In this episode of Change Leader Insights, Jessica Crow speaks with John Saunders, the bestselling author of “The Optimizer: Building and Leading a Team of Serial Innovators”. Previously, John spent over 20 years as a Wall Street SVP, sales team leader, and award-winning sales executive. Today, he is an executive coach, author, and podcast host, and is a regular guest on podcasts. He has spoken at international conferences and Universities including Georgetown (GU) & Columbia. He is a regular contributor to the GU Executive MBA mentorship program, is an active angel investor, and was a member of the GU MBA Alumni Advisory Council. Tune in as Jessica and John discuss the power of storytelling and how stories build trust, develop buy-in, and accelerate organizational change.   Capturing the hearts and minds of busy stakeholders is paramount during change and transformation. To cut through the noise, John explains that leaders need to follow a formula to create a cohesive story, but first they need to be clear on why they do what they do – their mission and vision. To help clients find clarity, John will often ask, “Who would win from participating in this story, or using your product or service?” Once you get clarity on those things, says John, leaders can start to identify the stories that help people buy-in.   Highlights from the conversation include: The importance of getting out of your comfort zone and learning new skills; How storytelling can help impacted stakeholders overcome fear, loss, shame, and uncertainty that is common during organizational change; and, The value of following a formula to create a structured story that resonates. If you would like to leverage storytelling to build trust, deepen relationships, and increase your level of influence in the workplace – do not miss this powerful episode!     ☑️ To find John online, go to: https://www.johncsaunders.com/ ☑️ To follow John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcs-optimizer/ ☑️To download the STICK formula worksheet: https://www.johncsaunders.com/storytelling