Are you locked in the orbit of your story?

The story you tell yourself may keep your business from reaching a higher orbit.

THINK ON IT: Are you locked in the orbit of your story?

We all love a good story. And, let’s be honest, we all love control.

But as any business leader will tell you, there’s much we can’t control. And when things go awry, rarely do we fully know why.

So our brain works to fill in the gaps for us. We’re uncomfortable not knowing the whole story, so we create one.

In fact, neuroscience tells us that storytelling isn’t just entertainment—it’s survival. Our brains are wired to create meaning through narrative, especially in the face of ambiguity. When the facts are fuzzy or incomplete, our minds don’t just gather information—they create explanations. The trouble is, these explanations are often more satisfying than they are true.

The story we tell ourselves (and perhaps others), often unconsciously, isn’t entirely fiction, but it would be safe to say it’s not likely to be built on a rock-solid foundation of fact either.

We (or our businesses, for that matter) are the main character of the story—the protagonist who is either the hero or suffering victim—whether in reality it’s true or not.

You see this, for example, in the patriotism of a country’s citizens or in the fans of a sports team. Both have their stories to explain the sufferings of their country or team, or its victories.

We create these stories about our business, too. We promote the elements of the story that paint us in the best light and demote the less savory decisions we’ve made as not-quite-our-fault because of some other factors outside our control.

Because story conveniently fills the gaps in our knowledge, we create stories to explain lots of things. A valuable customer or employee informs us they are leaving, and we suspect we know what they aren’t telling us—or that they weren’t really right for us anyway.

But the most important story to understand is the one you tell yourself about you as a leader.

To be sure, every leader has had their missteps. Every leader also has gaps, blind spots, and insecurities about their abilities.

What’s less obvious is how those insecurities shape behavior. If you see yourself as someone who has to have all the answers, you may avoid asking the tough questions. If your story says you’re the only one who can get things done “right,” you might unconsciously micromanage. If your internal narrative leans toward imposter syndrome, you might resist visibility or play small.

And over time, the internal story becomes externalized—reflected in team dynamics, culture, and strategy. A leader who sees themselves as a solo operator often builds a culture where collaboration is stunted. A leader who clings to a narrative of constant struggle may unintentionally create a company that thrives only in chaos.

How has your perception of yourself contributed to the story you tell yourself?

Unless you understand the story you tell yourself, you can’t dismantle the fiction that keeps you locked into a lower orbit. Confirmation bias will add chapter after chapter of mistruth and keep you from leading your business beyond your own perceived self-limitations.

So, take some time this week to listen to your internal story. What are some of the things you keep telling yourself that may be more fiction than nonfiction?

The good news? You can rewrite the story. If you're a Premium Subscriber, read on for some suggestions about how to do that.

(Become a Premium Subscriber. Paid subscribers get access to nearly 100 tools and how-tos on implementing strategic topics, including a 7-part series to help leaders build their personal strategic capacity.)

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“The most powerful stories are the ones we tell ourselves.”

— Brené Brown

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