Storytelling as a Leadership Practice for Sensemaking to Drive Change in Times of Turbulence and High Velocity

Abstract

This paper explores how contemporary leaders can use storytelling as a sensemaking strategy that translates events into plausible scenarios and images to mobilize others to take action in complex, turbulent and high velocity environments that pose adaptive challenges. Literature on leadership, sensemaking, and storytelling is evaluated to address the increasing interest in leadership effectiveness during times of accelerated change and to examine how ethical leadership relates to storytelling. The article will be of interest to business leaders and managers, and to practitioners and students.