organizations can navigate change more smoothly by prioritizing and executing effective communication strategies, increasing employee buy-in, and achieving successful outcomes.

The Power of Stories in Change Management 

The three factors explain why stories are powerful tools for communicating organizational change.

Stories engage and resonate with people

Stories possess a remarkable power to engage and resonate with people in the context of change management. Unlike dry facts and figures, stories can tap into emotions and connect with individuals on a deeper level. 

They create a narrative that captivates attention, evokes empathy, and stirs the imagination. Through relatable characters, vivid descriptions, and compelling plotlines, stories draw individuals into the change journey, making it more relatable and tangible. 

By appealing to human nature’s rational and emotional aspects, stories forge a strong connection, fostering understanding and empathy among stakeholders. They enable individuals to see themselves within the narrative, facilitating a sense of ownership and motivation to embrace the change.

Stories as a means to create a shared understanding

Stories are a powerful means to create a shared understanding among individuals and organizations changing. 

In change management, different stakeholders often hold diverse perspectives, experiences, and knowledge levels. This can lead to misunderstandings, misalignment, and resistance to change. 

However, stories have the unique ability to bridge these gaps by providing a common reference point. By presenting the change initiative through a narrative lens, stories offer a shared context that transcends individual differences. 

They allow stakeholders to see the bigger picture, understand the reasons behind the change, and grasp the intended outcomes. Through storytelling, complex concepts, and ideas can be simplified and accessible to various audiences. 

Stories enable people to connect the dots, find common ground, and collectively embrace the change journey, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose.

The emotional impact of stories in change initiatives

The emotional impact of stories in change initiatives is profound and can catalyze successful transformation. 

Unlike logical arguments or data-driven presentations, stories can evoke emotions and create a personal connection with the audience. When changing, individuals often experience various emotions, such as fear, uncertainty, and resistance. 

Stories tap into these emotions, helping individuals empathize with the characters and situations portrayed. By appealing to the heart, stories can inspire and motivate individuals to embrace change, overcome challenges, and envision a brighter future. 

Emotional resonance helps break down barriers, foster trust, and build a sense of camaraderie among stakeholders. When emotionally engaged, people are more likely to invest their energy and commitment into making the change a success. 

Types of Stories in Change Management

The following are the most common types of stories in change management:

1. Success stories

Success stories are a valuable type of storytelling in change management that involves highlighting previous successful changes within an organization. These stories showcase specific instances where change was effectively implemented, resulting in positive outcomes and achievements. 

Success stories serve multiple purposes in change management. 

Firstly, they inspire and motivate employees by providing tangible examples of how change can lead to success. By sharing stories of past accomplishments, organizations can create a sense of optimism and confidence among individuals who may be skeptical or resistant to change. 

Secondly, success stories provide practical insights and lessons learned that can guide current change initiatives. They offer valuable information on what worked well, the strategies employed, and the challenges overcome. 

2. Vision stories

Vision stories play a crucial role in change management by compellingly depicting the desired future state. These stories provide a clear and inspiring vision of the organization’s future after the change is successfully implemented. 

Through vivid descriptions and engaging narratives, vision stories create a shared understanding of the future direction and purpose. They capture the hearts and minds of individuals, fueling their motivation and commitment to achieve the envisioned state. 

Vision stories go beyond presenting facts and figures; they tap into emotions, ignite aspirations, and create a sense of possibility. By effectively communicating the benefits and opportunities that lie ahead, vision stories help stakeholders connect with the change at a deeper level and align their actions towards the shared vision. 

They serve as a guiding light, inspiring individuals to overcome obstacles, embrace innovation, and work collectively towards turning the vision into reality.

3. Personal stories

Personal stories are compelling storytelling in change management that involves sharing individual experiences and perspectives related to the change. 

These stories provide a human element to the change process by allowing individuals to share their journeys, challenges, and growth. Personal stories create a sense of authenticity and relatability as they highlight the impact of change on a personal level. 

By sharing their experiences, individuals can express their emotions, voice concerns, and provide insights that may resonate with others facing similar situations. 

Personal stories help foster empathy and understanding among stakeholders by showcasing the diverse perspectives and reactions that arise during change. 

4. Resistance stories

Resistance stories involve addressing concerns and overcoming resistance within an organization. These stories provide a platform for acknowledging and empathizing with individuals who may be hesitant or resistant to the proposed change. 

By sharing stories highlighting common resistance points and the challenges others face, organizations can address these concerns head-on and provide reassurance. 

Resistance stories demonstrate that resistance is a normal part of the change process and can be overcome. They offer insights into successful strategies, coping mechanisms, and lessons learned from individuals who have navigated similar challenges. 

5. Cultural stories

Cultural stories showcase the organization’s culture, heritage, and core principles, creating a sense of identity and purpose. By sharing cultural stories, organizations communicate the importance of these values in the context of change. 

These stories often highlight past successes and pivotal moments that have shaped the organization’s identity. They serve as a reminder of the organization’s history, traditions, and unique strengths.

Cultural stories help individuals connect with the larger purpose of the change by emphasizing how it aligns with the organization’s values and beliefs. 

Using Storytelling Techniques in Change Management 

Following are some powerful techniques that can be used in change management storytelling:

A. Crafting a compelling narrative

To craft a compelling narrative, change managers must carefully structure the story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. 

They should define the protagonist—the main character or the organization changing—and establish the context and challenges they face. 

The narrative should also highlight the desired outcomes and the transformational journey. 

By weaving in conflict, tension, and resolution elements, change managers can create a story that grabs attention and keeps stakeholders invested. 

Using vivid descriptions, compelling dialogue, and personal anecdotes can bring the story to life and resonate with the audience. 

A well-crafted narrative creates a sense of purpose, connects with individuals emotionally, and inspires them to participate in the change journey actively.

 B. Identifying the target audience and tailoring stories accordingly

Different organizational stakeholders may have varying perspectives, needs, and levels of understanding regarding the change. 

Therefore, it is essential to identify the specific audience or groups affected by the change and customize the stories to resonate with them. 

This involves understanding their motivations, concerns, and expectations related to the change. 

By tailoring the storytelling approach to the target audience, change managers can ensure that the stories address their specific interests and connect with their experiences. 

This may involve using language and examples relevant to their roles and departments, highlighting the benefits and impact of the change from their perspective, and addressing any potential resistance or challenges they may face. 

C. Incorporating visuals and multimedia elements

Visuals such as images, infographics, charts, and videos can bring the change narrative to life and make it more memorable. 

They visually represent key concepts, data, and messages, making them easier to understand and retain. 

Visuals can also evoke emotions and create a more immersive storytelling experience. 

For example, photographs or videos of individuals affected by the change can add a human touch and generate empathy. 

Additionally, multimedia elements like animations, interactive presentations, and virtual reality experiences can further enhance the storytelling impact by offering a dynamic and interactive way for stakeholders to explore the change journey. 

D. Leveraging metaphors and analogies to simplify complex concepts

Metaphors and analogies bridge unfamiliar or abstract ideas and something more familiar or concrete. 

By drawing parallels between the change initiative and relatable experiences or objects, change managers can help stakeholders grasp and internalize the key concepts more easily. 

For example, comparing the change process to a journey, with its milestones, challenges, and rewards, can help individuals understand the different stages of the change and the importance of perseverance. 

Similarly, the puzzle analogy can convey that change requires all the pieces to come together for the bigger picture to emerge. 

Metaphors and analogies engage the imagination, making the concepts more vivid and understandable. They enable individuals to see the change differently, facilitating comprehension and creating a shared understanding among stakeholders. 

By leveraging metaphors and analogies, change managers can simplify complex ideas, enhance clarity, and foster better communication and alignment throughout the change process.

E. Incorporating storytelling into various change management activities

Incorporating storytelling into various change management activities can significantly enhance their effectiveness and impact. Here are some examples of how storytelling can be integrated into different change management activities:

1. Town Hall Meetings: Use storytelling to kick off or conclude town hall meetings. Start by sharing a compelling story highlighting the need for change or illustrating the desired future state. This helps set the context and engage participants emotionally. Throughout the meeting, include relevant stories that demonstrate the change initiative’s progress, challenges, and successes. Stories can also address concerns or resistance, providing real-life examples of how others have overcome similar obstacles.

2. Training Sessions: Integrate storytelling into training sessions to make complex concepts more relatable and memorable. Use stories to illustrate key principles, best practices, and lessons learned. Encourage participants to share their stories about the change, fostering a sense of connection and collaboration. Incorporate visuals like infographics or videos to enhance the storytelling experience and facilitate understanding.

3. Communication Materials: Infuse storytelling into written and visual communication materials, such as newsletters, emails, and presentations. Craft narratives that convey the change initiative’s purpose, benefits, and progress. Include testimonials or case studies that highlight the impact of the change on individuals or teams. Use storytelling techniques like metaphors or analogies to simplify complex information and engage readers or viewers.

4. Team Meetings: Introduce storytelling activities during team meetings to encourage dialogue, reflection, and shared understanding. Ask team members to share their experiences or challenges related to the change and discuss how they have navigated them. Facilitate storytelling exercises where individuals can express their emotions, insights, and lessons learned. This creates a safe and supportive environment for open communication and fosters a sense of unity within the team.

5. Leadership Presentations: Leaders can leverage storytelling to inspire and motivate their teams during change initiatives. Share personal stories that demonstrate vulnerability, resilience, and growth. Connect these stories to the larger vision and purpose of the change, emphasizing the shared values and desired outcomes. Use storytelling techniques like vivid descriptions and compelling narratives to captivate the audience and create an emotional connection.

Change Management Storytelling Examples 

These examples highlight how organizations have effectively utilized storytelling in change management initiatives. During mergers, digital transformations, cultural changes, process improvements, or leadership development, storytelling is crucial in engaging stakeholders, building understanding, and driving successful change.

1. Merger and Integration

In this example, two companies, X and Y, merged to create a stronger, unified organization. To facilitate the integration process, the change management team used storytelling techniques. They crafted a narrative emphasizing the shared vision, complementary strengths, and opportunities resulting from the merger. Personal stories from employees of both companies were shared to highlight the benefits of collaboration and the potential for personal and professional growth. These stories helped create a sense of unity, build trust, and alleviate employee concerns, ultimately leading to successful integration.

2. Digital Transformation

Organization Z Organization Z embarked on a digital transformation journey to modernize its operations and improve efficiency. As part of their change management strategy, they employed storytelling to communicate the benefits and impact of the digital transformation to stakeholders. They shared stories of employees who embraced new technologies, describing how they simplified their work, increased productivity, and empowered them to deliver better results. These stories helped alleviate fears of job displacement and demonstrated the organization’s commitment to providing employees with the tools and skills necessary for success in the digital age.

3. Cultural Change

Company A Company A recognized the need for a cultural shift to foster a more inclusive and collaborative environment. To initiate this change, they utilized storytelling to engage employees and communicate the importance of embracing diversity and collaboration. They shared personal stories from employees who had experienced the positive impact of inclusivity in their work and personal lives. These stories highlighted the value of diverse perspectives, teamwork, and mutual respect. By connecting emotionally with employees, the storytelling approach helped create a shared understanding, inspired behavior change, and fostered a more inclusive culture.

4. Process Improvement

Organization B Organization B aimed to streamline its processes to enhance operational efficiency. To facilitate this change, they utilized storytelling to illustrate the benefits of process improvement. They shared stories of employees who had experienced frustrations and bottlenecks due to outdated processes, highlighting the impact on their productivity and job satisfaction. These stories were paired with success stories of teams implementing process improvements and achieving remarkable results, such as reduced cycle times and improved customer satisfaction. The storytelling approach helped create a sense of urgency, motivate employees, and generate buy-in for the process improvement initiative.

5. Leadership Development

Company C Company C recognized the importance of developing strong leaders to drive change and promote a culture of innovation. They incorporated storytelling into their leadership development programs to inspire and educate emerging leaders. Accomplished leaders within the organization shared their leadership journeys, including the challenges they faced, the lessons they learned, and the impact they made. These stories provided valuable insights and served as role models for aspiring leaders. By incorporating storytelling, Company C effectively conveyed the qualities and behaviors of effective leaders and motivated participants to develop their leadership skills.

Final Words 

Storytelling is a powerful tool in change management. It can engage and resonate with people emotionally, creating a shared understanding and driving successful change initiatives. Change management storytelling examples demonstrate the value and effectiveness of storytelling in driving positive organizational change. So, by harnessing the power of storytelling, organizations can inspire, engage, and motivate stakeholders, facilitating a smooth and successful transition in times of change.

About The Author

Tahir Abbas

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Blog >> A Guide to Storytelling for Organizational Change

A Guide to Storytelling for Organizational Change

Organizational storytelling fuels continuous improvement.

For organizations committed to continuous improvement, stories are key to creating and sustaining organizational change. Few things are as compelling as a great story. Etched on our memories more vividly than numbers and statistics alone, stories captivate, inspire, and persuade. By telling stories of the innovations resulting from organizational change efforts, you can:

• Engage internal stakeholders in cultural transformation
• Inform customers and external stakeholders about your organizational vision and the changes in effect
• Enlighten the general public about your expertise and experience
• Gain formative feedback on your organizational transformation that can help your team revise and tweak your efforts into the future

Although storytelling is part of our collective DNA, crafting persuasive stories with the purpose of driving organizational change calls for careful strategy.

In this guide to storytelling for organizational change, we’ll share tips for collecting stories about organizational change and communicating effectively to internal and external stakeholders. For deeper insights delivered in a high-impact experience, be sure to also explore Untold’s Virtual Innovation Storytelling Training experience . Change is nearly always innovative. In this fully self-paced virtual experience, we share insights from interviews with 100 innovation leaders about how to leverage storytelling to inspire change and accelerate innovation.

Change requires engagement. The story-sharing techniques in this guide will help you engage people across your organization-from front-line staff to executive leadership-in order to tap into the collective intelligence of your organization and achieve greater engagement in your organizational transformation. As expert writing consultants, we support thought-leading organizations in collecting, analyzing and spreading stories that drive organizational missions. Explore our professional writing and content strategy sessions to learn more about how to become an Untold client.

Organizational storytelling and story-sharing can transform your culture and provide staff with a voice for contributing their ideas and reflections. If story-swapping isn’t currently part of your organizational culture, here are some creative ways we’ve seen storytelling become integrated into organizational change initiatives:

• Use the first 5-10 minutes of every meeting for swapping success stories.
• Schedule a monthly or quarterly “open-mic” assembly for story-sharing around particular organizational topics.
• Encourage staff to write down and share quotes they hear about organizational change efforts. We call these “notable quotes” and recommend placing them in a shared document, like a Google Sheet.
• Build a space for sharing stories or “notable quotes” into exit briefs or evaluation interviews/surveys that are already being conducted as part of your organizational change efforts.

Such integrative strategies will inspire a culture of storytelling that will help you gather stories from the bottom-up as well as circulate strategic messages from the top-down.

How to Collect Stories of Organizational Transformation

Now that you are creating a powerful culture of sharing and listening, it’s time to consider how to gather and circulate stories strategically within your larger organization and to key external audiences. Interviews and surveys are effective techniques for gathering stories from employees and key change management personnel because they allow you to hear personal insights on the initiative.

We recommend four key steps in interviewing staff as part of evaluating and sharing your organizational change initiative: Connect, Listen, Record, and Write.

How to Engage with Employees to Drive Organizational Change

Connect with the person you’re interviewing through small talk about a safe, neutral topic (“how’s your day going so far?”) and thanking them for taking the time to talk with you. Make sure to also explain the purpose of the interview and give them a quick road-map of what they can expect (what kinds of questions will be asked, how long it will take). If you’re recording the conversation, first ask their permission to do so. Start with easier, close-ended questions to “break the ice.”

Try to avoid questions that result in “yes or no” answers. Instead, ask how, when, what, and image-based questions, like:

• How do you feel about the organizational change?
• When did you start to believe this initiative would work? Why? How did you react at first? Have your feelings changed over time?
• Paint a picture of your daily work and how it is changing because of this initiative.
• What was going through your mind when you first heard about the initiative?
• What stories from your co-workers, managers, executives, or customers have stood out to you regarding this initiative?

As you prepare to ask these questions in an interview, it’s important to realize that the stories you gather will be impacted by not only what you ask, but how you ask it. This “how” of interviewing includes establishing rapport from the first seconds of your interview, exhibiting active listening, and using effective note-taking and transcribing. If you’re asking staff to collect stories, we recommend training that clarifies what stories you’re looking for and provides guidelines for story-sharing.

[Tweet “The #stories you gather will be impacted by not only what you ask, but how you ask it. #changemanagement”]

If you plan to publish the interviews in a peer-reviewed journal or other public medium, you need to obtain written permission from the person you are interviewing.

How to Actively Listen to Employees and Stakeholders

You’ve likely heard of active listening, and nowhere is it more important than when gathering stories. Practice active listening through your body language (eye contact, nodding your head) and affirming language (“uh, huh,” “I see”). Paraphrase responses back to him or her to confirm the idea has been understood correctly (called “reflection” in psychology) and show that you’re listening carefully. Listen for not only content, but also the speaker’s tone, body posture, and other non-verbal communication. Attending to gestures, facial expressions, and emotion-excitement, concern, contemplation-can help you to write more compelling, emotionally charged stories.

How to Collect Stories of Organizational Change

We recommend audio recording your interviews so you can keep your eyes on your interviewee and not on your notebook. That said, it’s also good to jot down key points made in your interview along with an approximate time stamp when they were articulated-that way you can more easily retrieve key quotes from the recording.

For more extended qualitative research projects, we like to use NVivo coding software. For one of our book projects, we first transcribed our interviews using Express Scribe software, uploaded the transcriptions to NVivo, and coded the transcripts along the key themes that emerged in the interviews and that we aimed to highlight through our stories. NVivo can be especially helpful if you’re interviewing and writing collaboratively, as the software can be shared and accessed virtually.

By this point, some stories will hopefully stand out as especially compelling. But it will take work to craft your raw material into a great story that will persuade and inspire your readers. Quotes or short testimonials make great marketing and fundraising copy, but well-developed, richly narrated insights that reflect authentic and accurate personal and team experiences are what you really need to drive and sustain organizational change. We cover these strategies and many more in our virtual innovation storytelling training .

How to Write Organizational Stories from Interviews

Everyone has friends or family members who are natural storytellers-the ones who hold everyone’s rapt attention during a holiday meal, and whose stories continue to be recalled years later. Whether or not you consider yourself one of these “naturals,” you can start to hone your craft using the following steps.

Step 1: Identify your premise.

Start by identifying your premise, or the general idea of your change story. To create a premise with adequate detail, answer the following questions: Who (or what) is your protagonist? What is the situation? What is your protagonist’s condition at the beginning of the story? What does the protagonist want? Who is the opponent/who or what stands in the way? How is the conflict resolved?

It’s easy to answer these questions if you’re writing a traditional fairytale of hero vs. villain. When it comes to organizational change, you might have to approach these questions creatively. A protagonist can be an individual, but also an organization, department, or process. An opponent can be a person but also an inanimate concept like resistance, turnover, disorganization, or “the way we’ve always done things around here.”

Step 2: Frame your story.

Now it’s time to fill in the details. Write down everything you know about your story of organizational change, gathering key passages and quotes from your interviews. A whiteboard, large sketch pad, or even post-its can come in handy to help you visualize your narrative arc.

As you populate your story with details, take note of “holes” that require more knowledge. Highlight them and develop a plan for answering your questions. This might mean follow-up e-mails or interviews.

Step 3: Demonstrate impact.

