6 Storytelling Frameworks Every CEO Needs to Know

 

Most CEOs get storytelling wrong.

And it's costing them millions.

I've seen brilliant ideas die in boardrooms.
Watched potential investors check their phones.
Noticed employees' eyes glaze over during speeches.

Not because the ideas were bad.
But because the story wasn't there.

These 6 frameworks change everything:

1) Simon Sinek's Golden Circle
↳ Don't start with what you do. Start with WHY you do it.
↳ Then explain HOW you do it differently.
↳ Only then share WHAT you actually offer.

When Airbnb pitches, they don't just say "we rent rooms."
They start with "we create belonging."

2) Minto's Pyramid Principle
↳ Hit them with your main point first.
↳ Support it with clear evidence.
↳ Add details only if they ask.

Your busy stakeholders will love you for this.
No more waiting until slide 20 for the punchline.

3) The Pixar Pitch
↳ "Once upon a time..." (set the scene)
↳ "Every day..." (show the problem)
↳ "Until one day..." (introduce your solution)
↳ "Because of that..." (share the impact)
↳ "Until finally..." (reveal the transformation)

This structure is pure magic for showing
your company's journey or vision.

4) StoryBrand Framework
↳ Your customer is Luke Skywalker
↳ You're Yoda, the guide
↳ Show them how to win

Stop making your company the hero. It's not about you.

5) What, So What, Now What
↳ State the facts clearly
↳ Explain why anyone should care
↳ Define the next steps

Perfect for turning quarterly reports from sleep aids
into action drivers.

6) ABT (And, But, Therefore)
↳ Set up what everyone agrees on
↳ Introduce the challenge
↳ Present your solution

When you need to be quick and compelling,
this is your go-to.

In today's world, the best story wins.

It wins the talent.
It wins the customers.
It wins the investment.

Your brilliance deserves a story that matches it.

Master these frameworks, and watch what happens to:

Your impact.
Your influence.
Your bottom line.

Credits to Eric Partaker, make sure to follow!

https://tinyurl.com/mtnzb86v

Old SEO vs New SEO

 

SEO isn't dead.
But the version you learned is.

Old SEO was a race to page one.
Keywords. Backlinks. Technical tweaks.
Game the algorithm. Win the click.

It worked.

Until people stopped asking Google
and started asking AI.

And AI doesn't rank pages.
It cites sources.

That's a completely different game.

I lead AI transformation in enterprise.

And the number of businesses I see
still pouring budget into old SEO
while AI is reshaping how people find answers
is alarming.

The new SEO has four layers
most teams haven't heard of yet:

𝗚𝗘𝗢 — Generative Engine Optimization
Getting cited in LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini.

𝗔𝗘𝗢 — Answer Engine Optimization
Appearing in AI summaries and overviews.

𝗔𝗜𝗢 — AI Integration Optimization
Structuring data so AI tools and workflows can use it.

𝗦𝗫𝗢 — Search Experience Optimization
Aligning UX, trust, and conversions with user intent.

Old SEO goal:
Page one. More clicks.

New SEO goal:
Be cited. Be trusted. Be chosen.

Here's what this means for your business:

If your entire strategy
is still keywords and backlinks
you're optimizing for a shrinking channel.

The brands winning right now
aren't just visible on Google.
They're the source AI retrieves
when someone asks a question
in ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity.

That doesn't come from gaming algorithms.
It comes from being genuinely useful
credible and worth citing.

The question isn't
"are we on page one?"

The question is
"would an AI recommend us?"

That single question
should reshape your entire content strategy.

If it doesn't
your competitors will answer it first.

Infographic Credit: Chris Donnelly

https://tinyurl.com/mvvsfkph

The T.R.U.S.T Model

 

2 in 3 employees are ready to quit.

Here's the leadership secret that's changing their minds.

Servant Leadership is an “employee-focused” style that’s been studied for over 30 years.

Companies like Starbucks and Southwest Airlines have recently adopted its principles.

The reason?

Straightforward, ethical guidelines that transform work at all levels.

Here's a framework based on years of research
(To catch you up in 2 minutes):

The TRUST Model of Servant Leadership:

1. Train
• Develop leaders who prioritize team growth
• Instill a mindset of service and support

2. Reflect
• Encourage self-assessment and personal growth
• Promote transparency and accountability at all levels

3. Uplift
• Identify and nurture each team member's unique strengths
• Create opportunities for employees to lead

4. Support
• Foster an inclusive environment
• Provide resources and remove obstacles

5. Transform
• Align company culture with servant leadership principles
• Reward servant leader behaviors

5 Practical Tips to Practice Servant Leadership:

• Listen closely
• Lead by example
• Invest in leadership growth
• Foster open, honest feedback
• Celebrate servant leadership acts

Top companies are recognizing the power of this "person-first" approach.

