This isn’t about soft skills. Stories are a powerful tool for critical change.
Peter Rudge
Managing Director, HumanStory What we do
Every leader carries a lifetime of moments that could move a room — most never learned to use them. We help you find those stories, shape them with the structure the brain is wired to follow, and deliver them with confidence, so you can influence, inspire and connect with any audience.
01
Find your stories
Together we surface the moments from your life and work that carry meaning — a challenge faced, a risk taken, a hard-won lesson. Everyone has them; most people overlook them.
02
Shape them with structure
We order each story using the arc great leaders rely on — connection, challenge, resolution — the neurochemical pattern that holds attention and drives action.
03
Deliver with confidence
You practise until it feels effortless. Introvert or extrovert, you leave with a repeatable method and a set of stories ready for any audience.
The Power of Personal Story
“Stories constitute the single most powerful weapon in a leader’s arsenal.”
Howard Gardner
Professor of Psychology, Harvard
“Increasing realness and humanity by sharing personal stories is a powerful way to build trust.”
Harvard Business Review
“What people are craving is authenticity, listening, empathy and a degree of vulnerability.”
Alan Murray
CEO, Fortune
Masters of personal story
Business icons who lead with story — the same structure, again and again.
Steve Jobs
Stanford, 2005
His Stanford address is a masterclass in the arc — connection, loss, rebirth.
Barack Obama
“Fired Up, Ready to Go”
“Fired up, ready to go” — a personal story prepped for every stop.
Warren Buffett
Berkshire Hathaway
The Sage of Omaha turns folksy anecdotes into billion-dollar persuasion.
Indra Nooyi
PepsiCo
Led PepsiCo with stories of family, duty and purpose.
Howard Schultz
Starbucks
Built Starbucks on a story of belonging, not just coffee.
WHO IT’S FOR
For company leaders, senior teams and entrepreneurs.
WHAT YOU GET
Improved influencing skills, applying personal examples of a moment of challenge from your life.
HOW WE WORK
Coaching, Workshops and Training. Flexible to meet your needs.
Get the story right and it does the hard work for you. It aligns people behind a vision, unlocks growth, and turns change into something they choose rather than resist.
Peter Rudge
Managing Director, HumanStory What clients say
Questions & answers
- Who is personal storytelling for?
- Company leaders, senior teams and entrepreneurs who want to influence, inspire and connect with any audience.
- I’m an introvert — can I still do this?
- Yes. Storytelling is a learnable skill, and introverts often make the most compelling storytellers.
- What will I walk away with?
- A set of your own stories and a repeatable framework for using them, from a Town Hall to a podcast.
- Isn’t great storytelling just natural talent?
- No. As Peter puts it, storytelling is 80% preparation and 20% performance — Obama’s team prepared a personal story for every event.
- How is it delivered?
- Coaching, workshops and training, tailored to your goals, in-person or virtual.
Ready?
Schedule a free consultation to discuss your needs.