Steps 1 and 2 apply to any story; this step is especially useful for stories of change management. Social scientists have found that professionals are persuaded equally by five forms of impact: impact on society; impact on the customer; impact on the company/shareholders; impact on work team; and impact on them, personally.

As you continue to write your story, locate any and every example of impacts across the areas, and make sure to include at least one anecdote or quote about each of them.

How to Circulate Stories of Organizational Transformation

Stories about organizational change only matter if they are heard. Share the stories and quotes you collect with multiple audiences across a wide range of mediums, like:

• Webinars and Presentations (for setting the tone of the change in the context of teaching and learning)
• Meetings and Conference Calls (for sharing informal, short stories and reminding staff of the purpose and meaning of the change)
• Videos (for appealing to multiple senses and painting a picture of cultural change in action)
• Articles and Blog Posts (for communicating changes and inspiring conversation internally)
• White Papers (for communicating technical knowledge or expertise)
• Social Media (for circulating your organizational vision and enterprise)
• Journal Articles (for reaching expert audiences and informing the broader public)

By using written, spoken, visual, and auditory mediums to share stories of organizational change, staff and customers get a consistent and compelling image of your organization’s mission and reasons for pursuing change.

Join Untold’s Virtual Innovation Storytelling Training to gain deeper, immersive understanding and strategies for inspiring change and innovation at your organization.

Untold Content is a team of expert writing consultants that works with thought-leading organizations to craft clear, compelling content that drives organizational missions. To engage with our team, check out our technical writing and content marketing services . 

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How a powerful story can inspire people to change

Partner, EY Lane4, EY Professional Services Limited

Passionate about all aspects of people performance. Partner, EY Lane4 Professional Services Limited for the national governing body of swimming. Former international athlete.

Storytelling is one of the most powerful and valuable skills a leader can have.

• People are wired to respond emotionally to change, therefore stories can help coherently communicate the narrative for change.
• When listening to stories, our brains release oxytocin which makes audiences more compassionate.
• Leaders who deliver compelling stories make them catchy, impactful, authentic and simple. 

I n times of great organisational transformation, storytelling can be a leader’s most powerful communication tool. This article explores the psychology of stories and how you can harness their power for leading transformational change in your organisation.

As a leader, it’s highly likely that your people are sharing stories about your leadership, your handling of the change and about the organisation itself. You may not like it, but it will be happening.

People are wired to respond emotionally to any kind of disruption, and in the absence of coherent and well-communicated storytelling from leadership, it is natural for narratives to be made up.

Instead of letting these ‘corridor’ stories influence people’s perceptions, leaders can take ownership of the ‘change story’ themselves by crafting an authentic narrative that shifts hearts and minds in the direction you are taking the organisation.

With a story, you can spark action and inspire people to join and trust you. It can also get them to do the work of spreading your message about the big changes your organisation is making, such as a culture change, a new leader, a rebrand or even a restructure.

A brilliant example of a leadership speech, using a story, is  Barack Obama’s “Fired up, ready to go” speech . Obama’s story starts with a small event about himself and ends with a rallying call to change the world together. He turns a small idea into a big vision, starting with “I” and finishing with “we”.

Another excellent example of using personal stories which promote a social message is this  TED Talk by Susan Cain , author of  Quiet Revolution . Cain is on a mission ‘to unlock the power of introverts for the benefit of us all’.

For a powerful reality check, and world-class example of using personal experience to influence change, consider  Malala Yousafzai . At 15, Malala survived an attempted Taliban assassination in Pakistan, and has gone on to campaign and speak on the world’s stage for girls’ rights everywhere.

The neuroscience behind storytelling

Humans have been telling stories for tens of thousands of years, which means our brains are hardwired to engage with the narratives we read and hear. This makes storytelling extremely effective when used with purpose and a clear direction.

Paul J Zak, director of the [US] Centre for Neuroeconomics Studies and a professor of economics, psychology, and management at Claremont Graduate University, discovered that when an audience listens to a compelling, character-driven story containing a dramatic arc, the brain releases oxytocin — the ‘love’ neurochemical — which makes the audience more generous, compassionate and trustworthy. 1 

Based on his research, Zak says “stories that are personal and emotionally compelling engage more of the [listener’s] brain, and thus are better remembered than simply stating a set of facts.” He advises that. “stories are an effective way to transmit important information and values from one individual or community to the next.”

This means that even if your audience starts out as critical, by using a storytelling technique, you can shift your audience’s mood into empathy, cooperation and support of your message.

Not everyone is born with the natural charisma or command of Barack Obama, or had the life-altering experience of Malala Yousafzai, but you do have the power to craft and share an authentically crafted story yourself. You can then use this story to affect the change you want to see in your organisation.

How to craft a story as a business leader

• Understand why you’re sharing the story Approach creating your story strategically. This means getting clear on the business objective, e.g. to encourage conversation between people and leaders.
• Decide your message The message your story send is core to the form it should take. If you want listeners to hear you say “your view is important to me: I want to hear what you’ve got to say” the you need to keep that message in focus during the creative phase.
• Make it catchy Turn the message into a simple statement that will be repeated. Get your people behind the message and they will repeat this statement to others, creating a ripple effect throughout your organisation.
• Know your audience Focus on who you are trying to reach. Use the language they use and consider what is important to them. If your story feels too remote from your people, they won’t engage.
• Visualise the impact Be purposeful about the mood and response you want to elicit from your people.
• Authenticity is the key to good storytelling It is a myth that vulnerability weakens your status. Authentic storytelling comes from personal experience and some of the best storytellers share vulnerable moments in their lives. This helps their audience connect to them. Just look at  John Chambers  on his dyslexia and  Steve Jobs  about the permanent separation from his mother as a baby and later his journey with pancreatic cancer. Take a tour through your past to choose some key events or people in your life that taught you something, helped you overcome a barrier or even transformed you. It’s ok to mention an imperfection or setback; don’t be afraid to share these if they serve your story’s message.
• Use characters We’re exposed to stories all the time, so try to capture elements of storytelling that will feel familiar to your audience. Use characters like you would find in a novel and give your story a dramatic arc to build tension and keep people’s attention. The best stories take the audience into the character’s world.
• Make your audience the hero You may have heard of the ‘hero’s journey’ as a storytelling technique. A hero goes on an adventure, hits a crisis, wins a victory and transforms as a result. Inspire your people to join you by making your audience the hero, not you (even though you still feature as a central character). This is fundamental.
• Keep your story simple Less is more. Only include detail if it adds to the dramatic tension.
• Once you’ve got your story: practice, practice, practice Cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner suggests we are 22 times more likely to remember a fact when it has formed part of a story. 2 So, dedicate yourself to the art of storytelling if you truly want to bring people with you.

How EY can help

Change management and experience.

Amongst growing disruption, increased complexity and heightened employee expectations, new approaches to change management can drive improved transformation outcomes.

Show article references

1.  P.J. Zak, “How stories change the brain”, Greater Good Magazine, 17 December 2013

2. J. Bruner, Actual Minds, Possible Worlds (Harvard University Press, 1986).

Storytelling can inspire people to want to change, but only if the story connects with them emotionally. Leaders who are looking to guide their organisation through change would be wise to fine tune their ability to tell authentic and compelling stories if they want their messages to be truly heard and engaged with.

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Dec 10, 2018 | Change Initiatives

Latest Articles

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Telling effective stories is a critical skill for those leading change management. An effective and emotionally engaging story can make or break the outcome of a change initiative. We have all heard inspiring and engaging stories that compel us to move toward the journey and change our current ways. On the other hand, a badly formulated story that does not connect with us will do little to progress the change imperative.

To tell an effective story of change we need to refer to facts. What happened before that prompted the change process? What happened during the change journey? What was the outcome of the change? Anecdotal information may be interesting, but data and facts form a critical part of the change story as it adds to the ‘meat’ of the story and provides insights on exactly what happened, adding to the ‘texture’ of the story. Here is a change story I experienced.

When I was at Intel, there was significant concern that there was not a way to sustain the pace of change according to Moore’s Law. Moore’s Law was written by Intel’s co-founder Gordon Moore. In a paper published Moore postulated the number of transistors that would fit into a microchip would double every year. Over time, the pace of change at Intel in innovating to meet this expectation (and in many ways shaping the overall computer industry) had driven the company to innovate constantly.

At that time in 2004, there was concern within Intel that there may not be a way to fit in even more transistors within a chip as inserting even more would result in significant heat and energy consumption to not make it viable. For us layman, transistors are basically the ‘brains’ of the computer. The race was on to find another way to fulfill Moore’s prophecy. This is a company known for its technical prowess, building the most powerful supercomputers in the world. Therefore, there was significant motivation to continue to find ways to meet this challenge.

The challenge was met and tackled when engineers came up with a way of organising and grouping transistors as a ‘core’ in a way that distributed heat balanced with energy consumption (my simplified layman translation). This started with dual-core processors followed by multi-core processors. The company rejoiced and the law was maintained!

Typical story formats

There are several typical story formats that are common in telling change stories (adapted from Sparkol) including:

1) The Quest – The hero sets out in search of a particular challenge, prize or reward and in the process comes across a series of challenges. There may be accomplices along the way to help the hero in the quest. Eventually, after struggles, the hero succeeds and all is well.

2) Rebirth – The main character has a significant flaw or is a bad person, and eventually is shown their flaws and through this awareness and realization redeems him/herself to transform into ‘good’.

3) Overcoming the monster – The main character sets out to defeat a monster, and through sheer will, determination and hard work the character defeats the monster

Using data to tell the story

A typical story for organizations undergoing significant change is …

1) Context: Industry is undergoing significant changes and with significant competition, the company needs to transform ABC to stay competitive. 2) Quantitative data: The change roadmap contains a series of changes. Looking at the data (as shown through a heatmap or other analytical reports) there are certain months where change loading peaks. Last time this load happened business performance was impacted in XXXX ways. 3) Qualitative data: From previous change episodes, anecdotal feedback from employees and other frontline teams is that ABC. For example, during this is what people experienced, and as a result XXX happened. 4) The problem statement: This presents a number of risks and challenges in terms of XXXX. 5) The solution: To effectively manage these risks it is recommended that XXXX.

However, the change story doesn’t need to be just about too much change. Other common story themes can be around …

1) Change not happening fast enough, with sufficient pace 2) Impact of change on customers is disjointed and not integrated, as a result leading to inadequate customer experience 3) Too many diverse sets of changes are happening (in a way that is not integrated), leading to a lack of focus and therefore lack of depth in change outcomes 4) Change clashes as a result of inadequate planning and integration, with different initiatives vying for attention

In using data to tell the change journey there should be a balance of quantitative as well as qualitative data used. Quantitative data can include sources such as the level of impact, where, when, to whom (how many people), etc., and qualitative data can include such as employee survey results, business change readiness interviews, stakeholder feedback, etc. The combination of both qualitative and quantitative data provides the richness required to bring life to the change story. Often, change practitioners shy away from quantitative data, and as a result risk not being taken seriously by senior stakeholders and project teams.

To read more about creating quantitative and strategic reports click here .

Data visualization

Visual representations of data are easier to understand and remembered by stakeholders. Designing effective data visuals that look interesting, and allows the reader to easily understand your points without being overwhelmed in an art. Key considerations include selecting the right graph to best represent the data you are showing (for example pie charts for percentages and line charts for historical trends), use colours effectively to represent different data dimensions, not over-crowding the user with too much information, using the right proportions of representations so that it is easier for the user to comprehend the scale/magnitude, and using common data representation within the same graph for consistency and to avoid confusing the reader.

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Leading Change Management Through The Power Of Storytelling

explorations > Teamwork > Trust

I n March 2020, the consulting firm Odgers Berndtson asked 2,000 senior executives at $50mm+ companies around the world how confident they were about their leaders’ abilities to handle disruption.

Only 15 percent of them said they were confident that their leaders could manage unexpected events like pandemics, shifting technology, or climate change.

That’s not good because we’re having a lot of all three of those things these days.

What exactly led these executives to believe that their leaders weren’t going to be able to cut it? The two biggest reasons they cited were the following:

Resistance to change

Lack of vision

We’re going to need leaders who can manage the disruptions coming in our future. But many of us are having a hard time managing disruptions already—whether we’re talking about pandemics or just keeping up with shifts in technology.

And let me tell you, many of them are not inspiring much on the vision or the change front.

Take the Covid-19 pandemic, for example. For months, inboxes have been overflowing with versions of the exact same uninspiring CEO message from every airline, tax prep software, and hot dog stand out there.

CEO email re: COVID-19

The flood of COVID emails provide a pretty clear template for ensuring you don’t inspire anyone:

Announce that these are unprecedented times.

Say something nice involving hearts and thoughts.

Make a vague “commitment” that is actually a brag about how great your company is.

Give people the link to the CDC website.

Congratulate your PR team on how authentic you are.

Leadership is, by definition, about standing out. So if what you’re sending to your employees and clients could scratch off a Pandemic Buzzword BINGO, then you’re showing up the same as everyone else. And that means you’re failing to lead .

Many of my own clients and newsletter readers say that they’re worried about how to effectively lead and communicate from afar, now that they aren’t working physically side by side with their teams. And they're right to worry. We need to be able to do better than crappy emails with vague promises and non-apologetic damage control.

If there was one recommendation I could make to leaders that could dramatically help with all of these things, it would be this:

Stop making platitudes, and start telling real stories.

Contrast all these dreadful COVID emails with how every great leader rallies people in the movies.

Heroic movie leaders always rally people via a story. The coach gets the team pumped up in the locker room by talking about the journey and the prize—not by reading off a list of talking points and industry jargon that every other coach is saying too.

Stories make us feel connected to each other and our leaders. A leader who is able to tell great stories in the right ways will inspire trust and motivate people to overcome obstacles.

Many of the leaders who don’t inspire confidence in their people certainly have good plans. But that doesn’t just translate to trust. But making one change can: framing where we need to go and how we need to get there using stories.

Activate leadership skills during periods of change

Let’s walk through a typical change management scenario.

Company X has gotten to a point where they need to make some changes in order to keep growing. They decide to bring some outside executives with experience in to get them off the plateau.

Early on, the company brings in a guy to improve sales and marketing. Right away he produces a series of powerpoint slides with research and data, and a complicated diagram of how the company needs to change its products and services. He also insists that Company X change the name of the product. 

All of this, he tells the team, is based on his “decades of experience.”

Initially, Company X’s investors are excited and impressed. On paper, these are good ideas.

But guess what? On the ground, the team is not on board. 

They’d spent years pouring their life into the product, and now some newcomer was going to change everything about it? Based on what? The number of years on his resume?

The well-meaning executive sees that his plan is starting to face resistance. He wants it and the team to succeed, so he goes about trying to prove that he knows what he was doing.

Unfortunately, he does what most people do when they want to build trust. He keeps trying to build the logical case for how smart he is, which is the trust-building method that always backfires .

The team is not convinced that he actually cares about or understands them—and therefore they do not believe in his plan. And so they grudgingly trudge forward until the initiative dies and the executive leaves the company.

A lot of plans had failed in Company X’s history. Just because this executive’s first idea didn’t turn out to be the right one didn’t mean his leadership was cooked.

His leadership was cooked because he failed to inspire people.

And that meant that his plan couldn’t even get a full shot.

An Alternate Scenario:

Let’s say that instead of a PowerPoint full of stats and diagrams, the leader in the story I just shared had instead sat everyone down and talked to them about Company X’s story.

What’s the mythology of how this team got started? He could ask.

What was the company’s original intention? What are the obstacles the team faced and overcame? How did the team get through hard decisions? What were the wins, the losses, the successes, the failures that taught them and made them better?

In other words, What’s the journey this team has been through?

Then, after showing that he understood the team’s story, let’s say the leader shared his story. Where he came from. Not just the stats on how many years of experience he had, but the journey he’d been on. What got him here. The stories of events and people who made him care about what this team is up against. 

Let’s say this leader did all that, and then afterwards when he was ready to present a plan for how the company needed to change, what if he framed the story of what the team is up against now? Let’s say he re-told the history of the team, emphasizing their intentions and obstacles—and then he told the story of how the team was up against new challenges, and how they related to and differed from the old ones.

And only then, in the context of the group’s shared history, let’s say the leader presented his case for what the team needed to change in order to get there.

In this context, the new pricing and product name and whatever else would be much easier to swallow—exciting even!

What a huge difference in approach.

Psychology Shows Us How Stories Are A Better Way To Inspire Change:

The psychology that makes a story-based change management approach effective is fascinating. A strategy like the above does two things:

Nostaligia Makes Us Open To Considering New Ideas

First, reminiscing and sharing in the nostalgia of one’s history makes one much more open to making changes. Warm stories of good times passed prime us to feel comfortable and excited about whatever’s bundled in with them.

This is why nostalgia is such a powerful tool in advertising. It’s why Nintendo memes are so effective with people born in the ‘80s. It’s why people love Baby Yoda so much. These stories’ familiarity delights our brains—which gets us on board with the novelty.

Personal Stories Build Empathy And Make Us Care

Second, sharing personal stories—stories about human beings that a team can relate to—builds empathy and trust.

Science is clear that when we open up to others, we’re sending signals that we can be trusted, and people tend to reciprocate that.

When this happens, our brains secrete the chemical oxytocin, which makes us feel empathetic and emotionally engaged. This, in turn, starts what psychologists call a “Trust Loop”:

Sharing your story kickstarts belief in a leader much more reliably than sharing stats and a game plan by themselves.

The Elements of A Great Leadership Story:

So what makes for a great story—one that can engage human emotion, paint a vision, and inspire people to action? My co-author and Contently head of content Joe Lazauskas recently broke down the four elements in an awesome mini-series:

Relatability : The characters and situations in the story need to be one your audience is likely to care about. (Stories about the smudges on your helicopter are not ideal; stories about going through real, human journeys are.)

Novelty : A great story has surprise, twists, turns, and “aha” moments.

Fluency : A great story needs to be easy to understand. It’s not about sounding smart or proving your competence. (That can actually backfire.) It’s about getting ideas across.

Tension : A great story establishes people’s intentions and the obstacles in their way. The bigger the gap between what is and what could be, the higher the stakes, and the more interesting the story.

And I’ll add one more to Joe’s list: The more personal the story, the more it connects you to your people.

(BTW, if you really want to dig into story strategy, Joe and I developed a seriously in-depth course on storytelling here !)

Great leaders don’t motivate people through statistics. They don’t inspire with generic brags about their vague accomplishments.

And they certainly don’t rally their troops with platitudes and lawyerly non-apologies.

No. Great leaders share the stories of people. Of individuals and teams who face odds and overcome them. They share their own stories of why they care so much .

And we trust them enough to follow them into the hurricane, because of it.

Keynote Speaking

Shane Snow is a world-renowned teamwork speaker and storytelling keynote speaker .

Innovation, Storytelling & Leadership Skills Training at Snow Academy

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How great leaders spark change with stories

Communication experts and best-selling authors Nancy Duarte and Patti Sanchez share practical tips for motivating employees in times of change

Author: Magda Marcel, senior experience specialist at Slack May 23rd, 2019

If you’ve walked out of an executive’s presentation saying, “Let’s go!” there’s a good chance Nancy Duarte and Patti Sanchez were behind the scenes bringing that talk to life. As the CEO and CSO of Duarte, Inc., they help leaders at some of the world’s biggest brands tell stories that motivate their teams toward a better tomorrow—and inspire everyone to participate in that vision.