And it's saving teams and organizations worldwide.

Now's the time to embrace the "new school" of leadership!

How do you promote TRUST in your teams?

Credits to Russ Hill, follow him for more valuable models

https://tinyurl.com/y252nf6z

На изображении представлена модель лидерства «T.R.U.S.T.», направленная на создание высокоэффективных команд через принципы целенаправленного и служащего лидерства. Модель включает пять основных принципов, пять компонентов искусства T.R.U.S.T. и десять привычек выдающихся лидеров.

• 5 принципов лидера: Быть намеренным, энергичным, поддерживающим, этичным и настоящим.
• Искусство T.R.U.S.T.: Обучение, рефлексия, развитие талантов (Uplift), поддержка и трансформация.
• 10 привычек: Включают поощрение других, соответствие слов действиям, постановку целей и развитие команды.

---

Модель T.R.U.S.T.: Как лидеры создают высокоэффективные команды

• 5 принципов целенаправленного лидерства от Гарварда
  • Будьте намеренными: Связывайте свою цель с миссией компании.
  • Будьте энергичными: Внушайте надежду и создавайте импульс.
  • Будьте поддерживающими: Ставьте потребности команды на первое место.
  • Будьте этичными: Руководствуйтесь честностью, уважением и состраданием.
  • Будьте настоящими: Делитесь своим истинным «я» и убеждениями.
• Искусство T.R.U.S.T.
  • Train (Обучайте): Ставьте команду выше себя.
  • Reflect (Рефлексируйте): Способствуйте непрерывному совершенствованию.
  • Uplift (Развивайте): Взращивайте уникальные таланты.
  • Support (Поддерживайте): Усиливайте каждый голос.
  • Transform (Трансформируйте): Согласовывайте действия с принципами служения.
• 10 привычек выдающихся лидеров-слуг
  1. Постоянно поощряйте других.
  2. Практикуйте то, что проповедуете.
  3. Ставьте конкретные цели лидерства-служения.
  4. Принимайте этичные решения.
  5. Инвестируйте в личное развитие других.
  6. Уполномочивайте команду проявлять инициативу.
  7. Размышляйте о себе и окружении.
  8. Понимайте и подтверждайте чувства других.
  9. Поддерживайте личное и профессиональное исцеление.
  10. Формируйте ежедневные привычки, поддерживающие лидерство-служение.

5 Japanese Principles every leader should live by

 

📌Kaizen (改善): Focus on small, steady refinements. Progress isn’t about massive leaps, but the momentum created by consistent, daily upgrades.

📌Shoshin (初心): Approach every challenge with a "beginner’s mind." By dropping old assumptions and staying curious, you remain adaptable in a changing environment.

📌Kintsugi (金継ぎ): Treat failures as "golden repairs." Instead of hiding mistakes, use the data from missteps to make your team and systems stronger and more resilient.

📌Ikigai (生きがい): Find the intersection of your strengths, your passions, and the value you provide to others. This alignment makes your leadership more sustainable and impactful.

📌Seiri (整理): Practice the discipline of removal. By decluttering unnecessary meetings, processes, and ideas, you create the mental space needed for clear decision-making.

BREAKTHROUGHS rarely come from new "hacks"; they come from returning to these fundamentals. Small shifts in these areas CREATE the kind of leader others truly want to FOLLOW. ✅

Credit: Paul Evans

https://tinyurl.com/2bvx292n

10 Brutal Meeting Rules

 

10 Brutal Meeting Rules (used by the world's top CEOs:)

67% of meetings are considered unproductive. 🚨

We studied thousands of business leaders over the last 20 years.

The most successful leaders follow these secret meeting rules.

Here are 10 rules to transform your meetings today:

1/ Silent reading time
(Jeff Bezos)
↳ Begin meetings with 30 minutes of silent reading
↳ This keeps everyone informed and focused

2/ Walk and talk
(Steve Jobs)
↳ Moving stimulates your brain
↳ Head outside and get creative

3/ No-tech meetings
(Oprah Winfrey)
↳ Phones down, engagement up
↳ Ban devices to ensure full attention and eye contact

4/ Stand-up meetings
(Richard Branson)
↳ Conduct meetings standing up
↳ This keeps them short and efficient

5/ Question-focused approach
(Marissa Mayer)
↳ Structure meetings around specific questions
↳ Remove any vague or irrelevant topics

6/ Two-pizza rule
(Jeff Bezos)
↳ Keep it small
↳ Limit participants to what 2 pizzas can feed

7/ Parking lot method
(Sheryl Sandberg)
↳ Park off-topic ideas for future discussion
↳ This keeps everyone focused

8/ No Powerpoints
(Jeff Bezos)
↳ Use narrative memos that lead to deeper thinking
↳ Make sure everyone is on the same page

9/ 80/20 rule
(Elon Musk)
↳ Invite the key contributors only
↳ Focus on who will contribute 80% of the value

10/ Leader speaks last
(Jeff Bezos)
↳ Senior voices can stifle new ideas
↳ Encourage collaboration and different perspectives

____

P.S.

