Tell To Win: Post #1--Overview

Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story by Peter Guber (Crown Business, 2011). Reviewed by Steve Gladis, Ph.D., April 2011.

If Peter Guber had his way, the CEO would be the Chief Emotional Transportation Officer because Guber believes a leader needs to emotionally transport people to action. Guber—an extraordinarily successful entrepreneur, movie studio chief, pro basketball team owner and more—leverages his moviemaking career to give us a fundamental lesson in people: We like drama—also known as story. Although not mentioned in the book, story has its roots in Aristotle—the point guard on my personal fantasy intellectual dream team. Author of many classics including Rhetoric, Aristotle notes that to have a good story (or speech) you need to have an introduction, a body and a conclusion. I like how Guber puts it (true to his moviemaking roots): We need a challenge, a struggle and a resolution. He steps it up by saying that in the storytelling process, good speakers (storytellers) transport people to action by emotionally engaging them through story. His book is rife with personal stories of him interacting with all manner of people including presidents and dictators—I especially enjoyed the story about his conversation with Castro. So, Guber practices what he preaches. His message is simple, powerful and something every leader, and especially every Chief Emotional Transportation Officer, should heed.