The inspiration aspect is especially key. Here at Slack, our experience and change management team steers workplace leaders away from an over-reliance on heavy-handed, top-down tactics when introducing our product. Instead, we work with leaders to install a champion network of leaders and peers who can co-design new ways of working and support their teams through a transition.

We recently sat down with Duarte and Sanchez to learn more about what it takes to make change a team effort. Their sage advice covers how to craft a story that motivates, why every leader has a story in them and the necessity of developing empathy for your organization.

When it comes to creating change, how do you define leadership?

Patti Sanchez: There’s a difference between a leader and a manager. A manager maintains what is; they’re the caretakers. A leader creates what could be—possibilities that people haven’t yet imagined. The best leaders have the creative ability to see something that isn’t yet real and the ability to mobilize people who can make that a reality.

Nancy Duarte: Great leaders are decision-makers, but it doesn’t mean they’re the inventor of the decision. Leaders have a healthy stream of people walking in their office with ideas, and they’re vetting them, approving them and funding them. Great leaders motivate people. They make change feel doable and accomplishable.

Here at Slack, our customer success team helps leaders with the tall task of digital transformation. What are some examples of movements and change they can learn from?

PS: I’ve lived through several evolutions of technology, from mainframes to mini-computers, to desktops and laptops and then mobile. The technology may be different, but the nature of the change is this: You’re asking people to let go of a way of working that they’re accustomed to, and to try working a new way. That’s scary to people.

The farm-to-table movement changed how I eat. A group of like-minded people came together and they said, “Things should be different. Our food shouldn’t have to travel so far, and there’s actually really amazing produce near us.” You can learn from the things that have changed your daily life.

Let’s talk about the role of empathy in organizational change. We all agree it’s important, but what does it actually look like in practice?

PS: Empathy, at its most basic level, is just listening. It’s understanding another person’s perspective. Once you listen, ask questions and try to see things from another person’s perspective, it’ll change the way you communicate. You’ll understand better why they’re resisting or scared of this thing that you’re asking them to do.

ND: The leaders of 15 to 20 years ago would command and control. They were directive in nature. Now, to keep up with competitors and consumer demand, they’ve become agile. Command and control doesn’t work anymore. You have to relinquish some control, and that’s hard for people. Empathy isn’t modeled well by that many leaders, but the more empathetic ones will emerge as the leaders of this century.

How do you work with leaders to build those empathy muscles?

PS: The smartest leaders start with listening tours: going to where your employees are and having conversations. It’s also really important for any leader, before they communicate , to rehearse and try to anticipate how a message is going to land. Start with overt research. Ask people, “This is a change we’re planning. What do you think? Have we missed anything?”

Then, the more subtle, covert research is a communication advisor sitting down with the leader and saying: “What are the three things you’re going to say in that town hall? I’m going to be the employee who doesn’t agree. We’re going to practice me asking you a question and you responding to that.”

Do you encourage leaders to address the fears and anxieties of a proposed change head-on?

PS: It’s always better to be direct. Things backfire when you avoid the hard conversation upfront. The resistance doesn’t disappear. It just goes underground.

For example, when you communicate your vision, say, “I know some of you are really excited. I also know some of you have reservations. In fact, I spoke with somebody who told me that his biggest worry is his job’s going away. Let me talk to you about that.”

If you don’t address it head-on, people will make up their own answers to the questions you didn’t ask. You can let the story tell itself, or you can tell the story by getting out ahead of it, and I recommend door No. 2.

What’s the secret to getting people who are hesitant to actually embrace change?

PS: To move people to embrace change, you have to understand that you’re asking them to go on an epic journey. There are monsters we have to fight, no matter what kind of change you’re asking people to embrace. Metaphorically speaking, they’re no different than Luke Skywalker, or Frodo, or Dorothy, or any of the heroes of any movie or book you love.

Those heroes have to grapple with things they didn’t expect. There’s an outer journey, a physical environment they have to move through, and challenges they have to overcome. There’s also an inner journey, and there comes a point at which they start to question themselves and think about turning back. If you understand that to be true in a story, you can understand that the same thing happens to us undergoing change in our work lives.

You have to speak to that person who is doubting themselves, and make them feel like a hero who’s able to overcome. When you help them see themselves as the hero of a grander story, you’re going to give them the greatest gift possible: a new sense of their power and their agency as human beings.

Storytelling is essential to communicating change, yet not every leader considers themselves a natural storyteller. What’s the easiest way to cultivate this skill?

ND: Every leader should have their basket full of stories. For example, if you’re a founder, then you need to have your origin story. If you aren’t the originator of the company, then you need to convey why you felt called to work there. Those stories give people who come to work for you a reason to believe they’re in the right place.

When employees get out of bed in the morning, they're making a choice: “Do I still want to keep going into that same employer, or do I want to go somewhere else?” All of that is driven by narrative.

One reason leaders struggle with telling a story is because stories are about overcoming a roadblock. Stories are about needing to change. To tell a really good story, you have to say I tried and I failed and then I tried again. I was dealt this terrible blow and here’s how I overcame it . Life is hard, and storytelling acknowledges that. Not everyone wants to go there. Yet, it’s the most powerful device to build devotion to yourself and devotion to the brand that you’re leading.

PS: I was working with the CEO of a fast-growing platform company who didn’t think of himself as a storyteller. I asked, what stories do you tell here at work? He told me about an employee onboarding event he had spoken at that afternoon. He was giving his spiel about values and an employee asked about how important grit is. He went on to tell this beautiful, dramatic story about his daughter’s soccer team and how they went from the worst team in the league to the best team by the end of the season.

He didn’t think it was an important story, but it helped me understand what grit means to him, how I can learn it from him and why I should be so excited to follow him as a CEO! There are a lot of good reasons he should be telling that story more.

My point is, we live stories. We tell stories to our family, but we don’t think of them as being relevant to our work experience—yet there’s a lesson in every story for the people you’re leading.

Change isn’t linear, and it’s an ongoing process. At the end of the day, what does successful change look like in your eyes? How can leaders measure a job well done?

PS: To be real, change is a never-ending process . It’s hard to measure your success by the destination. Sure, there are specific things you want accomplished, but the truth is you really are more likely to see progress rather than perfection.

It requires people to change, not just for outcomes to happen. So when I hear somebody say something that shows their mind has shifted, that’s a big win.

ND: In our book Illuminate , the five steps of communicating change are dream, leap, fight, climb, arrive. As leaders, we need to tell people we’ve arrived. Granted, it’s an ongoing journey but we’ve passed significant milestones, right? If you passed Half Dome at Yosemite, you would pause and reflect. As leaders, right about the time that our sweaty, beaten-up employees have finally arrived, we’ve moved on to the next vista. And we forget they need a moment of reflection. You either arrive or you don’t arrive, and you have to acknowledge both.

You need to tell a story of savoring the win or of learning a lesson. You have to design a ceremony for the sake of the employees, because they won’t jump in the new leg of the journey unless they have closure from the last one.

If Duarte and Sanchez’s advice has motivated you to learn more, check out their book   Illuminate: Ignite Change through Speeches, Stories, Ceremonies, and Symbols .

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Explore the Levels of Change Management

Effective Change Management Begins With a Compelling Why

Published: August 30, 2023

Crafting a compelling why for your change is more important than ever. As a change practitioner, you know that clear and concise messages are essential for helping people through any change. But it takes a clear, concise message with a compelling why to inspire your people to act.  

People Need to Understand Why

In change management , people are generally good at explaining the what of a project or initiative. These are the characteristics of the change, as well as the behaviors associated with performing and optimizing the change. Take remote work, for example. People generally understand what it means to work from home when you explain all that is involved and ways to do it effectively.

But is that why people were motivated to adopt the change to virtual working during the early days of the pandemic? Of course not. People were inspired to come together to adopt difficult changes that required sacrifice. The what—staying home—did not motivate people. The reason for the change—the health risk to loved ones—is what really brought the changes to life.

The same is true for any organizational change that depends on people adopting and using your new manufacturing process, DEI initiative, enterprise resource planning (ERP) system , etc. 

How well do you focus on delivering a message of why ? When you consider the changes going on in your organization now, is the why behind them strong? Does it bring your change to life? Does your why inspire people to action?

Want to learn advanced skills in resistance prevention and resolving barriers to change? Check out our new, one-day ADKAR Model Mastery Programs! 

Change Management and   the Why Behind the Change

The Prosci ADKAR Model guides individuals through the process of change in phases: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement. A compelling why helps people get through Awareness quickly and easily, and enables them to move on to Desire. 

Create and Communicate Your Why in Change Management

Building a compelling why for a change is a worthwhile effort that will lead your team to action . Using the model below along with our downloadable worksheet, you can work through each element in numerical order. Start with Logic, then move to Emotion, and so on. Be sure to build on each element, expanding on the content to arrive at your compelling why for change.

1. Logic – facts, figures, features and lists

Start by understanding the rational, data-driven, business case for your change . These are the objective reasons and empirical evidence that support the change. Although it is essential to understand the elements in this quadrant, logic does not inspire people to action because it comes from the head instead of the heart. For example, the logic quadrant can come to life in terms ROI , invested capital, interest potential of money, solution success, and the time it will take to deliver the solution.

2. Emotion – Principles, values, beliefs and ego

The emotion quadrant represents the intuitive and subjective components of change, where the head meets the heart. This is the personal connection and it always comes first during a change. These are the answers to WIIFM or “What’s in it for me?” “How does this impact me?” “How do I feel about this change?” We can’t overlook how people feel about a change, so communicating openly and authentically is essential to creating a compelling why. It is simply human nature.  

Connecting the logic behind your why to emotion might include the values that anchor and drive your business, issues around psychological safety, or building relationships.

3. Visual – Destination, steps, progress and benefits

Pictures and imagery help you clarify and simplify change. People think in pictures. Our brains are always converting information into a visual why. In pictures, we look for people places and things.

To convey your complex idea as a single image, try using visualization prompts. Where do you want to go? What are the steps you will take to get there? What does progress look like? What are the benefits?  

4. Story – Imagination, context, action and result

The ultimate result of completing this exercise is a compelling story for your why, which you can then use to elevate your change management approach . Story is about synthesizing the essence of something in a narrative, along with characters and a plot. Brains are wired for story. We all enjoy hearing them, see ourselves as the characters, and relate with the plots. If someone gives you facts and figures, you may forget what they told you. But when they say, “Let me tell you a story,” your brain locks it away so you can draw on it again. Story resonates so much that people listen, link them to their own stories, and share them with others.   

You can create a memorable story about why you or your organization must change. Building on the visual element you conceived above, think of your story in terms of, “Once upon a time … your change happened … and they lived happily ever after.”  

Albert Einstein said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t know it well enough.” With that in mind, be sure to keep shaping and editing your story until it is clear and concise, and no more than one page in length.

Effective Change Management

Communicating a compelling why connects the dots for everyone in your organization who will feel the impacts of a change. Whether you are rolling out a new manufacturing process, DEI initiative or ERP system, telling a clear, concise and inspiring story will move your change forward and help your people along the way.

Karen Ball é uma Prosci Senior Fellow, Executive Instructor e Profissional Certificada em Gestão de Mudanças (CCMP™). Sua paixão é encantar os clientes com soluções inovadoras que os equipem para o sucesso na mudança. Karen é autora frequente de artigos e blogs de liderança de pensamento da Prosci, facilitadora de webinars e palestrante de conferências que traz 35 anos de experiência e histórias para palcos presenciais e virtuais.

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8 Alignment Hacks That Enhance Change Management Today

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• Stories At Work

Managing change, a story at a time

Using stories to align employees to new strategies

• Sep 11, 2016 10:09a.m.
• Strategy and Innovation

[Photograph by Harless Todd  under Creative Commons ]

As I write this, Amazon.in throws up 28,775 search results for “books on change management” in the Business, Strategy and Management section alone.

This is clearly an area of struggle and concern for most leaders. I remember reading a Dilbert comic strip once where the pointy haired boss informs everyone in a meeting: “We’re hiring a director of change management to help employees embrace strategic changes.” To this Dilbert says, “Or we could come up with strategies that make sense. Then employees would embrace change.” The point haired boss replies “That sounds harder.”

Moving from comic to reality, John Kotter, the guru of organisational change, published a paper in 1995 on the eight largest errors that can doom a change exercise. After studying over a 100 companies that had attempted transformation, the eight major challenges he identified are: generating a sense of urgency, establishing a powerful guiding coalition, developing a vision, communicating the vision clearly and often, removing obstacles, planning for and creating short-term wins, avoiding premature declaration of victory and embedding change in the corporate culture.

My last three years of work with stories have proven that in at least four of the eight challenges using stories or story structures can be enormously powerful.

Change is most acceptable when one understands both what the change is all about and the reason for the change. It could be your corporate strategy, your culture transformation programme, your merger strategy or even one of your business line strategies—anything that involves major change.

We believe that change is energised by:

• an inspiring purpose (for this we use a clarity story and tackling anti-stories )
• the leadership team’s ability to engage, influence and inspire people (this is where story skills come in)
• a process to regularly share stories on how to do it right (here we use success stories ).

All three parts are needed to succeed. The clarity story sets the direction and inspires action. Finding and acknowledging the anti-stories quells the nay-sayers. Story skills provide the communication capability that helps leaders explain what needs to happen and why it matters. Success stories are the fuel to keep the system going. Each new success provides evidence of progress and a jolt of motivation.

Let me explain each of these story structures.

Clarity Story

Studies across the world have shown that in most companies less than 5% of employees can answer the question, ‘what’s your company strategy?’ or ‘what’s your company’s mission/vision?’ or ‘what is the essence of Change 2020 that the CEO recently launched?’

Employees can only display new behaviour if they really know what is expected of them. They need to have it in their heads. Unfortunately this is often not the case.

After spending a lot of time and sometimes a lot of money to come up with a new strategy/vision/mission/transformation agenda, no senior leadership would say that these were only for the consumption of senior management. In fact, I am yet to meet a CEO who hasn’t said that the success of such messaging is dependent on whether the last person in sales and the last person in the factory truly gets it. Yet, most companies follow the usual routine of annual conferences, cascades and town halls followed by posters and screen savers only to be confronted with the frustration that most people in the organisation don’t get it. The message hardly sticks.

There are two main reasons why this happens: abstract words in the strategy/mission/vision and the ‘curse of knowledge’. Most strategy/mission/vision statements are full of words like ‘deep collaboration and connection’, ‘win through disproportionate share of digitization and innovation’ or ‘embracing technology and inclusive innovation’. These phrases may be crystal clear to the people who put them together but for the average employee it’s nothing but gobbledygook. The second is the cognitive bias that occurs when individuals are unable to ignore the knowledge they have in their heads when creating communication for others that don’t. A bias that is called the ‘curse of knowledge’ based on a seminal paper published in 1990 by a Stanford University graduate student, Elizabeth Newton.

One of the ways to get around all this and make the message stick is by converting the strategy/vision/mission into a clarity story. The message is written in the form of a narrative. When people are told the strategy as a narrative we are able to harness three powers of stories: stories are easy to understand, stories are easy to remember and stories are easy to retell.

We all get stories. No matter what our level in the organisation, no matter what our education levels are and how deep our industry understanding is, we all get stories.

The second and the third powers—easy to remember and retell—is when the multiplier effect kicks in. There are only so many times and only so many people that the senior leadership can explain the strategy to. But when people hear the strategy as a story, they can continue to spread it and repeat it even without a PowerPoint deck. The other beauty of a clarity story is that, like any other story, you can use the long version or the short depending on what the situation demands.

While creating the clarity story we need to also address the one thing that almost derails a transformation exercise—anti-stories. Anti-stories are stories the employees will be sharing, very vociferously, about why the change being proposed will never work. This is not because they are cynical. It is usually because they have had experiences where similar change initiatives started by similar people did not work. Not acknowledging anti-stories does not make them go away. Neither does assertions about how this time it will work make the situation of disbelief any different. Stories can never be replaced with either data or assertion. They can only be replaced with another powerful story. Understanding what the anti-stories are and addressing them within the clarity story is the way we can handle the naysayers spreading disbelief around the water dispenser.

By using a clarity story we get an energised workforce who will know why the company has chosen to change. And who can share specific examples of how the new way of doing things is coming to life in their part of the business.

In the words of the futurist Alvin Toffler, “You’ve got to think about big things while you’re doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.”

I have written in more details about clarity stories and anti-stories in the following pieces on Founding Fuel:

• Why don't strategies stick?
• Make strategies stick - neutralize stories that undermine them
• Overturn perceptions that subvert a new strategy
• The gobbledygook generator

Learning Story Skills

The clarity story that has been put together is most powerfully delivered orally. Putting it back in a PowerPoint deck obviously kills most of the impact. In order to do this we need to teach the leaders story skills.

They need to learn specific story patterns to use in explaining why change is happening, to change people’s minds, to overcome objections, and to illustrate success. They need to learn how to deliver a powerful story in a business setting.

I have often been told that this must be very difficult. On the contrary it is quite easy. We humans are all wired for stories and we are all great storytellers. It is just that we have decided that it has no place in business. Once the connect of how and why stories can be very powerful in business communication is made, the transition to becoming a natural storyteller is very easy.

The trick is to keep in mind the following premises. Firstly, one should learn business storytelling from business people. People who have worked extensively in organisations and understand the business context completely. Second is focus on making it a habit and this is done by deliberate practice. And third is to find ways to be exposed to multiple examples of successful use of stories in business. It is that simple.

Success Stories

To make the change message really stick, we need lots of stories for people that illustrate the new way or new behaviour in action.

Creating a systematic process of finding and broadcasting positive stories across the organisation is a powerful method to achieve this.

One way to approach this is to first choose a few themes from the change that has been proposed in the new strategy. The themes could be specific actions people need to take or specific behaviours the employees need to display for the change to be successful. One then runs Anecdote Circles to collect positive stories. Anecdote Circles are facilitated group discussions designed to elicit stories. Not all stories will be the correct representation of the action or behaviour we are looking for and hence we need to select from among the collected stories the ones that correctly demonstrate the change we are looking for.

The next step is to get the leaders who have been taught story skills to share these stories across the organisation in both one-to-one and one-to-many situations.

This is where we can bring in the power of the digital medium. Since oral storytelling is the most powerful way to share this message, videos of leaders telling these stories work almost as well as having a live session. These videos can easily be shared across the organisation using the intranet and the WhatsApp groups that today pervade all organisations.

It is through listening to these stories that employees keep building a better and better understanding of what action and behaviour is expected of them. The sharing of stories has the added advantages of recognising the people who are living this change and creating peer pressure for others to follow. Finally, these stories also give the senior leadership an often required jolt of motivation to keep at it.

The next step in the Success Stories journey is to create a process by which employees can continue to get inspired and tell their own stories.

Every day, in every Apple retail store across the world, all the employees gather to talk about the net promoter scores collected the day before. If someone gets a high NPS, the manager calls it out: “Hey everyone, Jenny got a great NPS yesterday.” The staff members clap. The manager then wants everyone to know how this was achieved: “Jenny, can you share with us what happened with that guy who came in with the iPad mini?” So Jenny tells the story of the great service this guy received.

Because Apple’s employees are regaled every day with stories of great customer service, they all know what it looks like. They’re not forced to remember so-called inspirational posters with corny customer service acronyms. Instead, they get praise from their managers—and they get the chance to tell their colleagues the concrete details of what happened.

It is through this process of creating and sharing an inspiring purpose using stories and story structures and through sharing of stories about the change successfully happening that we can hope to achieve what Dilbert had said. “Come up with strategies that make sense. Then employees would embrace change.”

