Episode
Rethinking Storytelling: Folklore, Collaboration, and Decolonising the Business Narrative with Annette Simmons
- Podcast
- Chief Story Officer
- Published
- Apr 24, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2203
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://chief-story-officer.captivate.fm
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Summary
Annette Simmons, author of The Story Factor and Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins , joins the show to challenge the idea that business storytelling is just about heroes and conflict. She reveals why real influence comes from sharing subjective, emotionally resonant stories, and how rituals of story-sharing can repair trust, build collaboration, and shape organisational culture. In this episode, we dive into the true role of storytelling in organisations, exploring why stories are more than just narratives with conflict and how they're evolution’s way of ensuring collaboration, trust, and survival at work. With business storytelling often reduced to formulas and templates, we challenge what’s been lost, and how leaders can reclaim storytelling’s real strategic power. Annette Simmons reveals her journey from advertising to storytelling, unpacks the difference between objective and story thinking, and introduces the vital but overlooked concept of repair after betrayal stories. She shares practical rituals to surface tacit knowledge, the six stories that every leader needs, and why rituals, not rules are the key to keeping ethics and values alive in business. You’ll leave with tangible prompts to spark more vulnerability and collaboration, a new appreciation for restoring trust after setbacks, and concrete steps to make stories a lived ritual in your team, not just a communication tool. GUEST BIO & LINKS Annette Simmons is a renowned author, keynote speaker, and storytelling expert whose books The Story Factor and Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins have influenced leaders worldwide. Over three decades, Annette has helped organisations like Microsoft, NASA, and the Brookings Institute use storytelling to resolve conflict, foster trust, and shift mindsets not merely thro…