# Episode - Leadership Through the Power Leadership Through the Power of Story I Gavin McMahonof Story I Gavin McMahon

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/40-better-engineering-leadership-6759823/episode-leadership-through-the-power-leadership-through-the-power-of-story-i-gavin-mcmahonof-story-i-gavin-mcmahon
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/40-better-engineering-leadership-6759823/episode-leadership-through-the-power-leadership-through-the-power-of-story-i-gavin-mcmahonof-story-i-gavin-mcmahon.md
Podcast: [40% Better - Engineering Leadership](https://stenobird.com/podcast/40-better-engineering-leadership-6759823)
Published: 2026-05-29T10:30:02+00:00
Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-leadership-through-the-power-leadership-through-the-power-of-story-i-gavin-mcmahonof-story-i-gavin-mcmahon--72109273
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72109273/episode_leadership_through_the_power_of_story_i_gavin_mcmahon.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/40-better-engineering-leadership-6759823/episodes/episode-leadership-through-the-power-leadership-through-the-power-of-story-i-gavin-mcmahonof-story-i-gavin-mcmahon
Duration seconds: 2778

## Resource

In this episode of 40 Percent Better, Bill Lennan sits down with Gavin McMahon, CEO of fassforward and author of Story Business, for a fascinating conversation about leadership, storytelling, team alignment, and the power of creating shared context. Drawing from his experience working with organizations around the world, Gavin explains why storytelling is one of the most effective tools a leader can use to inspire action, build trust, and help teams make better decisions. The discussion explores how leaders can create motivated, high-performing teams by focusing less on directing every task and more on helping people understand the bigger picture. Topics covered include: * Why storytelling is a critical leadership skill * The difference between empowerment and agency * How great leaders create alignment across teams * The Hope, Fear, and Reason framework for influencing decisions * Building intrinsically motivated teams * Product storytelling and innovation lessons from Slack * Why engineers and technical professionals benefit from storytelling skills * Leading organizational change through better communication * Creating cultures that encourage ownership and growth Gavin also shares stories from his career, insights from researching and writing Story Business, and practical advice for managers, executives, founders, and aspiring leaders looking to improve how they communicate and influence others. About Gavin McMahon Gavin McMahon is the CEO of fassforward, a consulting firm that helps organizations navigate transformation and change. He is the author of Story Business, a book that explores how storytelling can be used to drive better leadership, stronger brands, more effective products, and healthier organizational cultures. Connect with Gavin McMahon on LinkedIn - h…

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## Transcript

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