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• Clarity stories
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• Anti-stories
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About the author

Indranil believes Business Storytelling will be the number one leadership and communication skill of the next decade. Using storytelling in the right manner, business leaders can connect, engage and inspire their teams. We are 22 times more likely to remember a story than disconnected facts. This is how he believes we can harness the natural power of stories to communicate strategy, make them stick, bring values to live and develop the communication capabilities of leaders.

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Ideas & Impact

Greater good blog, multiplying our impact: inspiring stories of change.

The philanthropic sector has arrived at a moment of urgent opportunity . The challenges facing our society are systemic in nature—from climate change to disinformation—and more complex than ever before. Even so, we at Arabella Advisors are optimistic about the future. We are privileged to support the ambitious, inspiring changemakers who are advancing transformative solutions to the most vexing issues of our time. The philanthropists and nonprofits we serve are creating impact at scale every single day, and we are profoundly proud of their work, as well as our role in enabling it.

In addition to large-scale societal challenges, the last two years have been a period of growth and change within Arabella, in large part driven by our exciting acquisitions of Kiwi Partners and Redstone Strategy Group . As a result, we’ve welcomed new colleagues into our fold, doubled down on the services we offer to funders and nonprofits, and continued to strengthen the Arabella platform’s ability to amplify the creative, highly impactful efforts happening across the philanthropic sector.

As we evolve, we remain committed to reflecting on our work and elevating stories of impact to share with our community as inspiration. In that spirit, and in recognition of the expansion of our team, we are excited to share a series of impact reports this year, each of which will highlight a different aspect of our business. We’ll delve deeply into each team, giving each its due attention. We hope this approach will illuminate the activities of our lines of business in greater detail while honoring the impactful work of our many partners.

Each report will take a somewhat different approach—we’ll tell stories of impact in ways that are appropriate to the nature of each team’s work. But there will be several throughlines, as well. For one, our shared values . Whether we’re implementing more secure accounting systems for a small nonprofit in New York or advising a Midwestern foundation on how best to give to grassroots groups abroad, our teams are driven by the desire to be bold, to do good better, to create together, and to find a way. We adhere to these values in our approaches to engaging with one another, in our work with clients, and throughout our decision-making process as we look to continually enrich our support for changemakers.

And, across the reports, you’ll see that what unites our teams—regardless of the work we do—is a staunch commitment to protect the planet, defend democracy, strengthen communities, and enhance equity. As a mission-driven company, we believe it is our duty and moral obligation to pursue solutions to what we see as the gravest challenges facing our world.

We are fortunate to partner with clients who have similar priorities. This can look like supporting a civic engagement initiative hosted at one of the fiscal sponsor organizations that has hired Arabella to provide back-office operational support, or it may mean evaluating a family foundation’s grantmaking portfolio focused on building pathways to greater economic opportunity in their community. Regardless of the services we’re providing, we remain steadfast in our determination to help the social sector deliver needed change—and to do so more effectively, efficiently, and equitably.

We’re excited to publish and share the first report: How Arabella Advisors Supports Fiscal Sponsors Driving Global Impact , which looks at the outcomes of our partnerships with several independent nonprofit organizations that host charitable initiatives. We hope you will find these stories as inspiring as we do.

We look forward to sharing additional impact reports in the months to come; we’ll update this page with links once they are available. We are grateful for your support and partnership, and please be in touch if these stories spark ideas for you. We’d love to support you to turn those ideas into life-changing impact.

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How to Use Storytelling in Change Management

Stories have a lot of power — the power to inspire, delight, provoke, and even change people.

Last year, North Americans spent more than $11B at the movies, showing how deeply people enjoy stories that entertain and enlighten them. Movies show how powerful stories can change people — and they have the potential to change organizations too. That’s why storytelling is an indispensable tool for any organization going through a change management process.

Change is always difficult, but strong storytelling can make it easier. Here’s how your company can use storytelling in times of change.

The Psychology of Stories and Change Management

Something profound happens when we hear a story. It activates parts of our brain that do not activate when just listening to a straightforward presentation. In fact, recent research suggests that stories change our brain chemistry — which in turn can change our behaviors.

For instance, telling a compelling story about someone overcoming a difficult illness is more effective at getting them to donate to a charity than presenting them with the facts about the illness. This is why so many charity appeals rely on touching personal stories. And this is why stories should be part of your organization’s change management process.

Change management can be difficult to implement. Sudden and unexpected change at your organization may alienate your employees and build resistance, while fixating on the outcomes of change alone can cause you to overlook staff needs, fueling uncertainty at the workplace.

Communication is an immensely important part of changing an organization. Transparency into business processes and decisions informs employees about why change is necessary, as well as what to do and expect during the period of change and beyond. With their proven potency, stories might just be the best way of communicating this key information.

So how do you turn your organization’s change process into a compelling story? It starts with a problem.

What’s the Problem?

Keep this in mind: every compelling story has a problem.

If there’s no problem, there’s no story. Think of every movie you’ve ever seen: someone had a problem, whether it was Luke Skywalker trying to defeat the Empire in Star Wars, or Marlin trying to find his son in Finding Nemo.

The problem is what hooks us. Will Luke be able to make the shot and destroy the Death Star? Will Anna be able to find and reconcile with Elsa?

These problems fit into bigger philosophical problems. Luke’s journey is about the larger struggle of good versus evil, and Frozen’s central problem turns out to be whether Elsa can accept herself and how she’s different, a challenge many people face in their lives.

In corporate marketing, brand stories speak to the problems people face and provide solutions for overcoming those problems. For example, a brand selling running shoes solves consumers’ problem of needing shoes, as well as the broader philosophical problem of wanting to become fitter.

Your organization is changing for a reason — because of a problem. To craft a compelling story that will resonate with your employees and change their behavior, your story has to address this problem.

How to Tell Your Organization’s Stories

So, in practical terms, how can your organization tell stories that will support your change management process?

Be Authentic in Admitting the Problem

It’s hard to be authentic, but it’s worthwhile. Effective communication requires the person communicating to be credible, trustworthy, and genuine, and good stories require a relatable problem.

Identifying a problem is the building block of a good story, and also critical to fixing the problem in your organization. Your employees will be able to tell if your CEO is holding back on the reasons for a particular organizational change, and it will make them nervous. Organizational change is less unsettling for staff if they know their leaders are being honest with them.

Tell Stories That Motivate Employees

While your executive team may be primarily motivated by creating value for the company and its shareholders, research shows that managers and employees are also motivated to do their work because of the impact it has on society, on the customer, on their working team, and on themselves personally.

If the story you’re telling is a story of creating more value for shareholders or better serving customers, you’re missing important motivators. Be sure to tell stories that address the wide range of motivation.

Engage Employees in Coming Up With the Story

It is incredibly powerful to engage your entire organization in a storytelling process that has them identify what needs to change and come up with a vision for how to make it happen. As people create, tell, and retell their versions of the stories, they will internalize the change, and make a successful change part of their personal story.

Tell the Story Loudly and Often

After your company has crafted its stories, it needs to tell them loudly and often. When it comes to change management, it’s not possible to over-communicate. Your change management team should work with your marketing department to develop an internal communications plan for disseminating your stories as widely as possible.

For instance, your organizational change might be a significant restructuring so that your company is more agile in responding to external circumstances. One of your stories could be about how employees across business units, who had not previously worked together, quickly created a new product to meet a new customer demand.

This story should be communicated at staff meetings, through the company intranet, or in a company-wide newsletter or email, with different angles to address the different motivations for change. For example:

• A video with two employees talking about how working cross-functionally enriched the team (motivation: impact on working team)
• A case study showing how customers enjoy using the product (motivation: impact on the customer)
• Statistics or facts highlighting the features of the product that make it environmentally-friendly (motivation: impact on society)

When your company takes the time to tell great, authentic stories that address employee motivations, behavioral change won’t be far behind your organizational change.

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How to Become More Comfortable with Change

• Kathryn Clubb

Overcome these three (very common) change-averse mindsets.

One of the most common unconscious mindsets is that “change is temporary,” but when you see something as temporary, you tend to cope with it instead of accepting and embracing it. The reality is that change is a constant, and you’ll need to navigate it often in your career.

• The authors identify three common change-averse mindsets: receivers, resistors, and controllers. Receivers see change as something that happens  to  them that shakes up their sense of control.
• Resistors push back against change, falsely hoping it might go away. And controllers find change overwhelming and isolating.
• By consciously examining how you approach change, you can adopt these strategies to move toward a more change-ready mindset, and welcome change as an opportunity.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

The pace of change has increased massively in light of the pandemic. Managing it now requires a strategy akin to whitewater rafting. New and unpredictable obstacles will continue to present themselves every day — and not just for companies, but for workers themselves.

• Kathryn Clubb  is head of  change and transformation  at  BTS , an organization that works with leaders at all levels to help them make better decisions, convert those decisions to actions, and deliver results. After being a partner in Accenture’s Strategy Practice, Kathryn was the Chief Innovator at WHWest, Inc. With decades of experience helping companies transform and execute strategy, Kathryn has extensive experience working with a variety of top global organizations.
• Jeni Fan  is a senior director at  BTS  and leads  change and transformation  for the East Coast of the United States. She serves as a strategist advisor and thought partner to clients undergoing large-scale change: from culture to strategy, to pre- and post-M&A. Taking a human-centered, evidence-based approach, her work focuses on alignment and building sustained systemwide change at all levels of an organization. Her work spans multiple industries and sectors.

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From Struggles to Triumph: Inspiring Stories of Behavior Change Success

The power of behavioral change.

Behavioral change has the potential to transform lives, allowing individuals to overcome challenges, achieve personal growth, and create positive outcomes. By understanding and embracing behavioral change, one can embark on a journey towards self-improvement and success.

Understanding Behavioral Change

Behavioral change refers to the process of modifying one’s actions, habits, and attitudes. It involves making intentional and sustained efforts to replace unhealthy or unproductive behaviors with positive ones. Whether it’s quitting a harmful addiction, managing mental health conditions, or adopting healthier lifestyle choices, the understanding of behavioral change is essential.

To comprehend behavioral change, it’s helpful to explore various behavioral change theories and models. These theories provide insights into the factors that influence behavior and offer strategies for effective change. Understanding concepts such as behavior modification, behavior change stages , and behavior change techniques can provide guidance in supporting individuals through their transformational journey. Learn more about these theories and models in our  behavior change theory  article.

The Importance of Behavioral Change

Behavioral change is instrumental in achieving personal growth, improved well-being, and success. Here are some key reasons why behavioral change is important:

• Breaking Unhealthy Patterns:  Behavioral change allows individuals to break free from negative patterns and replace them with healthier alternatives. Whether it’s overcoming addiction, managing anxiety and depression, or achieving weight loss goals, behavioral change can empower individuals to lead healthier and happier lives.
• Enhancing Relationships:  By addressing and modifying unhelpful behaviors, individuals can improve their relationships with others. Building healthy relationships requires effective communication, empathy, and understanding. Behavioral change can help individuals develop these skills and foster meaningful connections.
• Promoting Resilience and Adaptability:  Life is full of challenges and setbacks. Behavioral change equips individuals with the skills and mindset necessary to navigate these obstacles and bounce back from adversity. By cultivating self-compassion and resilience, individuals can overcome setbacks and grow stronger in the face of challenges.
• Creating Positive Impact:  Behavioral change not only benefits individuals but also has a ripple effect on the larger community. By embracing positive behaviors and making sustainable changes, individuals can inspire and influence others, creating a positive impact on society as a whole.

Understanding the power and significance of behavioral change is crucial for therapists, coaches, psychologists, and other professionals working in the field of personal development. By staying informed about the latest research, strategies, and techniques related to behavioral change, professionals can better support their clients in their journey towards success. Explore more resources on behavioral change in our  knowledge base  to enhance your understanding and practice.

Inspiring Stories of Success

When it comes to  behavior change , there are countless inspiring stories of individuals who have overcome challenges and achieved remarkable success. These stories serve as powerful reminders of the human capacity for growth, resilience, and transformation. Here are some remarkable examples of behavior change success:

Overcoming Addiction

Addiction can be an incredibly difficult challenge to overcome, but many individuals have triumphed over substance abuse and other addictive behaviors. Through a combination of therapy, support groups, and personal determination, individuals have been able to break free from the grip of addiction and create healthier, more fulfilling lives. Check out our article on  behavior change therapy  to learn more about effective approaches to addiction recovery.

Managing Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression can be debilitating conditions that impact all aspects of a person’s life. However, with the right treatment and support, individuals have been able to successfully manage these mental health challenges. Through therapy, medication, self-care practices, and a strong support system, people have found ways to alleviate their symptoms and lead fulfilling lives. Discover more about managing anxiety and depression in our article on  behavior change for mental health .

Achieving Weight Loss Goals

Weight loss can be a challenging journey, but many individuals have achieved their weight loss goals through behavior change. By adopting healthier eating habits, increasing physical activity, and making sustainable lifestyle changes, people have been able to shed excess weight and improve their overall health. Our article on  behavior change for weight loss  provides valuable insights and strategies to support successful weight loss journeys.

Building Healthy Relationships

Building and maintaining healthy relationships is essential for personal well-being. Many individuals have worked on behavior change to improve their communication skills, set boundaries, and develop healthier relationship dynamics. Through therapy, couples counseling , and personal growth, people have transformed their relationships and created more fulfilling connections with their loved ones. To delve deeper into this topic, check out our article on  behavior change for relationships .

Breaking Bad Habits

Bad habits can be difficult to break, but individuals have demonstrated incredible resilience in overcoming them. Whether it’s quitting smoking, reducing screen time, or eliminating procrastination, people have successfully replaced harmful habits with healthier alternatives. Through strategies such as mindfulness, habit tracking, and social support, individuals have been able to transform their lives by breaking free from destructive patterns. Discover more about breaking bad habits in our article on  behavior change techniques .

These inspiring stories of behavior change success demonstrate the power of the human spirit and the potential for personal growth. By focusing on motivation, seeking support, and implementing effective strategies, individuals can make lasting changes in their lives. Remember, behavior change is a journey, and setbacks are a natural part of the process. Embrace the lessons learned from these success stories and continue to strive for personal growth and positive change.

Factors Contributing to Success

When it comes to  behavior change success , there are several key factors that play a crucial role. These factors contribute to the overall effectiveness and sustainability of behavior change efforts. Let’s explore some of these important elements:  motivation and determination ,  support systems and accountability ,  professional guidance and therapy , and  strategies and techniques for sustaining change .

Motivation and Determination

Motivation and determination are fundamental drivers of behavior change. Individuals who are highly motivated and have a strong sense of determination are more likely to succeed in making lasting changes. Motivation can stem from various sources, such as personal goals, intrinsic desires, or external rewards. It is essential to tap into this motivation and maintain a positive mindset throughout the behavior change journey. Setting clear,  achievable goals  can help individuals stay focused and motivated. For more information on setting effective behavior change goals, check out our article on  behavior change goals .

Support Systems and Accountability

Having a strong support system can significantly enhance the chances of success in behavior change. Support can come from friends, family, peers, or even professional coaches or therapists. These individuals provide encouragement, guidance, and a sense of accountability, which can be instrumental in staying on track. Regular check-ins and feedback from a support system can help individuals maintain their motivation and overcome challenges. For more information on the importance of support systems in behavior change, check out our article on  behavior change coaching .

Professional Guidance and Therapy

In some cases, seeking professional guidance and therapy can be instrumental in achieving behavior change success. Professionals such as therapists, psychologists, or coaches have the expertise to provide personalized guidance and evidence-based interventions. They can help individuals identify underlying factors contributing to certain behaviors and develop tailored strategies for change. Professional guidance can also provide individuals with a safe space to explore emotions, gain insights, and develop effective coping mechanisms. For more information on the role of therapy in behavior change, check out our article on  behavior change therapy .

Strategies and Techniques for Sustaining Change

Sustaining behavior change requires the implementation of effective strategies and techniques. These can include  behavioral modification techniques ,  habit formation strategies ,  self-monitoring , and  stress management . By using evidence-based strategies, individuals can identify triggers, develop healthier coping mechanisms, and replace old habits with new ones. It’s important to tailor these strategies to individual needs and preferences to ensure long-term success. For more information on behavior change techniques and strategies, check out our article on  behavior change techniques .

By understanding and harnessing these factors that contribute to behavior change success, individuals can increase their chances of achieving lasting change. Motivation, support systems, professional guidance, and effective strategies play a vital role in overcoming challenges and sustaining positive behaviors. Remember, behavior change is a journey, and it’s essential to be patient, persistent, and adaptable along the way.

Lessons Learned from Success Stories

Examining success stories of behavior change can provide valuable insights and lessons for individuals striving to make positive changes in their lives. These stories highlight the strategies and mindset shifts that contribute to successful behavioral change. Here are some key lessons learned from these inspiring stories:

Taking Small Steps

One common theme among successful behavior change stories is the importance of taking  small, manageable steps  towards the desired change. Breaking down a larger goal into smaller, actionable tasks makes it less overwhelming and more achievable. By focusing on one step at a time, individuals can build momentum and gradually make progress towards their ultimate goal. This approach also allows for the  celebration of milestones , which further reinforces motivation and commitment.

Celebrating Milestones

Recognizing and celebrating  achievements and milestones  along the behavior change journey is crucial for staying motivated. Celebrations serve as positive reinforcement , reinforcing the progress made and providing a sense of accomplishment. Whether it’s reaching a certain weight loss milestone, completing a set number of therapy sessions, or successfully reducing the frequency of a detrimental habit, each milestone should be acknowledged and celebrated. This can be done through personal rewards, sharing achievements with a support network, or simply taking a moment to reflect and appreciate the progress made.

Embracing Setbacks as Opportunities for Growth

Setbacks are inevitable in any behavior change journey, but what sets successful individuals apart is their ability to view setbacks as  opportunities for growth . Rather than being discouraged or derailed by setbacks, they use them as learning experiences. Embracing setbacks helps individuals identify areas for improvement, reassess their strategies, and make necessary adjustments. It’s important to cultivate a mindset of resilience and view setbacks as temporary obstacles that can be overcome with perseverance and determination. For additional guidance on maintaining motivation and resilience, consider exploring  behavior change mindset .

Cultivating Self-Compassion and Resilience

Successful behavior change stories often involve individuals who practice  self-compassion  and cultivate resilience. Self-compassion involves treating oneself with kindness and understanding, especially during challenging times. It means acknowledging that setbacks are a natural part of the process and not berating oneself for them. By practicing self-compassion, individuals can maintain a positive mindset and avoid self-sabotage. Additionally, cultivating resilience allows individuals to bounce back from setbacks, persevere through difficult times, and stay committed to their behavior change goals. For more tips on building resilience and maintaining motivation, consider exploring  behavior change tips .

By learning from the experiences of those who have successfully achieved behavior change, individuals can gain valuable insights and strategies to apply to their own journeys. Taking small steps, celebrating milestones, embracing setbacks as opportunities for growth, and cultivating self-compassion and resilience are key lessons that can contribute to long-lasting and meaningful behavior change.

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37 Best Inspirational & Motivational Short Stories [2024 Update]

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Have you ever watched a movie or read a book that had a lasting impact on you?

Stories are one of the most powerful ways to guide, teach, and inspire people. Storytelling is effective because it helps to establish connections among people, as well as between people and the ideas that unite humanity.

Inspirational stories move past creating a sense of connection, and allow the listener to identify with the story wherever they are in their own life , which makes them more receptive to learning.

Some of the best stories contain several different meanings or lessons so they’re effective in communicating complex ideas in ways that are easy to understand.