I've tried these with my team, and they really work.
I recommend you give them a try.

What’s your favorite meeting rule?

https://tinyurl.com/4xb26j9y

What Color Communicate

 

Your brain decides in 13 milliseconds if it trusts a brand.

Color drives 85% of that split-second judgment.

Why does color matter this much?

Because your brain judges before conscious thought kicks in.

👉 Humans form trust judgments in 100 milliseconds
👉 Consistent color increases brand recognition by 80%

Here are some of the things that influence how we perceive color:

🎨 SATURATION & TONE
⇢ Brighter, saturated hues = younger, energetic people
⇢ Deeper, richer tones = affluent, serious, premium
⇢ Pastel/muted = soft, approachable, accessible

🇨🇳 CULTURAL CONTEXT
⇢ Red: luck in Chinese culture vs. danger in Western
⇢ White: purity in Western vs. mourning in East Asia
⇢ Yellow: happiness in Western vs. sacred in Asia
⇢ Blue: mourning in Iran vs. trust in Western corporate

🧠 BIOLOGY
⇢ Disharmonious color combos activate the amygdala (threat detection)
⇢ Harmonious colors activate pleasure & reward centers
⇢ Color improves memory by 5-10% vs black & white

WHAT COLORS MEAN TO OUR PSYCHE:

🔴 Red: Energy, urgency, passion
↳ Perfect for bold transformations, breaking barriers
↳ Boosts perceived attractiveness

🔵 Blue: Trust, stability, professionalism
↳ Ideal for expertise-based, security-focused services
↳ Universally associated with high quality

🟢 Green: Growth, harmony, wealth
↳ Great for health, finance, sustainability
↳ Associated with balance and natural renewal

🟡 Yellow: Optimism, creativity, attention
↳ Perfect for creative services, innovation, breakthrough
↳ Grabs attention faster than any other color

🟠 Orange: Enthusiasm, warmth, adventure
↳ Ideal for lifestyle changes, bold pivots, energy shifts
↳ Combines red's energy with yellow's friendliness

🟣 Purple: Luxury, wisdom, creativity
↳ Perfect for premium services, spiritual growth, artists
↳ Strongest gender divergence: 23% women vs 0% men

⚫ Black: Sophistication, authority, elegance
↳ Ideal for high-end services, executive transformations
↳ Signals exclusivity and timeless quality

⚪ White: Purity, simplicity, new beginnings
↳ Perfect for fresh starts, clarity-focused services
↳ Creates breathing room and reduces cognitive load

Don't just choose colors you like for your brand.
Choose colors based on your ideal client.

Your audience is the sun of your brand solar system.

You orbit around them, not the other way around.

Ask yourself:
✓ What does my ideal client need to feel?
✓ What colors resonate with my target demographic?
✓ What transformation am I helping them achieve?
✓ What emotional state supports their journey?

Your color choices should engineer attraction, not just look pretty.

What's one color that always catches your eye in branding?

🔔 Follow Ashley Couto for content strategy insights

Sources: Princeton, Singh, Hynes, Loyola University, Hurlbert & Ling, Leonard, Ikeda et al., Wichmann et al.

https://tinyurl.com/2zevmkmw

A simple way to keep projects on track

 

I thought our team had a time problem.
We had a clarity problem.
Here's what fixed it:

Busy is not the same as moving forward.

You can fill every hour
and still go nowhere.

That gap between motion and progress
is where projects quietly fail.

Chaos is expensive.

✔️Missed deadlines.
✔️Shifting priorities.
✔️Hours lost to rework.

Most teams feel busy
while progress quietly stalls.

Here’s what actually works:

🧠 Why plans break down:
• Meetings drag without direction
• Scope changes derail momentum
• Unclear goals cause missed deadlines
• Managers lose hours to misaligned work

Simple plans save time
before problems show up.

📋 What makes plans work:
• Plain language, not jargon
• Clear goals and deadlines
• One owner per step
• Fewer than 7 steps

Simple plans move faster.

Ownership keeps them moving.

🧩 A plan that fits on one page:
• Project name that’s specific
• Dates tied to each step
• One owner per task
• One-line objective
• 5–7 clear actions

That’s enough to create focus.

⚙️ Habits that keep work moving:
• Check progress weekly
• Keep ownership obvious
• Adjust without over-editing
• Reuse templates that work
• Start small and build speed

🌟Try this this week:
• Write a one-page plan
• Cut steps until only the essentials remain
• Assign one owner per task
• Share it before the meeting

Good project management
isn’t more tools.

It's clear thinking shared
before the work begins.

https://tinyurl.com/345zj4va