If You Want to Make a Point, Drop the PowerPoint

Leaders and managers often rely on the same playbook: polish slides, rehearse transitions, and then hope the message lands.

If you're still depending on your PowerPoint to shape mindsets, drive culture, or align your teams, it’s time to give it a rethink.

If you want to make a point stick - drop the PowerPoint.

Tell stories instead.

Why Stories Matter 

Leadership is all about helping people understand why decisions are being made, where the organisation is headed, and how each person contributes to the journey. It’s about providing clarity - because not everyone in the organisation understands strategy - especially when it sounds fancy.

This is where storytelling steps in. Stories make vision understandable. They help people understand values, which are otherwise vague and abstract. And usually words that sound like they are important, but people find it difficult to relate.

Stories celebrate what's going right and shine a light on what needs to change.

How it feels in action

When Satya Nadella took over as CEO of Microsoft, he didn’t begin with a new slide deck. He began with a story - about empathy.

He spoke about his son, Zain, who was born with cerebral palsy. That personal story was emotional and went on to become foundational in shaping Microsoft’s new direction.  

Before Satya Nadella took over, Microsoft’s culture was internally competitive, rigid, and resistant to change. Sharing that story was pivotal in making empathy a core value at Microsoft. It broke silos, fostered learning, and rebuilt the company around collaboration. 

That story paved the way for others in the organisation to bring their whole selves to work. It helped thousands of employees understand what “empathy at scale” could look like in a tech company. 

The Real Challenge

Many leaders find it hard to let go of their slides. Slides are like a safety net - a familiar mode of delivering messages.

But the real questions:

• Can you speak to your people and truly connect?

• Can you listen as much as you speak?

• Can you articulate what your strategy means.. Instead of just stating it?

It’s ok if the answers feel shaky. It does not mean you are a failure. It’s a signal to build your storytelling muscle.

Start Here

You don’t need to be an expert storyteller to get started. You need to be a leader who’s willing to connect with their people via clarity, empathy, and conviction.

Start small:

• Replace one deck with a story of change from within your team.

• Speak about moments when someone embodied the organisational values.

• Share a challenge you faced - and what it taught you.

  
  

The most powerful stories come with a place of congruence, from a willingness to truly connect.

So the next time you’re tempted to prepare one more polished slide, ask yourself: What story can I tell instead?

---

Connect:

• Email questions and feedback: hello@storytellingatwork.com

• Vinod Krishna: LinkedIn