Finally, storytelling has characteristics that benefits the three main types of learning: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.

Visual learners benefit from the mental pictures that stories evoke.

Auditory learners are able to focus on the words and voice of the storyteller.

And kinesthetic learners can retain the emotional connections that they feel were created in the story.

No matter what type of learner you are , you can benefit from an inspirational story that comes with a moral.

In this article, I will share 23 short inspirational stories that can teach you valuable lessons .

Table of Contents

23 Best Inspirational Short Stories with a Motivating Moral

1. three feet from gold.

Watch the Video of This Story:

During the gold rush, a man who had been mining in Colorado for several months quit his job, as he hadn’t struck gold yet and the work was becoming tiresome.  He sold his equipment to another man who resumed mining where it had been left off.

The new miner was advised by his engineer that there was gold only three feet away from where the first miner stopped digging.

The engineer was right, which means the first miner was a mere three feet away from striking gold before he quit.

When things start to get hard, try to persevere through the adversity.

Many people give up on following their dreams because the work becomes too difficult, tedious, or tiresome–but often, you’re closer to the finish line than you may think , and if you push just a little harder, you will succeed.

2. Rocks, Pebbles, and Sand

A philosophy professor once stood up before his class with a large empty mayonnaise jar. He filled the jar to the top with large rocks and asked his students if the jar was full.

His students all agreed the jar was full .

He then added small pebbles to the jar, and gave the jar a bit of a shake so the pebbles could disperse themselves among the larger rocks. Then he asked again, “Is the jar full now?”

The students agreed that the jar was still full.

The professor then poured sand into the jar to fill up all the remaining empty space.

The students then agreed again that the jar was full .

The Metaphor:

In this story, the jar represents your life and the r ocks, pebbles, and sand are the things that fill up your life .

The rocks represent the most important projects and things you have going on, such as spending time with your family and maintaining proper health. This means that if the pebbles and the sand were lost, the jar would still be full and your life would still have meaning .

The pebbles represent the things in your life that matter, but that you could live without.

The pebbles are certainly things that give your life meaning (such as your job, house, hobbies, and friendships), but they are not critical for you to have a meaningful life.

These things often come and go, and are not permanent or essential to your overall well-being.

Finally, the sand represents the remaining filler things in your life, and material possessions. This could be small things such as watching television , browsing through your favorite social media site , or running errands.

These things don't mean much to your life as a whole, and are likely only done to waste time or get small tasks accomplished.

The metaphor here is that if you start with putting sand into the jar, you will not have room for rocks or pebbles.

This holds true with the things you let into your life. If you spend all of your time on the small and insignificant things, you will run out of room for the things that are actually important.

In order to have a more effective and efficient life, pay attention to the “rocks,” because they are critical to your long-term well-being .

3. The Elephant Rope

When walking through an elephant camp, a man noticed that the elephants were only secured with a small rope that was tied around one ankle. He wondered why the elephants didn’t break free from the rope, as the elephants were certainly strong enough to do so.

He asked a trainer why the elephants didn’t try to break free, and the trainer responded by saying that they use the same size rope for baby elephants all the way up to adulthood.

Because they’re too small when they’re babies to break free from the rope, they grow up being conditioned that the rope is stronger than they are . As adults, they think the rope can still hold them, so they don’t try to fight it.

The elephants in this case are experiencing learned helplessness . This phenomenon occurs when someone has been conditioned to anticipate discomfort in some way without having a way to avoid it or make it stop.

After enough conditioning, the person will stop any attempts to avoid the pain, even if they see an opportunity to escape.

If you go through life thinking that you can’t do something just because you have failed at doing it in the past, you’re living with a fixed mindset .

You have to let go of your limiting beliefs in order to make the breakthroughs that are required for your ultimate success.

Don’t let other people tell you that you can’t do something, and don’t hold onto an assumption that you can’t grow and learn from past failures.

4. A Wise Man’s Jokes

A wise man once faced a group of people who were complaining about the same issues over and over again. One day, instead of listening to the complaints, he told them a joke and everyone cracked up laughing.

Then, the man repeated the joke. A few people smiled.

Finally, the man repeated the joke a third time– but no one reacted .

The man smiled and said, “You won’t laugh at the same joke more than once. So what are you getting from continuing to complain about the same problem?”

You’re not going to get anywhere if you keep complaining about the same problem but do nothing to fix it.

Don’t waste your time complaining, expecting other people to continue to react to your complaints. Instead, take action to make a change.

5. It’s Never Too Late

In the 1940s, there was a man who, at the age of 65, was living off of $99 social security checks in a small house, driving a beat-up car.

He decided it was time to make a change , so he thought about what he had to offer that other people may benefit from. His mind went to his fried chicken recipe, which his friends and family loved.

He left his home state of Kentucky and traveled throughout the country, trying to sell his recipe to restaurants. He even offered the recipe for free, asking for only a small chunk of the money that was earned.

However, most of the restaurants declined his offer. In fact, 1,009 restaurants said no .

But even after all of the rejections, he persisted. He believed in himself and his chicken recipe.

When he visited restaurant #1,010, he got a YES .

Colonel Hartland Sanders.

There are a few lessons that you can take away from this story.

First, it’s never too late in life to find success . In a society that often celebrates young, successful people, it’s easy to start to think you’re never going to be successful after a certain age.

However, Colonel Sanders is an example that proves that argument wrong.

This story also demonstrates the power of persistence. You have to have confidence in yourself and believe in your work for other people to believe it also.

Disregard anyone who tells you “no” and simply move on.

6. The Boulder and the Gold

There once was a king who decided to do a little experiment. He had a giant boulder put right in the middle of the street. He then hid near the boulder to see who, if anyone, would try to move it out of the way.

First, some wealthy merchants walked by. They walked around the boulder, complaining that the king hasn’t been maintaining the roads very well.

Next, a peasant walked by, heading home with his arms full of food for his family. When he noticed the boulder, he put his groceries down and attempted to move it out of everyone’s way. It took him a while to move it, but he eventually succeeded.

After the peasant gathered up his groceries to carry on home, he noticed a bag lying in the middle of the road, just where the boulder once was.

He opened the bag to find that it was stuffed full of gold coins , along with a letter from the king saying that the bag’s gold was a reward for the peasant to keep.

The king gave this gift because the peasant had taken the time and energy to move the boulder out of the road for the convenience of others who would be traveling the road in the future.

The peasant in this story was taught by the king that every obstacle you face offers an opportunity to improve.

If you’re able to push through moments that are challenging, you may end up being much better off than you were before you started trying.

This story also offers a lesson of personal responsibility.

If you see a job ahead of you, don’t leave it for the next person to do. Rather, step up and get the job done to help the people who come after you.

(To learn more about this concept, here are 8 key ingredients of personal responsibility .)

7. Dirty Money

A well-respected speaker began a seminar by showing an audience of 150 people a crisp $20 bill.

He asked, “Who wants this $20 bill?”

All 150 people nodded.

He said, “I am going to give this money to someone, but first….”

Then he proceeded to crumple the bill up.

He asked the crowd again if anyone wanted it.

All 150 hands went up in the air.

The speaker then dropped the money on the floor and stomped all over it.

He then raised it in the air to show the crowd. The money was filthy.

“Does anyone want it now?”

Every hand went up.

The speaker proceeded to tell the crowd that no matter what he did to ruin the money, people still wanted it because its value remained the same .

It was still worth $20.

Life often beats us up to the point where we feel inadequate. We deal with bad circumstances and make bad choices that we have to deal with later. However, no matter what you go through, your value will remain the same .

You have something special to offer that no one can take away from you.

8. The Ultimate Test

One night, four college students stayed up late partying, even though they knew they had a test the next day. The next morning, they came up with a plan to get out of having to take their test.

Each student rolled around in dirt and then went to the teacher’s office.

They told the teacher that they had gotten a flat tire the night before, and they spent the entire night pushing their car back to campus.

The teacher listened, and to the students’ delight, he offered a retest three days later.

On the day of the test, the students went to their teacher’s office. The teacher put all four of the students in separate rooms to take the test. The students were okay with that because they had been given a chance to study.

The test had 2 questions:

1) Your Name __________ (1 Points)

2) Which tire was flat? __________ (99 Points)

• Front Right

Aside from making wise decisions, you always need to take responsibility for your actions .

This means not blaming other people for your mistakes, not complaining about the reality of the present moment, and not giving in to other people’s pressure.

9. What a Waste

A mother camel and her baby were lying down, soaking up the sun.

The baby camel asked his mom, “Why do we have these big bumps on our back?”

The mom stopped to think and then said, “We live in the desert where there is not much water available. Our humps store water to help us survive on long journeys.”

The baby camel then stopped to think and said, “Well, why do we have long legs with rounded feet?”

His mother replied, “They are meant to help us walk through sand.”

The baby asked a third question, “Why are my eyelashes so long?”

The mother replied, “Your long eyelashes offer you protection from sand when it blows in the wind.”

Finally, the baby said, “If we have all of these natural abilities given to us to walk through the desert, what’s the use for camels in the Zoo?”

The skills and abilities that you possess won’t be useful if you’re not in the right environment.

You’ve probably heard of a professional who ditched his or her career to follow their dreams–or the person who remains unfulfilled in their job, but doesn’t try to make a change .

If you’re stuck in a career that isn’t the right fit, you have to do some self-reflection to realize where you strengths lie that are going to waste. ( Here is a five-step process to identify your personal strengths .)

Turn to people that you know the best as well as professionals in any given market so you can start thinking about what may be better for you.

Think big and remain open to new ideas.

10. Breathing With No Air

A boy once asked a wise old man what the secret to success is.

After listening to the boy’s question, the wise man told the boy to meet him at the river in the morning and he would be given the answer there.

In the morning, the wise man and the boy began walking toward the river. They continued on into the river, past the point of the water covering their nose and mouth.  At this time, the wise man ducked the boy into the water.

As he struggled to get out, the wise man continued to push him further down. The boy felt a fish slip by his leg and squirmed to get up even harder. The man eventually pulled the boy’s head up so he could get air. The boy gasped as he inhaled a deep breath of air.

The wise man said, ‘What were you fighting for when you were under water?”

The boy replied, “Air!”

The man said, “There you have the secret to success. When you want to gain success as much as you wanted air when you were under water, you will obtain it. That’s the only secret.”

Success starts with the desire to achieve something.

If your motivation is weak , your results will follow suit.

Think about what you desire the most in life and work towards getting it. Don’t allow your environment or other people to influence the things that you truly want.

Just because the fish swimming by is comfortable with being under water doesn’t mean that you are.

11. Sweet Dreams

A young boy and girl were enjoying a pleasant afternoon playing outside in their neighborhood together.

The boy showed the girl his collection of beautiful, unique marbles. In turn, the girl showed the boy the handful of candy that she had just gotten for her birthday.

The boy proposed that the two of them switch–he would give her all of his marbles if she handed over all of her candy.

The girl agreed, as she found the marbles to be beautiful as well.

The boy handed over all of his marbles, but kept one–the most exquisite one of them all–in his pocket.

The girl kept her promise and gave the boy all of her candy.

That night, the girl was happy with the exchange and peacefully went to sleep.

The boy, however, couldn’t sleep, as he was up wondering if the girl had secretly kept some of her candy, just like he did with the marble.

If you don’t give 100% in your relationships, you will always assume your partner isn’t giving 100% either.

If you want your relationships to be built on trust, you have to be a participating factor in that.

Honesty grows your character.

By being honest in relationships, you’re holding your partner accountable to do the same. It allows both you and your partner to continuously think about your choices and how you can help (or hurt) your partner and your relationship.

12. Teamwork

There was once a man who lived with his three sons. His sons were hard workers, but they constantly fought with each other .

Even though the man continuously tried to help his sons make peace with each other, he was never successful. In fact, their fighting got to a point where their neighbors would make fun of them.

Eventually, the father became ill. He begged his sons to learn how to work together because of his impending death, but they didn’t listen. The father then decided to teach his sons a practical lesson to help his sons forget their differences and become a united team.

The father called his sons and said, “I’ll give you each an equal collection of sticks to break in half. Whoever breaks the sticks the fastest will be rewarded.”

After agreeing to the task, the father gave each of his sons 10 sticks and instructed them to break each stick in half.

This task took the sons mere minutes to complete, but once they were finished, they started to fight about who finished first.

The father said, “Dear sons, the task isn’t finished. Now I’ll give each of you 10 more sticks, however, you must break the sticks in half as a bundle rather than snapping each one separately.”

His sons agreed and attempted to do what he had asked. They each tried their best, but none could break the bundle in half.

They told their father that they had failed.

In response, their father said, “See, it was easy to break the sticks in half individually, but you couldn’t break all 10 of them at the same time.

Similarly, if the three of you stay united as a team, nobody will be able to harm you. However, if you fight all the time, anyone will be able to defeat you. Please come together as a united team.”

This lesson helped the man’s sons understand the power of being a team and promised their father that, moving forward, they would work together as a team, no matter what the situation was.

Being an effective member of a team helps contribute to the overall moral and motivation of the team.

Strong teams are naturally aligned to work harder, support each other, and be cooperative with working toward a mutual goal.

Individuals each have diverse talents, strengths, and weaknesses to contribute to teamwork, so staying focused on the task at hand rather than allowing personal disputes to get in the way will help you achieve your desired results. 

13. Frogs for Dinner

A lady was once heating up a pot of water on a gas stove with the intent of cooking pasta for her family for dinner.

A frog fell into the pot while it was sitting on the stove. While it wasn’t his intention to be stuck in a pot of water, he didn’t try to escape. He was comfortable enough as he was.

The lady soon turned on the flame to begin boiling the water.

As the water’s temperature began to rise, the frog was able to adjust his body temperature accordingly, so he remained in the pot without trying to do anything to change the situation.

However, as the water approached its boiling point, the frog’s body temperature could no longer keep up. He finally tried to jump out of the pot, but with water temperature continuing to increase, he didn’t have it in him to make the leap.

It was too late for the frog to save himself.

Things don’t always go as planned in life, and they certainly don’t always go the way we want them to. But, no matter how bad a situation is, it’s critical to be proactive and face the problem head-on.

Unlike the frog, who waited until the last minute to try to do anything about the problem he was clearly facing, it’s important to project the future outcomes of the obstacles that hinder you and mediate them before they get past the point of no return .

You have to avoid wasting time and take appropriate action before problems get out of hand or become too much to handle.

14. Will You Marry Me?

Centuries ago, in a small Italian town, there was a business owner who was in a great amount of debt.

His banker, who was an old, unattractive man, strongly desired the business owner’s younger beautiful daughter.

The banker decided to offer the businessman a deal to forgive the debt that he owed the bank completely. However, there was a bit of a catch.

In order for the businessman to become debt-free, he was to have his daughter marry the banker.

The businessman didn’t want to concede to this agreement, but he had no other choice, as his debt was so extreme.

The banker said he would put two small stones into a bag–one of which was white, and the other black .

The daughter would then need to reach into the bag and blindly choose a stone.

If she chose the black stone, the businessman’s debt would be cleared and the daughter would have to marry the banker.

However , if she chose the white stone, the debt would be cleared and the daughter would not have to marry him.

While standing in the stone-filled path in the businessman’s yard, the banker reached down and chose two small stones, not realizing that the businessman’s daughter was watching him. She noticed that he picked up two black stones and put them in the bag.

When it came time for the daughter to pick a stone out of the bag, she felt she had three choices:

• Refuse to do it.
• Take out both stones and expose the banker’s cheating.
• Pick a stone, knowing it would be black, and sacrifice herself to get her father out of debt.

She picked a stone from the bag, and immediately ‘accidentally’ dropped it into the abundance of stones where they were all standing.

She said to the banker, “I’m sorry, I’m so clumsy! Oh well. Just look in the bag to see what color stone is in there now so you will know what color stone I picked.”

Of course, the remaining stone was black . Because the banker didn’t want his deceit to be exposed, he played along, acting as if the stone that the businessman’s daughter dropped had to have been white.

He cleared the businessman’s debt and the daughter remained free from having to spend the rest of her life with the banker.

While you may have to think outside of the box sometimes, it’s always possible to conquer a difficult situation.

You don’t have to always give in to the options you’re presented with.

Challenge the status quo.

Think creatively.

Engage in productive nonconformity when possible.

Don’t be afraid to question the things that are expected to be true. In order to overcome challenges, you have to think in ways that you’ve never thought before.

15. Wait…What?

A carpenter who was nearing retirement told his boss that he was ready to end his career and spend his time with his wife and family. He would miss his work, but he felt it was time to spend his time with the people who were important to him.

His boss was saddened by this news, as this carpenter had been a good, reliable employee for many years. He asked the carpenter if he could do him a favor and build just one more house.

The carpenter reluctantly conceded, even though his passion for building had faded.

While he was building this last house, his normal work ethic faded and his efforts were mediocre, at best. He used inexpensive and inferior materials and cut corners wherever he could. It was a poor way to finish such a dedicated career that he once had.

When the carpenter was finished, his boss came to look at the house. He gave the key to the carpenter and said, “This house is my gift to you for all of the hard work you have done for me over the years.” 

The carpenter was astonished.

What a generous gift this was to receive from his boss, but if he had known he was building a house for himself, he would have made his usual efforts to create a high-quality home.

The same idea applies to how you build your life.

Every day that you wake up offers an opportunity for you to put your best foot forward, yet we often do mediocre work, saving the more important things for “another” day .

Then one day, we find ourselves shocked that our lives aren’t what we had hoped they would be. The “house” we built to live in has a lot of flaws due to a lack of effort.

However, you can’t go back and rebuild it in a day or two.

As people say, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.”

Your attitude and choices help build the life you will live tomorrow. So…build carefully.

16. Toothpaste Recant

One night in July at an all-girls summer camp, the campers were gathered around in a circle for their nighttime devotions.

The counselor asked if any of the girls wanted to share something that had happened that day that impacted them.

One camper raised her hand and said a girl from another camp cabin had said something that hurt her feelings and she was really upset about it.

The camp counselor went to the bathroom to grab a tube of toothpaste.

She took the tube and squeezed it just a bit so some toothpaste came out. She then tried to put the toothpaste back in the tube, but it just created a mess. Then she squeezed the tube even more, pushing more toothpaste out and creating even more of a mess, but none of it would go back into the tube.

The counselor then told the campers, “this toothpaste represents the words you speak. Once you say something that you want to take back, it’s impossible and it only creates a mess. Think before you speak, and make sure your words are going to good use before you let them out.”

Speaking is a fundamental social skill required for living a successful life.

However, many are careless with their words, but they hold so much power. They can have a direct impact on the outcome of a situation, creating a helpful or hurtful reaction in our world. T

he problem is, once words come out of your mouth, no amount of “I’m sorrys” will make them go back in: blurting something out and then attempting to take it back is like shutting the gate after the horse has taken off. 

Thinking before you speak allows you the time to consider the potential impact of your words.

Be careful when choosing where and when you let your words out. You can easily hurt other people, and once you do, you can’t take it back.

Words define who we are by revealing our attitudes and character, giving people an indication of our intellect or ignorance. 

Stop for a minute before you speak and question yourself about why you’re saying what you are. Are you trying to relay information? Relate to someone else?

Make sure you’re able to take responsibility for whatever you’re about to say.

17. Just Be

One evening, after spending several days with his new wife, a man leaned over and whispered into her ear, “I love you.” 

She smiled – and the man smiled back – and she said, “When I’m eighty years old and I’m thinking back on my entire life, I know I will remember this moment.”

A few minutes later, she drifted off to sleep.

