Storytelling & Leadership

November 06, 2015

We have had so much fun these past few weeks working with the Akili Dada scholars and fellows in Kenya. They put up a great post about why storytelling is important as they empower the next generation of African female leaders.

Originally posted on the Akili Dada blog

How do you tell your story? How can you use your story to connect with others? What does your story have to do with social impact? These are the questions  that Akili Dada Fellows worked to answer during a recent training session facilitated by Resonate.

Akili Dada Fellows are equipped with the skills necessary to run an effective and impactful organization through a series of trainings.  The most recent Fellow training began with a session around  financial management and sustainability, which was followed by a deep dive into another essential leadership skill; storytelling. In social change work and especially for founders, personal stories are often intrinsically linked to the story of the project itself.  Even more, developing an articulate and eloquent story, both personally and organizationally, is key in communicating clearly (both internally and externally) purpose and impact.

The workshop with Resonate explored the importance of and power in storytelling, and allowed our Fellows and Alumnae of our high school scholarship program to discover and experience the practical application of creating and telling stories. The session also allowed our fellows to reflect inwardly on their values, explore shared experiences of communities, and learn how to express their stories in ways that inspire others to action.  The training has enabled our fellows to better articulate their work, connect with their audience and embrace their public role.