WANTED URGENTLY: STORYTELLER

NEW YEAR, NEW BUZZWORD

CORPORATE WORLD’S NEW OBSESSION: STORYTELLERS

Let me just begin by saying that I nearly puked when I read the WSJ article titled: Companies Are Desperately Seeking 'Storytellers'. It wasn’t the article itself. Something about this entire situation and how this word is about to be bastardised to death just deeply offends me, and I have to write about it.

THIS ISN’T A ‘DISCOVERY’ OR WHATEVER

For those who just tuned in, a storyteller is arguably one of the oldest jobs in the world. The skill? Even older. When we lived in hunter-gatherer communities, storytellers (probably some sort of Shaman-like person) passed on wisdom, culture, values, and life-saving advice through the art of storytelling.

Storytelling has always been a great way to make a message stick without being didactic. More people remembered not to walk alone in the dark, and fewer people got eaten by tigers—increasing the number of offspring who could potentially follow you on LinkedIn today.

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Storytelling has always been a great way to make a message stick without being didactic.

WHO IS A STORYTELLER?

Throughout history, storytellers have been recognised as artists, writers, politicians, historians, lawyers (the good ones), marketers, ad agency creatives, teachers (the ones who didn’t make you fall asleep), journalists, film directors, salespeople, and lately, content creators. Rarely scientists. Although Mr Wilkinson always explained complex physics theories very well using LEGO but I guess he’s an anomaly. My point is: You can find storytellers in any field. Not just marketing.

A storyteller is anyone who knows how to tell a story. This probably doesn’t help you if you work in recruitment, but I mean come on, did you really think your ATS was gonna be any help finding you candidates for such a position?

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You can find storytellers in any field. Not just marketing.

If I had to define what kind of a person would be a storyteller, I would describe them as someone who:

• ■ Is deeply curious about the world
• ■ Loves to observe and understand people
• ■ Has the empathy level that lets them relate to others
• ■ Communicates in a distinct, articulate way (possibly using metaphors and idioms)
• ■ Can simplify complex problems and explain them clearly
• ■ Influences people’s decisions in a nuanced way
• ■ Thrives on new experiences and is not afraid to take risks
• ■ Tells inspiring stories naturally

This person’s DISC profile would likely be Yellow/Influence. They’d have that je ne sais quoi that tells you they’re somewhat quirky and nonconforming. Most likely has an artsy hobby of some sort. Most definitely not a Windows user.

Still too vague? You should probably define the outcomes you’d like them to achieve for your company and look for people who have achieved similar outcomes in other places, and sort of have that profile outlined above.

Keywords you wanna look for in their results: shaped narrative; created campaign; wrote content; translated business objectives; defined brand tone of voice; defined brand story. A mix of a conceptual copywriter and a brand strategist, but more senior would be the profile I would look for.

If you’re still not clear on what to look for (I can’t believe I’m doing this), but here’s a description you can customise and use:

JOB DESCRIPTION TEMPLATE (Click to View)

Job Title: Storytelling Director Location: Remote / Hybrid / On-site Type: Full-time / Contract / Freelance (flexible) About the Role We’re looking for a Storyteller who can shape and communicate clear, compelling narratives across the organisation. This role focuses on translating complex ideas, experiences, and strategic objectives into stories that are meaningful, engaging, and easy to understand. You’ll help define how the organisation communicates ensuring consistency, clarity, and emotional resonance across touchpoints. Working closely with creative, marketing, product, and leadership teams, you’ll play a key role in shaping narrative direction and strengthening how ideas are expressed and understood. Key Responsibilities - Develop and shape narratives across multiple formats, including written, digital, visual, and audio - Translate business objectives, data, and complex concepts into clear, engaging stories - Help define and maintain a consistent narrative voice and tone - Contribute to campaigns, content, and initiatives through a strong storytelling lens - Collaborate cross-functionally to align messaging and narrative direction - Edit and refine content to ensure clarity, authenticity, and impact - Adapt storytelling approaches for different audiences, platforms, and contexts Who This Role Is For This role is suited to someone who brings a strong narrative mindset and understands how storytelling influences understanding and decision-making. You likely: - Approach communication with curiosity and a desire to understand context and audience - Demonstrate strong awareness and understanding of the audience - Communicate ideas clearly and thoughtfully using narrative structure - Can simplify complex topics without losing essential meaning - Are comfortable shaping ideas from early, ambiguous stages using the approach of investigative journalism - Balance independent thinking with collaboration and feedback Background & Experience We welcome candidates from a range of professional backgrounds where storytelling plays a meaningful role. 10-15 years of experience in a role involving: - Brand storytelling, copywriting, or narrative development - Creative, brand, or communications strategy - Journalism, editorial work, or long-form writing - Advertising, campaign development, or content strategy - Communications, marketing, education, law, politics, or related fields We’re particularly interested in candidates who have: - Shaped or owned narratives, rather than only executing predefined briefs - Translated strategic or business objectives into compelling stories - Helped define brand voice, tone, or positioning What we value - Strong narrative and conceptual thinking - Clear, articulate communication - Strategic perspective paired with attention to detail - Comfort working across disciplines and teams - Thoughtful, audience-first storytelling Join us and enjoy: - Opportunity to work on meaningful narratives with real impact - Ownership and influence over storytelling direction - Collaborative, cross-functional environment - Flexible working arrangements - Room to grow and develop storytelling practice within the organisation How to Apply Please submit your resume along with samples of relevant work that demonstrate your storytelling and narrative thinking.