The man was left with the silence of the room and the soft sound of his wife’s breathing.

He stayed awake, thinking about everything they had done together, from their first date to their first vacation together and ultimately to their big wedding. These were just some of the life choices that the couple had made together that had led to this very moment of silence in the presence of each other.

At one point, the man then realized that it didn’t matter what they had done or where they had gone. Nor did it matter where they were going.

The only thing that mattered was the serenity of that very moment.

Just being together. Breathing together. And resting together.

We can’t let the clock, calendar, or pressure from external sources take over our lives and allow us to forget the fact that every moment of our lives is a gift and a miracle – no matter how small or seemingly insignificant it is.

Being mindful in the special moments that you spend in the presence of the ones that you love are the moments that truly give your life meaning. (For more on this, here are 71 mindfulness exercises you can use to live in the present moment .)

18. The Weight of the World

Once, a psychology professor walked around his classroom full of students holding a glass of water with his arm straightened out to the side.

He asked his students, “How heavy is this glass of water?”

The students started to shout out guesses–ranging anywhere from 4 ounces to one pound.

The professor replied, “The absolute weight of this glass isn’t what matters while I’m holding it. Rather, it’s the amount of time that I hold onto it that makes an impact.”

“If I hold it for, say, two minutes, it doesn’t feel like much of a burden. If I hold it for an hour, its weight may become more apparent as my muscles begin to tire.

If I hold it for an entire day– or week –my muscles will cramp and I’ll likely feel numb or paralyzed with pain, making me feel miserable and unable to think about anything aside from the pain that I’m in. “

“In all of these cases, the actual weight of the glass will remain the same, but the longer I clench onto it, the heavier it feels to me and the more burdensome it is to hold.”

The class understood and shook their heads in agreement.

The professor continued to say, “This glass of water represents the worries and stresses that you carry around with you every day.  If you think about them for a few minutes and then put them aside, it’s not a heavy burden to bear.

If you think about them a little longer, you will start to feel the impacts of the stress. If you carry your worries with you all day, you will become incapacitated, prohibiting you from doing anything else until you let them go.”

Put down your worries and stressors. Don’t give them your entire attention while your life is passing you by.

Let go of things that are out of your control.

Don’t carry your worries around with you everywhere you go, as they will do nothing but bring you down.

Put your “glass down” each night and move on from anything that is unnecessarily stressing you out.

Don’t carry this extra weight into the next day.

19. Cherish Your Struggles

One day, a girl came upon a cocoon, and she could tell that a butterfly was trying to hatch.

She waited and watched the butterfly struggle for hours to release itself from the tiny hole. All of a sudden, the butterfly stopped moving–it seemed to be stuck.

The girl then decided to help get the butterfly out. She went home to get a pair of scissors to cut open the cocoon. The butterfly was then easily able to escape, however, its body was swollen and its wings were underdeveloped. 

The girl still thought she had done the butterfly a favor as she sat there waiting for its wings to grow in order to support its body. However, that wasn’t happening.

The butterfly was unable to fly, and for the rest of its life, it could only move by crawling around with little wings and a large body.

Despite the girl’s good intentions, she didn’t understand that the restriction of the butterfly’s cocoon and the struggle the butterfly had to go through in order to escape served an important purpose.

As butterflies emerge from tight cocoons, it forces fluid from their body into their wings to prepare them to be able to fly.

The struggles that you face in life help you grow and get stronger .

There is often a reason behind the requirement of doing hard work and being persistent. When enduring difficult times, you will develop the necessary strength that you’ll need in the future.

Without having any struggles, you won’t grow–which means it’s very important to take on personal challenges for yourself rather than relying on other people to always help you. 

20. Seeking Happiness

There were 200 people attending a seminar on mental and physical health.

At one point, the speaker told the group they were going to do an activity. He gave each attendee one balloon and told them to write their name on it. Then, the balloons were collected and moved into a very small room.

The participants were then asked to go into the other room and were given 2 minutes to find their balloon.

It was chaos…

People were searching frantically for their balloon, pushing each other and running into one another while they grabbed a balloon, looked at it, and inevitably tossed it to the side.

At the end of the 2 minutes, no one had found the balloon that had their name on it.

Then, the speaker asked the participants to go back in the room and pick up one balloon at random, look at the name, and return it to its owner. Within minutes, everyone had been reunited with their original balloon.

The speaker then told the group, “This is what it’s like when people are frantically searching for their own happiness in life .

People push others aside to get the things that they want that they believe will bring them happiness. However, our happiness actually lies in helping other people and working together as a community.”

You will get your happiness if you help other people find theirs. The Dalai Lama says, “If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

Helping others makes us happy because it gives us a sense of purpose.

In fact, a study from the London School of Economics found that the more you help other people, the happier you will be.

The researchers compared the variance in happiness levels of people who don’t help others on a regular basis to the happiness of weekly volunteers. They found that the participants had the same variance in happiness as those who make $75,000 – $100,000 annually vs $20,000.

Helping others brings us happiness for three reasons:

• Diversion : When you worry less about your own needs–in this case, finding your own balloon–the stress of that hunt decreases.

Taking your focus away from the fact that you can’t find your own balloon lets you divert your attention away from your own problem.  The feeling of compassion replaces the feeling of need.

• Perspective : Having concern for other people helps us remember that we are all facing similar problems in life–no matter what the individual severity of the issue is.

Sometimes when we are focused on our own issues, they get put into perspective when we encounter the true suffering of others (for example, bereavement or a  severe disability ).

It’s easy to then realize the excess amount of attention we’ve been giving our own problems.  Having compassion helps us put our problems into perspective.

• Connection :  Connecting with others by helping them   can bring happiness into your life.

Humans are social beings that need to have positive connections with other people in order to be happy. Connecting with other people enriches our lives and gives us a sense of fulfillment.

21. There Was Once a Boy…

There was once a boy who was growing up in a very wealthy family.

One day, his father decided to take him on a trip to show him how others lived who were less fortunate. His father’s goal was to help his son appreciate everything that he has been given in life.

The boy and his father pulled up to a farm where a very poor family lived. They spent several days on the farm, helping the family work for their food and take care of their land.

When they left the farm, his dad asked his son if he enjoyed their trip and if he had learned anything during the time they spent with this other family.

The boy quickly replied, “It was fantastic, that family is so lucky!”

Confused, his father asked what he meant by that.

The boy said, “Well, we only have one dog, but that family has four–and they have chickens!

We have four people in our home, but they have 12! They have so many people to play with!

We have a pool in our yard, but they have a river running through their property that is endless.

We have lanterns outside so we can see at night, but they have the wide open sky and the beautiful stars to give them wonder and light.

We have a patio, but they have the entire horizon to enjoy–they have endless fields to run around in and play.

We have to go to the grocery store, but they are able to grow their own food . Our high fence protects our property and our family, but they don‘t need such a limiting structure, because their friends protect them.”

The father was speechless.

Finally, the boy added, “Thank you for showing me how poor people live, they’re so lucky.”

True wealth and happiness aren’t measured by material belongings .

Being around the people you love, enjoying the beautiful, natural environment, and having freedom are much more valuable.

A rich life can mean different things to different people. What are your values and priorities?

If you have whatever is important to you , you can consider yourself to be wealthy.

22. A Pound is a Pound

There was once a farmer who, each week, sold a pound of butter to a baker.

After several weeks of buying a pound of butter from the farmer, the baker decided to weigh the butter that he was receiving to ensure it was indeed a full pound.

When the baker weighed it, he learned that the butter was under a pound , which enraged him. He felt he was being cheated and he decided to take the farmer to court.

When in court, the judge asked the farmer how he was weighing the butter.

The farmer said, “Your Honor, I am poor. I do not own an exact measuring tool. However, I do have a scale.”

The judge then asked if the farmer uses the scale to measure the butter.

The farmer said, “Your Honor, I have been buying a one-pound loaf of bread from the baker since long before he began purchasing butter from me.

Whenever the baker brings bread for me, I put it on the scale and then measure out the exact same weight in butter to give him in return. So, if the baker is not getting a pound of butter, he is also not giving a pound of bread like he promised.”

You get what you give. If you try to cheat others out of what you promise them, you will be cheated in return. The more honest you are, the easier it is to trust other people and not suspect they may be cheating you in some way.

When you’re honest, not only will other people trust you, but you will also feel more confident in your trust with others.

Honesty is always the best route–especially if you want others to be honest with you as well.

23. Jumping Frogs

A group of frogs was hopping through the forest when two of them accidentally hopped into a deep pit. The other frogs stood around the pit, and, seeing how deep it was, they told the two frogs that they couldn’t help them–there was no hope.

However, fighting for their lives, the two frogs ignored the others and started to try jumping out of the pit.

The frogs at the top continued to tell the frogs in the pit to give up, as there was no way they would be able to jump out.

After trying over and over, one of the frogs listened to the others and gave up, accepting his fate and falling to his death. But the other frog continued to jump with all of his might. The crowd of frogs yelled down the pit for the frog to just stop–he wouldn’t make it.

But the frog jumped even harder and persisted until he finally got out. Upon reaching the top, the other frogs said, “We thought there was no way any frog could jump that high–couldn’t you hear us?”

The frog then signaled to the others that he was deaf, and he thought that the frogs standing around the pit were encouraging him the whole time.

Others’ words can greatly impact your attitude and actions. Ignore the naysayers. Only engage with those who encourage you and believe in your ability to succeed.

Furthermore, think about what you say to people before speaking so you can make sure what you’re saying is supportive. Your support (or lack thereof) could make the difference between success and failure.

24. The Ultimate Gift

There was once a little girl who desperately needed an emergency blood transfusion to save her life. 

Her only chance of surviving would be to get a transfusion from her younger brother, who had miraculously overcome the same disease she had, and therefore had antibodies in his blood that were needed to fight the illness.

The doctor explained to the little boy that it would save his sister’s life if he were to give her his blood. The boy hesitated for a moment before agreeing to give his blood if it would help his sister. At the age of 5, this was scary, but he would do anything to save his big sister’s life.

As the blood transfusion was happening, he lay next to his sister in the hospital and was overcome with happiness as he saw the color coming back to her cheeks. Then he looked up at the doctor and quietly asked, “When will I start to die?”

The boy had assumed that he was giving his life in order to save hers. The little boy’s parents were astonished over the misunderstanding that led the boy to think they were choosing his sister over him–and even more astonished that he had agreed to do so.

The doctor replied, explaining that he was not going to die, he was just going to allow his sister to live a long, healthy life alongside him.

This is an example of extreme courage and self-sacrificing love from a young boy that we can all learn from. The love and care that he showed for his sister relays an inspiring message about selflessness.

While we may not be faced with such a life or death decision, being selfless in general can help us connect with others, which is rewarding and fulfilling.

25. Angry Nails

There was once a boy who became angry so frequently with his friends at school that he was constantly getting sent home.

His temper was disruptive to the class and hurtful to other students.

His father came up with a strategy to try to deter the boy from getting angry so easily. He gave his son a hammer and some nails and told him to hammer a nail into the family’s fence every time the boy got angry in the future.

The following day, the boy got angry 37 times, and had to hammer as many nails into the fence.

Over the next few weeks, the boy got tired of hammering nails into the fence and he gradually started to control his temper. Slowly, the number of nails he was hammering into the fence started to decrease.

The boy realized that it was easier to remain calm when he started to feel angry than to gather the tools, go outside, and start hammering.

Eventually, the boy stopped losing his temper altogether. His dad noticed, and told the boy to remove a nail from the fence every day that he was able to keep his temper under control.

Eventually, as the weeks went by, all of the nails had been taken out of the fence. The father and son then stood in front of the broken fence, which was completely scattered with holes.  

The father turned to his son and said, “You have done well, but look at the holes in the fence. They cannot be repaired. When you get angry at other people, it leaves a scar just like the holes you see in front of you. It doesn’t matter if you say I’m sorry one hundred times, the injury is still there.”

Control your anger toward other people. While you may not see the damage that it does, it can leave irreparable wounds that can eventually break them.

Be kind to others and think before you let your emotions get the best of you.

26. Walking on Water

Once there was a boy who lived with his family on a farm.

They had a beautiful dog who would go down to the pond for hours every day in the spring and summer with the boy to practice retrieving various items.

The boy wanted to prepare his dog for any scenario that may come up during duck season because he wanted his dog to be the best hunting dog in the whole county.

The boy and his dog had vigorous training sessions every day until the dog was so obedient, he wouldn’t do anything unless he was told to do so by the boy.

As duck season rolled in with the fall and winter months, the boy and his dog were eager to be at their regular spot down at the pond near their house.

Only a few minutes passed before the two heard the first group of ducks flying overhead. The boy slowly raised his gun and shot three times before killing a duck, which landed in the center of the pond.

When the boy signaled his dog to retrieve the duck, the dog charged through the duck blind and bushes toward the pond. However, instead of swimming in the water like he had practiced so many times, the dog walked on the water’s surface, retrieved the duck, and returned it to the boy.  

The boy was astonished. His dog had an amazing ability to walk on water–it was like magic. The boy knew no one would ever believe this amazing thing that he had just witnessed. He had to get someone else down there to see this incredible phenomenon.

The boy went to a nearby farmer’s house and asked if he would hunt with him the next morning. The neighbor agreed, and met up with the boy the following morning at his regular spot by the pond.

The pair patiently waited for a group of ducks to fly overhead, and soon enough, they heard them coming. The boy told the neighbor to go ahead and take a shot, which the neighbor did, killing one duck.

Just as the day before, the boy signaled to his dog to fetch the duck. Miraculously, the dog walked on the water again to retrieve the duck.

The boy was bursting with pride and could hardly contain himself when he asked his neighbor, “Did you see that? What do you think?!”

The neighbor responded, “I wasn’t going to say anything, but your dog doesn’t even know how to swim.”

The boy sat in disbelief as his neighbor pointed out a potential flaw of the dog rather than recognizing the fact that what he had just done was a miracle.

People will often downplay others’ abilities or achievements because they’re unable to accomplish the same thing. Don’t let this bring you down. Just move on and keep working on improving yourself. Maintaining a positive mindset is a key part of being successful.

Furthermore, be conscious of instances in which you may be tempted to not give credit where it is deserved. Pointing out other people’s shortcomings does not make you a superior person.

27. It’s Not That Complicated

There was once a very wise man living in ancient times. He was elderly and educated and held knowledge and books to the highest regard.

One day while on a walk, he realized that his shoes were really starting to wear out. Because he spent a lot of time walking on a daily basis, he knew he had to find the best shoes to support and protect his feet.

But, back then, this wasn’t such an easy task, as he couldn’t jump online to do some research and have shoes delivered to his door.

The man didn’t want to make things worse by purchasing the wrong shoes and having inadequate protection, which would lead to injuries and the inability to leave his home and walk to find new books to read.

The man gathered all of the books he could that were written by only those that he admired the most to search for the answer to his question, “What do I do if my shoes have fallen apart?”

He read through several books for many hours before finding out that he had no choice but to go buy a new pair of shoes. He then spent a lot of time reading about how to know if a pair of shoes fits properly.

Once he was satisfied with the answers he found, he was proud of himself for doing the research and he felt confident in his ability to buy a high-quality replacement for his old shoes.

He figured if he hadn’t done his research, he probably would have gone barefoot for the rest of his life, as he had no one to tell him how to fix his shoes.

Following the books’ instructions, the man took a stick and measured his foot with it. He then went to the market and finally came upon a pair of shoes that he liked. However, he realized he had left the stick back at home, which was far away from the shop.

By the time the man returned to the market, the shop was closed. And, by that point, his shoes were completely split, so he had to return home barefoot.

The next morning, he walked back to the market with bare feet, but the shoes that he had chosen the day before had been sold. The wise man explained what had happened to the shopkeeper, who reacted with a sense of surprise, asking, “Why didn’t you buy the shoes yesterday?”

The wise man replied, “Because I forgot the stick that I had used to measure my feet back home. And anyone who knows anything about shoes knows that you have to have the correct measurements of your feet before you can buy shoes. I didn’t want to buy the wrong size, and I was following the normal instructions.”

Even more confused, the shopkeeper asked, “But your foot was with you, why didn’t you just try the shoes on?”

The wise man was equally confused in return and responded, “All the books say shoes must be bought with the exact same measurements of the shoes you already own.”

Laughing, the shop owner replied “Oh, no! You don’t need the advice from books to buy shoes. You just need to have your feet, some money, and some common sense to not complicate things.”

Sometimes you need to take action without overthinking things. Knowledge often comes in handy, but in some circumstances, if you lack experience or common sense , your knowledge will only get you so far. In fact, it could make things seem a lot more complicated than they actually are.

If you’re facing an issue, don’t forget to use your reasoning skills in addition to anything you’ve learned in a formal learning environment.

28. Don’t Hold Back

There was once a company whose CEO was very strict and often disciplined the workers for their mistakes or perceived lack of progress.

One day, as the employees came into work, they saw a sign on the door that read, “Yesterday, the person who has been holding you back from succeeding in this company passed away. Please gather for a funeral service in the assembly room.”

While the employees were saddened for the family of their CEO, they were also intrigued at the prospect of being able to now move up within the company and become more successful.”

Upon entering the assembly room, many employees were surprised to see the CEO was, in fact, present. They wondered among themselves, “If it wasn’t him who was holding us back from being successful, who was it? Who has died?”

One by one, the employees approached the coffin, and upon looking inside, each was quite surprised. They didn’t understand what they saw.

In the coffin, there was simply a mirror. So when each employee looked in to find out who had been “holding them back from being successful” everyone saw themselves. Next to the mirror, there was a sign that read:

The only person who is able to limit your growth is you .

You are the only person who can influence your success. Your life changes when you break through your limiting beliefs and realize that you’re in control of your life.

The most influential relationship you can have is the relationship you have with yourself.

Now you know who has been holding you back from living up to your true potential. Are you going to keep allowing that person to hold you back?

You can’t blame anyone else if you’re not living up to your potential. You can’t let other people get you down about mistakes you make or their negative perception of your efforts.

You have to take personal responsibility for your work –both the good and the bad–and be proactive about making any necessary adjustments.

29. The Chef’s Daughter

Once there was a girl who was complaining to her dad that her life was so hard and that she didn’t know how she would get through all of her struggles. She was tired, and she felt like as soon as one problem was solved, another would arise.

Being a chef, the girl’s father took her into his kitchen. He boiled three pots of water that were equal in size. He placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in another, and ground coffee beans in the final pot.

He let the pots sit and boil for a while, not saying anything to his daughter.

He turned the burners off after twenty minutes and removed the potatoes from the pot and put them in a bowl. He did the same with the boiled eggs. He then used a ladle to scoop out the boiled coffee and poured it in a mug. He asked his daughter, “What do you see?”

She responded, “Potatoes, eggs, and coffee.”

Her father told her to take a closer look and touch the potatoes. After doing so, she noticed they were soft. Her father then told her to break open an egg. She acknowledged the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he told her to take a sip of the coffee. It was rich and delicious.

After asking her father what all of this meant, he explained that each of the three food items had just undergone the exact same hardship–twenty minutes inside of boiling water.

However, each item had a different reaction.

The potato went into the water as a strong, hard item, but after being boiled, it turned soft and weak.

The egg was fragile when it entered the water, with a thin outer shell protecting a liquid interior. However, after it was left to boil, the inside of the egg became firm and strong.

Finally, the ground coffee beans were different. Upon being exposed to boiling water, they changed the water to create something new altogether.

He then asked his daughter, “Which are you? When you face adversity, do you respond by becoming soft and weak? Do you build strength? Or do you change the situation?”

