5 Storytelling Mistakes Leaders Make

Avoid common storytelling pitfalls to enhance your leadership impact and connect with your audience more effectively.

Want to improve your storytelling as a leader? Avoid these five common mistakes that can weaken your message:

Too Many Details: Overloading your story with unnecessary specifics can confuse your audience. Stick to the essentials and focus on one main message.
Poor Structure: Disorganised stories lose impact. Ensure a clear beginning, middle, and end for a logical flow.
Lack of Emotion: Facts alone don’t inspire. Add relatable, emotional elements to connect with your audience.
No Clear Message: Without a focused takeaway, your story risks losing relevance. Always define your purpose.
Complex Language and Jargon: Avoid technical terms or complicated words. Simple, clear language makes your story accessible.

Quick Tip: Great storytelling is about clarity, connection, and purpose. Keep it simple, emotional, and focused to inspire action.

553: The Four Storytelling Mistakes Leaders Make, with David ...

1. Too Many Details

Clarity depends on staying focused. Packing your stories with unnecessary details can confuse your audience and water down your main point. Stick to what matters most.

Here’s how to keep your storytelling sharp:

Focus on one main message and include only details that support it.
Check each detail to ensure it adds value to your story.
Choose emotionally engaging details instead of getting lost in technical specifics.

Up next, we'll look at how poor structure can weaken your narrative.

2. Poor Story Structure

Once you've refined your details, it's time to organise them into a clear and logical sequence. A strong structure keeps your audience engaged and ensures your message comes across effectively.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

Telling events out of order, which can confuse your audience
Skipping important links between parts of the story
Leaving gaps in the narrative that disrupt the flow

Make sure each part of your story builds naturally towards your main point, creating a seamless journey for your audience.

3. Lack of Emotion

A story, no matter how well-structured, won't resonate without emotion. Facts alone rarely motivate action or leave a lasting impression.

Here’s what often goes wrong:

Narratives that lack emotion struggle to engage or inspire.
Stories without personal touches feel distant and less relatable.

Studies highlight that storytelling can build trust, boost productivity, increase engagement, and create a sense of psychological safety. When used thoughtfully, it can also motivate teams to reach their goals.

4. No Clear Message

Once you've added emotion to your story, it's crucial to ground it with a clear and purposeful message.

A leader's story should always have a well-defined point. Without it, even the most engaging narrative can leave the audience wondering about its relevance.

When a story lacks clarity, it can lead to:

Confused listeners
Missed opportunities to emphasise values
A weaker overall impact

The best leadership stories not only align with organisational goals but also connect with what the audience cares about.

To make sure your story has a clear message, follow these three steps:

Define your purpose: Decide what you want your audience to think, feel, or do after hearing your story.
Provide context: Link your story to current challenges or objectives to make it relevant.
Keep it focused: Cut out anything that doesn't directly support your main point.

5. Complex Language and Jargon

Even the most well-crafted story can lose its impact if your audience gets tripped up by jargon or overly complicated language.

Replace technical terms and industry jargon with simpler, more universally understood words.
Make sure any changes still maintain the original meaning and intent of your message.

Clear communication always wins.

Good vs Bad Storytelling

Here’s a quick comparison to help you understand what works - and what doesn’t - when it comes to storytelling:

Aspect	Effective Storytelling	Ineffective Storytelling
Structure	Clear beginning, middle, and end with a logical flow	Disorganised and lacks a clear direction
Language	Simple, easy-to-understand words	Overloaded with jargon and complicated terms
Message	One focused takeaway that encourages action	Too many competing ideas that create confusion
Emotional Connection	Relatable personal experiences that engage the audience	Reliance on dry stats or data with no human touch
Detail Level	Just enough detail to support the main idea	Excessive information that distracts from the point

Use this table as a guide to craft stories that connect with your audience and leave a lasting impression.

Conclusion

To excel in leadership storytelling, steer clear of common mistakes: keep details concise, ensure a clear structure, infuse real emotion, focus your message, and use straightforward language. When leaders get these elements right, their stories connect with people and inspire real change.

Start applying these techniques now. Check out Leadership Story Bank's resources to refine your storytelling skills and create narratives that motivate action and support organisational goals.

FAQs

To define the main message of your story, start by identifying the core idea you wish to communicate. Ask yourself: What do I want my audience to remember or feel after hearing this story? Focus on a single, impactful takeaway to ensure clarity and resonance.

Once you've pinpointed the main message, check that every detail in your story supports it. Avoid unnecessary tangents or excessive information that might dilute your point. Remember, a well-crafted story with a clear purpose is far more powerful and memorable.

How can I make my storytelling more emotionally engaging as a leader?

To create emotionally engaging stories, focus on building a connection with your audience. Share experiences that are relatable, authentic, and resonate with their values or challenges. Simplify your message to avoid overwhelming them with unnecessary details, and ensure your story has a clear purpose.

Incorporate emotional elements by tapping into universal themes like perseverance, teamwork, or overcoming adversity. Use vivid imagery and descriptive language to help your audience visualise the story, and don't shy away from showing vulnerability - it humanises you and builds trust. Finally, tailor your storytelling to the context and the needs of your audience to make it truly impactful.

How can I decide which details to include in my story without overwhelming my audience?

To avoid overwhelming your audience, focus on the key elements that drive your story forward. Start by identifying the main point or message you want to convey, then include only the details that directly support it. Avoid unnecessary tangents or excessive background information.

A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself: Does this detail enhance understanding or emotional connection? If not, it’s likely best left out. Keep your story concise, engaging, and relevant to your audience’s interests or needs.