As technical leaders, two of our most important responsibilities are motivating our team and motivating others to join our team when needed. One of the most powerful tools in our toolbelt to do so is storytelling. It’s been proven time and time again, that human beings are very moved by the power of stories.

In a landscape as competitive as the tech industry, having a compelling story about the work your team is doing can mean the difference between an employee staying or leaving, or a candidate accepting your offer or not. This talk will explore how to craft a compelling story about the work you and your team do.

We will discuss storytelling best practises, and go through some examples from my teams work at Shopify. We’ll talk about the importance of clarifying your mission (what you’re doing), and your purpose (why you’re doing it) with your team, and how this exercise helps build empathy for your end user.

Personal reflection

After watching the talk, take a few minutes to think about the following:

1. When was a time that a story that changed the way you think about something?
2. What's a story you could tell your team to rally and motivate them?