Life is full of ups and downs, wins and losses, and big shifts in momentum, and adversity is a big part of this experience.

And while many of us would rather not face adversity, it doesn’t have to always be a negative thing. In fact, handling adversity can be a positive experience that can lead to personal development .

You choose how you respond to adversity, whether you let it break you down or you stand up in the face of it and learn from it. In many instances, facing adversity gives you a chance to learn important lessons  that can help you grow as a person.

When facing adversity, it’s important to recognize your freedom to choose how you respond. You can respond in a way that ultimately limits you, or you can choose to have a more productive response that could potentially open windows of opportunity that we didn’t know existed.

30. Cleaning Turtles

There was once a man who walked his dog every Sunday morning around a lake near his house. Week after week, he saw the same elderly woman sitting at the edge of the water with a small metal cage next to her.

The man’s curiosity finally got the best of him and he approached the woman one day. He noticed that the cage was actually a small trap and she had three small turtles in it. In her lap, there was a fourth turtle that she was carefully wiping down with a sponge.

The man greeted her and said, “If you don’t mind my asking, what do you do with these turtles every week?”

She smiled and explained to him that she was cleaning their shells because any algae or scum that builds up on a turtle’s shell reduces its ability to absorb heat and slows down their swimming. It can also corrode their shell and weaken it over time.

The man was impressed as the woman continued, “I do this every Sunday morning to help the turtles.”

“But don’t most turtles live their entire lives with algae on their shells?” the man asked.

The woman agreed that was true.

He replied, “Well then, you’re kind to do this, but are you really making a difference if most turtles don’t have people around to clean their shells?”

The woman laughed as she looked down at the small turtle on her lap. “Young man, if this little turtle could talk, he would say I’m making all the difference in the world.'”

“To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.” — Dr. Seuss

Just because you may not be able to change the world or help everyone, you can still make a huge difference in one person’s life by offering them any help that you can. Don’t choose to not do anything because you can’t do everything .

The actions of one person can make a world of difference to someone else. When you see someone in need, you may never know how much of a difference your help can make in their life.

31. Puppy Love

A pet shop owner got a new litter of puppies and was ready to sell them to their “forever” families. A young girl walked by the shop and noticed a sign saying, “Puppies for Sale” and of course was very eager to go inside.

She asked the owner, “How much do the puppies cost?” The owner replied, “They are all around $50.”

The girl emptied her pocket change and told the store owner that she only had about $2, but she still wanted to look at them.

The shop owner whistled for the dogs, who came running down the hall of his shop. Five tiny furballs, followed by one, limping behind the rest. The girl immediately singled out the lagging puppy and asked the store owner what was wrong with him.

The owner explained that the puppy was born with a deformity– he was missing a hip socket. He would walk with a limp for the rest of his life.

The girl got excited, saying, “I want that puppy!”

The owner replied, “You don’t want to buy that puppy. If you really want him, you can have him for free.”

The girl became upset. She looked at the owner and said, “I don’t want to have him for free. That puppy is worth just as much as the others. I’ll give you the change I have now and a dollar a month until I have paid for the puppy entirely.”

The owner continued, “This dog is never going to be able to run and play like all of the other dogs, I think you’re going to regret this decision.”

To his surprise, the girl reached down and rolled up her pant leg to reveal a crippled leg that was supported by a large metal brace. She looked up at the owner and softly replied, ‘Well, I’m not much of a runner, and this puppy needs someone who understands.”

Don’t make assumptions about other people’s wants, needs, or abilities. Every one of us has our own weaknesses, whether it’s physical or mental.

The trick is to not allow your weaknesses to slow you down, and instead, find others in the world who can support you. Find and surround yourself with people who challenge you to reach your potential.

32. The Gift of the Magi

The Story :

There was once a young couple who was struggling to make ends meet during the holiday season. But despite their financial troubles, they both wanted to buy a special gift for the other.

After crying about their situation, the wife stood by the window and looked out with no interest. The next day was Christmas, and she had only $10 to buy her husband a gift. She had been saving as much as she could, but bills always cost more than expected.

But there was one thing that the wife had that would be valuable enough to sell: her long, flowy hair. She contacted a wig maker and asked them how much money she could earn if she gave them her hair. They said $100.

With that money, she quickly went from shop to shop looking for the perfect gift. And then she found it: a gold watch chain for his beloved gold watch that had been passed down for generations.

With 82 cents in change, she ran home, excited about the gift she had gotten for her husband.

While waiting for him to get home from work, the wife became nervous that he would no longer find her attractive with her new, short hair.

When he walked in, he stopped inside the door. He was as quiet and his eyes looked strangely at his wife with an expression in them that she did not understand.

She said to him, “Honey, don’t look at me like that. I sold my hair. I couldn’t live through Christmas without giving you a gift. My hair will grow back. Let’s be happy. You don’t know what a beautiful gift I got for you.”

He put his arms around her. And then from inside his coat, he took something out that was tied in paper and threw it on the table. “Listen,” he said. “Nothing like a haircut could make me love you any less. But open this.”

There lay two beautiful combs that she had seen in a shop window and loved for a long time. Combs with jewels–perfect for her beautiful hair. She knew they cost too much for them to afford. And now they were hers, but her hair was gone. She held them to her heart and said, “My hair grows so fast!”

And then she jumped up and held her gift out to him in her open hands. The gold chain sparkled. “Isn’t it perfect? I hunted all over town to find it. You’ll have to look at your watch a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how they look together.”

He sat down and smiled. “Honey,” he said, “I sold the watch to get the money to buy the combs. And now I think we should have our dinner.”

The Moral :

Appreciate what others do for you. The magi were wise men who were the first to give Christmas gifts. In this story, each person sold the most valuable thing they owned in order to buy a gift for the other.

This story shows the true meaning of gift-giving, which is about the thought and love behind the gift rather than its material value. The couple’s gifts to each other are ultimately meaningless in terms of their practical use, but their representation of love and sacrifice proves to be invaluable for both of them.

33. Everyone Has a Story

There was once a 24 year old boy on a train with his father. Looking out from the train’s window, he shouted…

“Dad, look, the trees are going behind us!”

His dad smiled. The young man caught a couple’s attention sitting nearby, who looked at his childish behavior with pity. Suddenly, the boy exclaimed again…

“Dad, look, the clouds are running with us!”

Annoyed by the commotion, the couple looked at the old man and said, “You should take your son to see a good doctor.”

The old man smiled at the couple and said, “I just did. We are going home from the hospital, my son was blind from birth, and he just got his eyes today.”

Everyone on the planet has a story. Don’t judge people before you truly know them. The truth might surprise you.

34. A Dish of Ice Cream

In the days when ice cream sundaes cost much less, a 10 year old boy entered an ice cream shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

“How much is an ice cream sundae?”

“50 cents,” replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket that had several coins in it.

“How much is a dish of plain ice cream?” he asked.

“35 cents,” she replied impatiently.

The little boy again counted the coins. “I’ll have a plain ice cream,” he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.

When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then was surprised at what she saw.

There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were 15 cents – her tip. The boy had enough money for a sundae, but he had ordered plain ice cream so he could leave her a tip.

In a world that constantly tells us we need to have more, it’s important to be reminded of the power of a person’s generosity.

35. A Very Special Bank Account

Let’s say you had a bank account that deposited $86,400 every morning. However, the account carries over no balance from day to day, doesn’t allow you to keep a cash balance, and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you didn’t use during the day. What would you do?

Probably draw out every dollar every day!

We all have this bank–it is called Time. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off whatever time you have failed to use wisely. It carries over no balance from day to day.

It allows no overdraft so you can’t borrow against yourself or use more time than you have. Each day, the account starts fresh. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, it’s your loss and you can’t appeal to get it back.

There is no such thing as borrowing time. You can’t take a loan out on your time or against someone else’s. The time you have is the time you have. Just as it is with money, time management is yours to decide how you spend it.

It is rarely the case of us not having the time to do things, but the case of whether we want to do them and where they fall in our priorities.

36. Hunting Monkeys

A man once asked a child, “Do you know how hunters used to trap monkeys?”

“Instead of chasing them up a tree or shooting arrows at them, they’d lay a heavy glass jar with a narrow neck on the ground with the monkeys’ favorite food inside.

Then they would hide a short distance away, waiting for the unsuspecting monkey to approach.

When it did, the monkey would reach inside and try to grab the snack. But the narrow neck of the jar would prevent the monkey from being able to get its hand out!

It would pull and pull, but it was stuck! There was no way to get its hand out of the jar without letting go of the food.

But instead of letting go, the monkey would keep trying, refusing to drop its dinner.

It was at this moment that the hunters would approach the monkey to catch it.”

“Don’t be like that monkey,” the man warned the child. “In life, to keep fighting another day and grow, you have to know when to quit, when to move on, and when to let go of whatever’s holding you back.”

Sometimes you have to let go and give up what you have now in order to receive something better in the future. Don’t let stubbornness get in your way to success.

37. The Fisherman and the Businessman

Once there was a businessman sitting on the beach in an Italian village.

As he sat and relaxed from his day, he saw a fisherman rowing a small boat full of fish back into the harbor.

Impressed, the businessman yelled out to the fisherman, “How long does it take you to catch so many fish?” To which the fisherman replied “Oh, not so long.”

Confused, the businessman asked, “Then why don’t you fish for longer to catch even more?”

“Because this is enough to feed my family and even offer some to my neighbors,” the fisherman replied.

“So what do you do for the rest of your day?” Asked the businessman.

The fisherman said, “Well, I’ve usually caught my fish by late morning, so I go home, kiss my wife, and play with my kids. In the afternoon, I take a nap and read. In the evening, I go to the village to have a drink with my friends, play guitar, sing, and dance into the night!”

Being an entrepreneur, the businessman offered a suggestion.

“I have a PhD in business! I can help you become much more successful. From now on, you should spend longer at sea and catch as many fish as possible. When you’ve saved enough money, buy a bigger boat to catch even more fish.

From there, you’ll soon be able to buy more boats, set up your own company, build a production plant that will package the fish and control distribution, and move to the city to control your other branches.”

To this, the fisherman asks, “And after that?”

The businessman laughs, “After that, you’ll be able to live like a king, you will be rich!”

“And after that?” Asks the fisherman again.

“Well, then you can retire, move to a house by the ocean, wake up early in the morning to go fishing, then return home to play with your kids, kiss your wife, take a nap in the afternoon and join your friends in the village to drink, play guitar and dance into the night!”

Puzzled, the fisherman replies, “But isn’t that what I’m doing already?”

Be happy with the things that you have. Will having more in life bring you more happiness? Stress is often a choice. There’s joy and peace in simplicity.

Final Thoughts on Inspirational Stories

Some of these inspirational stories of success and hope left me astounded for a minute because of their strong impact, and I hope they had the same impact on you. They truly do make you think, and the images in your mind that they create are memorable.

Share these stories with friends who you think could benefit from the morals that they offer.

I’m hoping that from now on, when you’re tempted to cut corners, restrict your thinking to social conformity, remain comfortable with mediocrity, or anything else that may be holding you back in life, you will come back to these stories for a bit of a motivational boost.

And if you're looking for more inspiration, be sure to check out these other roundups:

• 15 Inspirational Poems About Life You Must Read Today
• 13 Famous Stories About Success & Overcoming Challenges
• 35 Best Songs About Success and Achievement

Finally, if you want to take your goal-setting efforts to the next level, check out this FREE printable worksheet and a step-by-step process that will help you set effective SMART goals .

Connie Mathers is a professional editor and freelance writer. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. When she is not writing, Connie is either spending time with her daughter and two dogs, running, or working at her full-time job as a social worker in Richmond, VA.

Turning Points: Personal Success Stories That Inspire Change

Overcoming Adversity: How Persistence Led to Success

From Rock Bottom to the Top: Stories of Personal Transformation

Triumphing Against all Odds: Inspiring Stories of Resilience

Breaking barriers: how individuals defied expectations and succeeded.

The Power of Self-Belief: Stories of Personal Growth and Achievement

Making a Difference: Inspirational Accounts of Changing Lives

Turning Points are often marked by moments of adversity that test our resilience and determination. These personal success stories showcase how individuals faced challenges head-on and emerged victorious through sheer persistence. Through their inspiring journeys, they prove that with unwavering determination, anything is possible.

In the face of adversity, many individuals encounter setbacks that could easily derail their dreams. However, these remarkable individuals chose to view these obstacles as opportunities for growth and transformation. They refused to succumb to adversity, instead using it as fuel to propel themselves forward.

• One such story is that of Sarah Thompson, a young entrepreneur who faced numerous rejections when trying to secure funding for her innovative startup. Despite the setbacks, Sarah remained undeterred. She used each rejection as a learning experience, fine-tuning her pitch and refining her business model. Eventually, her persistence paid off, and she secured a significant investment that allowed her startup to flourish.
• Another remarkable tale is that of Michael Rodriguez, a professional athlete who suffered a career-threatening injury. Many would have given up on their dreams after such a setback, but not Michael. He underwent grueling rehabilitation and tirelessly worked to regain his strength and skills. Through his unwavering determination, he not only returned to the sport he loved but also went on to achieve even greater success, becoming a role model for others facing similar challenges.
• Then there is the story of Lisa Patel, a single mother who faced numerous financial hardships while pursuing her education. Despite the odds stacked against her, Lisa refused to let adversity define her. She worked multiple jobs, studied late into the night, and sacrificed countless hours of sleep to ensure a better future for herself and her child. Today, Lisa holds a successful career in her chosen field, proving that perseverance can overcome even the most daunting obstacles.

These incredible individuals, along with countless others, serve as a reminder that turning points in life often arise from moments of adversity. It is through persistence, determination, and an unwavering belief in oneself that one can overcome any obstacle and achieve personal success. Their stories inspire change and motivate others to face their own challenges head-on, knowing that with resilience, they too can triumph over adversity.

Life is full of ups and downs, and sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom for us to find the strength and determination to rise to the top. In this section, we will explore inspiring stories of individuals who have experienced life-altering turning points that propelled them towards personal success and transformation.

1. Overcoming Addiction: Many individuals have battled with addiction and found themselves at rock bottom, feeling hopeless and trapped. However, these stories showcase how these individuals were able to turn their lives around through sheer willpower, support systems, and professional help. Their journey from the depths of addiction to a life of sobriety and personal fulfillment is truly inspiring.

2. From Failure to Success: Failure is often seen as a setback, but for some, it becomes the catalyst for personal growth and achievement. These stories highlight individuals who faced failure in various aspects of their lives, such as career, relationships, or personal goals. Despite the initial disappointment, they used their failures as stepping stones to learn, grow, and ultimately achieve remarkable success.

3. Overcoming Trauma: Traumatic experiences can leave individuals feeling broken and defeated. Yet, the stories featured here demonstrate the incredible resilience and strength of those who have experienced trauma and managed to rebuild their lives. Their stories serve as a reminder that it is possible to heal and find happiness even in the face of unimaginable adversity.

4. Reinventing Oneself: Sometimes, life takes an unexpected turn, forcing individuals to reassess their goals, passions, and identities. These stories explore how individuals have embraced change and reinvented themselves in the pursuit of personal happiness and fulfillment. From leaving unfulfilling careers to pursuing passion projects, these individuals prove that it is never too late to start anew.

5. Overcoming Mental Health Challenges: Mental health struggles can be debilitating, but these stories shed light on individuals who have faced their battles head-on and triumphed over adversity. Through therapy, self-care practices, and a support network, they have managed to reclaim their lives and find a renewed sense of purpose and joy.

These stories of personal transformation serve as powerful reminders that no matter how dire our circumstances may seem, there is always hope for a brighter future. By sharing their journeys, these individuals inspire us to embrace our own turning points and embark on our paths towards personal success and fulfillment.

The “Triumphing Against all Odds: Inspiring Stories of Resilience” section of the article “Turning Points: Personal Success Stories That Inspire Change” showcases remarkable individuals who have defied adversity and demonstrated immense resilience in the face of challenges. These stories serve as powerful examples of how determination and perseverance can lead to personal triumphs.

1. Emily’s Journey to Recovery: Emily, a young athlete, suffered a devastating injury that left her paralyzed from the waist down. Despite this life-altering event, she refused to let her circumstances define her. Through countless hours of physical therapy and unwavering determination, Emily not only regained her mobility but also became a Paralympic champion, inspiring countless others with her resilience and indomitable spirit.

2. Michael’s Entrepreneurial Spirit: Michael, a former convict, faced numerous barriers when reentering society. Determined to turn his life around, he founded a successful social enterprise that provides job opportunities for individuals with criminal records. Michael’s story exemplifies the power of second chances and highlights the potential for personal growth and success, even in the face of significant obstacles.

3. Sarah’s Triumph over Illness: Sarah was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer at a young age. Despite the grim prognosis, she approached her treatment with unwavering optimism and a fighting spirit. Sarah not only beat the odds and achieved remission but also dedicated her life to raising awareness and funds for cancer research. Her story is a testament to the human spirit’s ability to overcome adversity and make a lasting impact.

4. David’s Journey from Addiction to Recovery: David battled with addiction for years, which had a detrimental impact on his personal and professional life. However, a turning point came when he sought help and committed to his recovery journey. Through rehabilitation, therapy, and the support of his loved ones, David transformed his life. Today, he helps others on their path to recovery as a counselor, proving that resilience and determination can lead to a brighter future.

These stories of resilience and triumph against all odds serve as powerful reminders that turning points can lead to personal growth, incredible achievements, and the ability to inspire change in oneself and others. They demonstrate that no matter how challenging life may seem, resilience and determination can pave the way for success and transformation.

In the section titled “Breaking Barriers: How Individuals Defied Expectations and Succeeded,” we explore inspiring personal success stories that showcase the power of turning points. These individuals defied expectations and overcame challenges, proving that determination and resilience can lead to remarkable achievements.

Through their extraordinary journeys, these individuals have demonstrated the ability to break through societal barriers and create transformative change, inspiring others to do the same. Let’s delve into their stories:

• Maryam Ahmed: Maryam Ahmed, a young woman from a small village, defied cultural norms by pursuing her dream of becoming an engineer. Despite facing skepticism and prejudice, Maryam’s unwavering determination enabled her to secure a scholarship at a prestigious university. Today, she serves as an inspiration to countless young girls, encouraging them to pursue careers in STEM fields.
• Carlos Rodriguez: Carlos Rodriguez, a formerly incarcerated individual, turned his life around through education and entrepreneurship. Determined to break the cycle of crime and poverty, Carlos obtained a college degree while in prison and started his own successful business upon release. Now, he advocates for criminal justice reform and provides mentorship to others seeking a second chance.
• Sophia Chen: Sophia Chen, an immigrant from a war-torn country, faced numerous obstacles upon arriving in a new land. Despite not knowing the local language and lacking financial resources, Sophia worked tirelessly to learn, adapt, and eventually become a successful entrepreneur. Her story serves as a testament to the resilience and tenacity of immigrants who strive for a better future.

These turning points in their lives not only propelled these individuals towards personal success but also inspired change within their communities. By defying expectations, they shattered stereotypes and proved that anyone can achieve greatness with determination and perseverance.

As we celebrate these remarkable stories, let us reflect on our own potential to overcome barriers and embrace turning points in our lives. Together, we can create a world where personal success knows no limits.

Within the realm of personal success stories, the concept of self-belief emerges as a transformative turning point for individuals seeking change. These inspiring narratives testify to the profound impact that self-belief can have on one’s journey towards growth and achievement. By embracing the power of self-belief, individuals have harnessed their inner strength to overcome obstacles, pursue their dreams, and ultimately shape their own destinies.

