Around the Corporate Campfire: How Great Leaders Use Stories to Inspire Success

by Evelyn Clark

Book Overview

A collection of stories about top U.S.-based companies that leverage the power of storytelling as a management communication tool. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932863044
• ISBN13: 9781932863048
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: Insight Publishing Group
• Length: 230 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Story Telling Paves the Road To Success

I chose this book because it was interesting and published recently so I thought a lot of the ideas in it would be modern. Communication is a field that requires up to date books and ideas that evolve as quickly as technology. I liked the fact that this book involved story telling, which is a relatively timeless communication technique. I thought that the contrast between the modern time it was written and one of the oldest means of entertainment would make for an interesting read. Another intriguing quality of this book that I liked prior to reading it was the fact that it involved real life companies. What better way to teach about effective story telling and leadership success than from company leaders that have mastered the skill? The book is filled with stories from well known multimillion dollar companies such as Nike, Costco, Kodak, Mary Kay, Southwest Airlines, and Medtronic among others. It is fascinating to learn the way that these companies use stories to inspire employee unity, consumer loyalty, and advertising. It seems that a theme throughout the book is that, regardless of what your company sells, there is one pathway to success and it is lined with stories. The stories range from touching (in a chapter titled Medtronic: Dad I Saved a Life Today) to entertaining (Nike: A Global Competitor Running on Waffle Soles). No matter what your future leadership role may be this book will definitely help you reach your goal. After reading this book I thought that it was well written and organized. Each company has its own chapter and within this chapter Evelyn Clark describes at least one success story about the company's owners, employees, CEOs, or customers. I particularly liked the ease of understanding. I thought that she communicated her points well and offered a lot of insight into how to successfully master the art of story telling. A lot of the ideas she has in the book are things that make so much sense I could not believe I had not thought of them myself. I am a student and I can attest to the fact that I often remember lecture material better if the professor had a personal story that related to it. Overall, this book was both entertaining and educational. I recommend this book to anyone that is a leader, wants to become a leader, or is interesting in learning about leadership techniques. I never considered how much stories affect our every day life. Stories have been being told long before there was written word or the internet and show no sign of going out of style. It is essential to learn how to use this type of communication for future success and this book is an excellent place to start.

The Inside Story of Successful Companies

"Stories play a major therapeutic role in life. As earthly sojourners in the 21st century we experience the outer world in society, organizations and communities as paradoxical, rapidly changing, and becoming more globally inter-dependent. This out world many times is at variance with our own inner world. And this is the therapeutic power of storytelling." ~David Dunning, Corporate Leadership Psychologist Evelyn Clark works with many leaders who want to enhance creativity through storytelling. She also gives examples of the stories corporate leaders tell their employees. This gives insight into the philosophies of companies like Costco, Nike, Kodak, Mary Kay, FedEx and Southwest Airlines. So, how can you strengthen your company with stories? Employees need to understand the company's philosophy and the history. When leaders tell the stories of how a company came into existence or how a product changed lives, this gives meaning to going to work everyday. It is always helpful to know you are part of a greater plan, a company that is changing the world or at least making life better for people buying the products. Evelyn Clark focuses on visionary leaders who use stories to create the future they desire. How was a track coach inspired by his wife's waffle iron? The story of Nike is rather intriguing and then the stories of how the company has influenced lives gets even more entertaining. The company puts stories at their corporate website to inspire and many stories can be told online. You may find yourself gravitating to specific stories because you recognize the company or have an interest in the specific type of product a company is selling. The story of Kodak is more universal and if you have yet to see a Mary Kay car, then you may not be living in America. These are stories we can all relate to and Evelyn explains how to communicate through broadcast media or in print. Could you motivate your employees through a daily voice-mailbox message or would it be better to put the story at your website? Around the Corporate Campfire is filled with stories to inspire success in your company. Even if you don't own a company, this book is entertaining reading and could give you some interesting material for conversations with friends, especially if they enjoy shopping at Costco, REI or wear Nike shoes. Reading the core values of REI gives insight into why some companies succeed and why core values are crucial to success. ~The Rebecca Review

Leaders Who Want To Be Great Need To Read This Book

Eveyn Clark has written a wonderful book about corporate storytelling and in the process has told us a wonderful story. She has gathered us around in a corporate, global campfire circle and inspired, entertained, and taught us the value of storytelling. She gives us role models to follow and insights to understand why this is so important in today's business world. She gives guidance as to how to implement storytelling into our own corporate lives. A very important book in this digital world we live in.

Rich Barbee, CEO, K/P Corporation, San Ramon CA

"I believe this work is a `must read and understand' for all senior executives. Quite simply, most CEOs tell the world their most important assets are their people. Yet, what they most often discuss are their financials and their markets. This book is a wonderful review of companies relating to their employees through storytelling and becoming more successful as a result."

Timely book for those who want to communicate better

Storytelling in business is a subject that's been popping up in the business media, so this book is timely. Evelyn Clark makes a strong case for the importance of using stories if you're a leader who wants to get your point across. She demonstrates her point by telling stories about a lot of well-known companies and explaining how they use stories and why they believe in it. It's an easy book to read because each chapter is about a different company, so you can read just one at a time and come back to it several days or weeks later without losing the train of thought. The appendices include a checklist for evaluating your entire communication program and templates for developing your own stories so you can put the lessons to work. There's also data on several studies that confirm the value of storytelling in the workplace. I highly recommend Around the Corporate Campfire if you want other people to listen to you and remember what you said!