1. Surmounting Challenges: Countless individuals have experienced turning points in their lives when they confronted seemingly insurmountable challenges. However, it was their unwavering self-belief that propelled them forward, enabling them to conquer adversity. In the face of setbacks, they refused to succumb to doubt or fear, instead choosing to believe in their abilities and capacity to overcome any obstacle. This unwavering self-belief became the catalyst for their personal growth and eventual triumph.

2. Pursuing Dreams: The stories of personal success are replete with individuals who dared to dream big and pursued their aspirations with unwavering self-belief. These individuals recognized that their dreams were within reach if they wholeheartedly believed in their own potential. By nurturing self-belief, they took bold steps towards their goals, defying societal norms and expectations. Their unwavering self-belief became the driving force that propelled them towards their dreams.

3. Shaping Destinies: The power of self-belief extends beyond surmounting challenges and pursuing dreams; it also empowers individuals to shape their own destinies. These stories highlight how self-belief served as a catalyst for personal growth and achievement, allowing individuals to carve their unique paths in life. By trusting in their abilities and embracing their inner strength, they defied limitations and charted their own course towards success.

These captivating stories of personal growth and achievement underscore the transformative power of self-belief. They serve as a testament to the immense impact that self-belief can have on individuals seeking change, turning points, and personal success. By harnessing the power of self-belief, one can unlock their true potential, overcome challenges, pursue dreams, and ultimately shape their own destinies.

The “Making a Difference: Inspirational Accounts of Changing Lives” section of the article focuses on the transformative Turning Points in people’s lives that have led to personal success stories and inspired significant change.

These stories serve as powerful reminders that even in the face of challenges, individuals have the ability to create positive change and make a difference in their lives and the lives of others.

• One such account features Sarah, a single mother who faced numerous obstacles while trying to provide for her young children. Determined to break the cycle of poverty, Sarah embarked on a journey of self-improvement and skill-building. Through sheer perseverance and unwavering dedication, she acquired the necessary qualifications to secure a stable job and create a better future for her family.
• Another inspiring story revolves around John, a once troubled teenager who found himself entangled in a life of crime and despair. After a pivotal Turning Point, John realized the destructive path he was on and made the decision to turn his life around. Through rehabilitation programs and the support of mentors, he overcame his past and now advocates for at-risk youth, providing them with the guidance and resources he once lacked.
• Emily’s story showcases the transformative power of education. As a young girl from a disadvantaged background, she faced limited opportunities and societal barriers. However, a scholarship provided her with the chance to pursue higher education. This Turning Point ignited a passion for learning within Emily, empowering her to become an advocate for equal educational opportunities and inspiring others to pursue their dreams.

These accounts are just a glimpse into the countless stories of resilience, determination, and personal growth that serve as beacons of hope for those facing their own Turning Points. By sharing these stories, we hope to inspire and motivate readers to embrace change, overcome obstacles, and create their own success stories.

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Reading these personal success stories really inspired me to make changes in my own life. It’s amazing how one decision or event can completely transform someone’s trajectory. I would love to hear more about the specific turning points that led to their success. Can the author provide more detailed examples?

I can relate to these personal success stories on so many levels. It’s comforting to know that even the most successful people have faced challenges and overcome them. I would like to know if any of these individuals encountered self-doubt during their journey to success and how they managed to push through it.

These personal success stories are truly inspiring! It’s incredible how some people can turn their lives around and achieve greatness. I would be interested in learning about the role of mentors and support systems in these individuals’ journeys. Did they have someone guiding them along the way?

I found this article on personal success stories extremely motivating. It’s fascinating to see how people can overcome adversity and achieve their goals. I wonder if any of these individuals faced any major setbacks or failures before reaching their turning points. It would be interesting to hear about how they bounced back.

These personal success stories are a testament to the power of perseverance and determination. It’s encouraging to know that even during our darkest times, there is always a possibility for change and growth. I would love to hear more about the specific strategies these individuals used to overcome obstacles and achieve success.

These personal success stories are truly inspiring and serve as a reminder that we have the power to shape our own destinies. I would like to know if any of these individuals faced resistance or opposition from others when they decided to make a change. How did they deal with naysayers and stay focused on their goals?

As someone who is currently going through a transitional phase in life, these personal success stories have given me hope and motivation. It’s reassuring to know that others have gone through similar experiences and come out stronger. Can the author provide some practical tips for someone looking to make a positive change in their life?

These personal success stories are incredibly inspiring and thought-provoking. They make me reflect on my own life and the possibilities that lie ahead. I would like to know if any of these individuals had to make sacrifices or step out of their comfort zones to achieve their goals. How did they handle the fear of the unknown?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading these personal success stories. They serve as a reminder that it’s never too late to make a change and pursue our dreams. I would be interested in knowing if any of these individuals had to overcome self-limiting beliefs or societal expectations to embrace their true potential.

These personal success stories are truly motivating and inspiring. It’s incredible how individuals can transform their lives through determination and hard work. I would like to know if any of these individuals received any professional training or education to support their journey towards success. Did they seek out specific knowledge or skills?

I was struggling with my career for years until I read this article. It was filled with inspiring personal success stories that motivated me to make a change in my life. One story, in particular, resonated with me and gave me the courage to start my own business. I would love to hear more about the challenges these individuals faced and how they overcame them.

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8 Inspiring Stories About Change

Last Updated on October 16, 2022

Want your life to change?

You need to remember that your life won’t change if you simply wish for it. If you want your life to change, you need to get out there and do something .

So in this post, let’s go over eight inspiring stories about people who went to great lengths to change their lives .

The goal of this article is to provide you with insightful stories and inspiration that can encourage you to change your life for the better .

Table of Contents

1. Feeling lost and alone, in the middle of nowhere

Once, there was a little girl who lived comfortably. Her mom and dad were wealthy, and she could have everything she wanted.

The problem? Her parents had no time for her. They were always busy with work. And so, she was left all alone in their big house.

One day, she felt so down. That time, she waited for her parents to leave their house so she could start a journey of her own without their knowledge.

When her mom and dad were out of sight, she took a step outside of their home, walked forward, and never looked back. When she walked far enough, she got exhausted and wanted to sit down. It was then she realized she was in the middle of nowhere.

She was all alone.

But because she was tired of her life and wanted it to change, she accepted her fate. She was out of her comfort zone, and what’s about to come to her might be even more challenging.

But she was determined. So she did what was practical and kept going forward.

2. Going back to school at the age of 46

Karen Whitehead quit her job to take care of her mother who was struggling with age-related illnesses. Her mother was terribly sick, and Karen wanted to be there for her parent.

In addition to caring for her mother, she runs a private practice to assist people with anxiety and chronic illnesses. She wants to help them manage their stress and the anxiety that results from illnesses. 

She also enrolled in Boston University’s online Master of Social Work program.

The reason she decided to be so busy? She wanted to stay productive for the better and avoid giving in to the frustrations she might feel because of her mother’s unfortunate situation. 

3. Leaving a miserable, high-paying job and renting a house

Her name is Leslie Scott. She knew she worked in a toxic environment because her employer kept demanding too much from her. For a while, it didn’t bother her because her work was financially rewarding — it awarded her a six-figure salary.

But when her health was compromised because of her employer’s pressure and how busy she was, she let it all go without batting an eye.

After she left her life in a fast-paced setting, she went to the woods. There, she rented a cabin next to the river and tried to adjust to her new environment.

At first, she found her new environment challenging. She missed her old life and felt tempted to go back to it. There came a point that she worried about finances.

But after nine months, things got better for her — she landed a job in the recreation industry. She eventually decided to start her own bath and beauty company Walton Wood Farm , something that became a multi-million dollar company.

4. The weight of the glass

Some time ago, a female psychology student overheard a boy, named Angel, tell his friends about his worries regarding life. So she approached them and gave them an unforgettable lesson.

As she walked towards them, she held on to a glass of water and asked them:

“How much does this water weigh?”

“I don’t know,” Angel said with a shrug.

“Eight ounces!”

“Wrong,” the student said.

“2 pounds!”

“Wrong again.”

“What is the right answer?” Angel asked.

“The way I see it, the actual weight — the weight in numbers — is irrelevant. What’s relevant is how much time a person spends holding it.”

“What do you mean?” asked Angel.

“If you spend less than a minute holding the glass of water, you’ll observe that it’s fairly light. Meanwhile, if you spend hours with it in your hands, your arm might ache. And if you spend almost a day holding it, your arm is likely to cramp and feel numb,” she explained.

“Oh. I suppose that makes sense.”

“Yes. It’s just like your worries. The longer you worry, the heavier your heart will feel.”

5. If there’s a will, there’s a way

An old man took his young nephew to see the highest height on a hill. While he wanted to go to the top, he accepted that he wasn’t strong enough to get there. And so he told his nephew that together, they’ll just admire the majestic view. 

But the nephew didn’t want to simply look at what’s in front of them. He argued that they have what it takes to get on top of the hills — and so they did. He helped his uncle during the climb, and sometimes, he tied up the old man on his back.

The nephew had an effortless time climbing to the top because he was physically fit. Plus, he knew his way around the hill. He told his uncle he used to play there frequently when he was a little boy.

He told his uncle that there is always a way to make this feat — and anything — come true. The young man added that while admiring things from afar is good, nothing beats the actual experience.

6. The search

A man named Rafe wanted someone to always be by his side. He wanted someone who understood him and saw the world in the same way. So he began searching for a woman to be his partner.

But during his travels around the world, he became wiser. He learned a lot about himself, heard legendary stories, and gained enlightenment.

By then, he realized he was asking for too much. He learned that a partner is someone you attract — and not just someone who enters your life because you want them to. 

So he stopped his search. Rather than keep looking for a woman, he invested his time in activities that improved the way he saw himself. He built his self-confidence, got a rewarding career, and learned a trade.

Ironically, that’s the time a life partner presented herself to him.

7. The loss of a wife

Allen Klein’s wife died from a rare liver disease at age 34. He loved her immensely and got so devastated that he began to see life differently. His wife and the life he had with her were what he lived for. 

After her death, he didn’t know what to do. He felt like his life was going downhill.

He sank into depression. And he got so impulsive at one point that he left his company, the company he worked so hard to build , to his partner. 

Then he started going to nightclubs that featured stand-up comedies. And that was when he realized how humor significantly helped alleviate his grief.

So he researched some more about the subject. He was so impressed by what he learned — by how powerful humor is — that he decided to write stories and books about it.

His first story, The Healing Power of Humor, became a best-seller primarily because of how helpful it is to other people who are coping with grief. It has even been translated into a ninth language!

His success as an author is how he found himself smiling again. 10 years ago, he never would’ve imagined himself to be in his current place. But he knows that things change and sometimes, the best course of action is to adapt to them.

8. What is life all about?

Once there was a girl who had the freedom to do anything she wanted. So she did what made her heart happy: Painting!

She spent years painting. And all those years, she was happy.

But one day, when she finished painting one of her masterpieces, she got anxious. She went on a break and stopped painting for a while.

It was then that she realized her life was meaningless. 

Sure, she painted beautiful artworks. Her paintings were amazing, and she knew it. Beyond these paintings, however, she had no life.

So from that moment on, she began delving into other areas., too. And she started to sell her art and donate the funds to charitable organizations.

What can these short stories about change in life do for you?

These short stories are meant to inspire you . As you have read above, the people who changed their lives didn’t have it easy. They were, however, determined to be in better situations.

That’s how you should be, too. You should also be determined.

Remember, change may be uncomfortable. But don’t let it discourage you from pursuing it and other great things. Soon enough, you’ll get used to your new situation.

And if you have a short story about change that you’d like to share, tell us about it here.

• How Do I Change My Mindset from Negative to Positive
• 7 Inspirational Stories About Courage

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3 Inspiring Short Stories about Management to Teach You Powerful Lessons

Management is the process of planning or organizing resources in a business to achieve its goals in the most efficient way.

So, organizations need effective Management to achieve their end target. To succeed in management you need to acquire some skills which help you achieve the goals. For that, you need to learn some important management lessons which will improve your skills.

We have 3 inspiring short stories about management to teach you important management lessons in life.

#1. Short Stories on Management – Donkey and the two idiots

There was an old man and boy who worked in a farmhouse. The owner of the farmhouse told them to go to the town and buy some food grain for the animals, with the help of a Donkey.  

They started going to the town. The boy rode on the Donkey, while the old man walked alongside. As they were going, a man who is known to both the boy and old man told them, “See, the old man was walking and the young boy was riding comfortably. It’s a shame”.

The boy and the old man thought he was correct, so they decided to change their positions.

Now, the old man was riding and the boy was walking alongside. Then they saw a lady, who scolded the old man, “Don’t you have some sense. You made the boy walk and you were enjoying the ride on the Donkey”.

Hearing this both of them decided that we should both walk.

Soon they passed near a shop and stopped there to drink some water. The shop owner told, “You both are stupid or what?. You have a Donkey to ride but still you both are walking”. Then they decided both should ride on the donkey.

After some time, they saw a group of people who were passing by, scolding them, “You both don’t have any sympathy. You are putting so much load on the poor donkey”.

The man and the boy got down and started discussing. After some time they decided to carry the donkey.

Both of them carried the donkey on the shoulder and started walking. They were struggling, as the donkey was heavy to carry. Then they came near a small bridge over a river. As they crossed, both of them lose their grip on the donkey and it fell into the river and drowned.

Seeing the donkey drowned, people started abusing the old man and the boy.

Moral of the story:

In management, you will come across many situations or people where you are forced to please them. If you do so, then you have to face the consequences.

Remember, you cannot please everyone or every situation. Just give importance to the purpose and what is really required for that situation and stick to that.

If you start pleasing, throughout your life you have to keep on pleasing someone. So, stop doing it.

#2. Short Stories on Management – The Pastor’s duty

A church was located in a remote place where people nearby used to come up for services on Sunday.  

One Sunday it was snowing heavily and no one turned up for the services. After some time, a herder, who was managing a herd of cows far away on a farm, reached the church in the freezing snow. 

The pastor waited for some more time and no one turned up. The pastor went to the herder and said, “We have waited for some time now and only we two are there. I am not sure if it’s okay to proceed with the services. Let’s have some hot drink before you start to your home”.  

Herder said, “Pastor, I am a simple man. Thanks for offering a drink. But I have one point to say!”.  

Pastor, “Go ahead”.  

Herder, “When I go and feed my herd of Cows,  I used to whistle it out for them to come for the food. Most of the time, all the cows turn up. But sometimes, only one turn up and that time I will make sure that I don’t leave that cow hungry”.

The pastor realized his mistake and started to deliver the services.  

The services went for close to two hours before the pastor finished.  

The pastor felt very happy and thanked the herder for teaching him a valuable lesson, “It’s our duty to finish it, no matter how big or small the need is”.  

Then he asked Herder “Was everything okay? Hope you had good two hours”.

Herder replied, “Well when I go to feed my herd and If only one turns up for the food. I will make sure that I don’t force it to eat all the food I bought for the whole herd”.  

Then he thanked the pastor and went. The pastor could not say anything.

From the management’s point of view, this story teaches us an important lesson. Irrespective of the level of the work, our duty is to complete it properly with dedication.  

At the same time, we have to adapt to the changing environment and plan accordingly.

#3. Short Stories on Management – A Frog and two Goose

Once there was a frog in a little pond. Slowly the water in the pond started drying due to hot weather.  

One day, two geese came near the pond and the frog asked the two geese to take him to the nearby pond where there are more water.  

One of the geese told, “We know a pond where there is plenty of water. But, how we can take you there”.  

Frog told them, “Don’t worry, I have an Idea. You both hold a stick in your beaks and I will hold it with my mouth. Then you both can fly to that Pond”.  

Both the goose thought it should work and off they went.  

When they were flying, it was quite a sight for other animals on the ground. They looked up and admired for their creative teamwork.  

Some animal shouted, “It was a great idea and which one of you is so clever to bring the idea of travel”. Hearing this, the two geese kept silent and thought in their mind it was a team effort and focused on flying. But the frog opened his mouth and said, “It was I, who gave this idea” and he fell to the ground and died.

In the management world, there is never an “I”. Even if your contribution is the prime factor for the team’s success, you should never tell openly in the team. Every contribution from the team is important, whether it is big or small. 

To achieve any success in the team, it’s always a collective effort.

Featured Image Source: Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash

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3 Inspiring Short Stories on Faith to Make You Trust Yourself

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• Lectures/Literary

Ecology Success Stories: The Future Looks Bright

Global challenges like climate change can feel daunting. But science has helped society tackle major environmental problems in the past, and we can do it again. Cary Institute’s Peter Groffman will share inspiring examples of ecological success stories, where science has led to effective solutions and a cleaner environment for all.

Discover how ecosystem science has led to policy and management action that has curbed acid rain, reduced nutrient pollution to freshwaters, and conserved endangered species. Groffman will explore the factors contributing to these success stories, why teamwork is essential, and what we can learn from the past to address today’s challenges.

Free and open to all, this hybrid event will feature time for Q&A. Participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance during registration, so they can be woven into the presentation.

Event Supported By

Journalist Mark Hertsgaard Discusses Climate Change and the Media

Hertsgaard, co-founder and executive director of the global media collaboration Covering Climate Now, spoke at the Yale School of Management on April 4 as part of the R. Peter Straus Lecture series.

Covering climate change news accurately and urgently should be a top priority for mainstream media outlets today, journalist Mark Hertsgaard told a Yale School of Management audience on April 4.

“We should be covering climate change like the emergency that science says it is,” said Hertsgaard, co-founder and executive director of the global media collaboration Covering Climate Now and the environment correspondent for The Nation. “It’s an emergency because we have to act very rapidly or it’s going to be too late.”

Hertsgaard spoke at Yale SOM as part of the R. Peter Straus Lecture series. Named for Straus YC ’44, a pioneer in public-service radio, the series presents talks by prominent individuals on topics that relate to the press and public responsibility.

Hertsgaard has covered climate change since 1989, reporting from 25 countries for multiple global media outlets and publishing books on the environmental crisis including Earth Odyssey and HOT .

Stuart DeCew, executive director at the Yale Center for Business and the Environment, introduced Hertsgaard, and Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, moderated the discussion.

Hertsgaard described how he came to devote his career to climate change coverage. His interest in the environment was kindled in childhood.

“I grew up on a farm,” he said. “Nature is part of your life. Very early on it was clear to me the environment was the foundation of all other issues. If you don’t get that one right, nothing else is going to matter.”

While noting that nuclear war and climate change are two issues that currently pose the biggest threats to the environment, Hertsgaard said that climate change is unique in that it is has a “time limit.”

The role of media, he said, is to raise public awareness of the climate crisis and its solutions and to combat disinformation that discredits the human causes of that crisis.

Hertsgaard and some colleagues launched Covering Climate Now five years ago to address the dearth of serious, balanced climate coverage in the mainstream U.S. media. The organization is composed of journalists, not activists; its sole mission is to collaborate in informing the public.

The organization has ballooned in five years and today works with reporters and editors across the U.S. and across the globe. “We have moved the needle, but we have a long way to go,” Hertsgaard said. 

Hertsgaard answered a variety of student questions, touching on issues including the erosion of public trust in the media and in the government; the elements that make climate news stories effective; and how policies can assist communities and industries as they transition out of fossil fuel-burning economies. 

He encouraged students to push for political change that supports aggressive environmental protection.

“If you care about climate change, vote,” he said, adding that U.S. voter participation is way too low. “Recognize the situation that you’re in and get active.”