Job Title: Storytelling Director Location: Remote / Hybrid / On-site Type: Full-time / Contract / Freelance (flexible) About the Role We’re looking for a Storyteller who can shape and communicate clear, compelling narratives across the organisation. This role focuses on translating complex ideas, experiences, and strategic objectives into stories that are meaningful, engaging, and easy to understand. You’ll help define how the organisation communicates ensuring consistency, clarity, and emotional resonance across touchpoints. Working closely with creative, marketing, product, and leadership teams, you’ll play a key role in shaping narrative direction and strengthening how ideas are expressed and understood. Key Responsibilities • Develop and shape narratives across multiple formats, including written, digital, visual, and audio • Translate business objectives, data, and complex concepts into clear, engaging stories • Help define and maintain a consistent narrative voice and tone • Contribute to campaigns, content, and initiatives through a strong storytelling lens • Collaborate cross-functionally to align messaging and narrative direction • Edit and refine content to ensure clarity, authenticity, and impact • Adapt storytelling approaches for different audiences, platforms, and contexts Who This Role Is For This role is suited to someone who brings a strong narrative mindset and understands how storytelling influences understanding and decision-making. You likely: • Approach communication with curiosity and a desire to understand context and audience • Demonstrate strong awareness and understanding of the audience • Communicate ideas clearly and thoughtfully using narrative structure • Can simplify complex topics without losing essential meaning • Are comfortable shaping ideas from early, ambiguous stages using the approach of investigative journalism • Balance independent thinking with collaboration and feedback Background & Experience We welcome candidates from a range of professional backgrounds where storytelling plays a meaningful role. 10-15 years of experience in a role involving: • Brand storytelling, copywriting, or narrative development • Creative, brand, or communications strategy • Journalism, editorial work, or long-form writing • Advertising, campaign development, or content strategy • Communications, marketing, education, law, politics, or related fields We’re particularly interested in candidates who have: • Shaped or owned narratives, rather than only executing predefined briefs • Translated strategic or business objectives into compelling stories • Helped define brand voice, tone, or positioning What we value • Strong narrative and conceptual thinking • Clear, articulate communication • Strategic perspective paired with attention to detail • Comfort working across disciplines and teams • Thoughtful, audience-first storytelling Join us and enjoy: • Opportunity to work on meaningful narratives with real impact • Ownership and influence over storytelling direction • Collaborative, cross-functional environment • Flexible working arrangements • Room to grow and develop storytelling practice within the organisation How to Apply Please submit your resume along with samples of relevant work that demonstrate your storytelling and narrative thinking.

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WHY THIS, WHY NOW

The corporate world may seem like the polar opposite of an environment for storytellers, and it is. Let’s not sugarcoat it. Corporate world sucks. But years of hostility towards the storyteller type have created what storytellers knew was gonna happen decades ago: Corporations ‘corporated’ too much. They became dull and uninspiring. They have no story, no real mission, vision, or values. They all sound the same.

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Corporations ‘corporated’ too much.

For years, the focus in advertising was to make things shiny as quickly as possible, and with minimal spend. When AI entered the chat, the race towards efficiency and polished work moved to a different terrain. As everyone continues to look and sound like everyone else, the brands that will stand out are those with clear stories and unique personalities that shine through, even in AI-generated content.

IS THIS THE FIX?

Let’s explore a couple of scenarios and see how this could play out:

VS

Scenario A

A corporation hires a storyteller. The expectations are clear and realistic. They’re empowered with tools and the ability to make decisions. They’re given proper input. They’re given tools to execute their vision. They’re involved in the right conversations. They can see the impact of the work. They can define accurately what the brand does/doesn’t. The environment is collaborative with minimal to no hierarchy. Result: They establish a brand with an inspiring story that resonates with the audience and connects the company to its potential customers. They’re appreciated, and they continue to improve.

Scenario B

A corporation hires a storyteller. Their task feels like Mission Impossible. No tools, no budget, no proper input. They’re micromanaged to death. They’re kept in the dark about important changes. After months, they still have no idea what the company does or who its audience is. They have no access to results and metrics. The environment is suffocating them with pointless rules and a rigid hierarchy. Colleagues are threatened by them, so they don’t collaborate. They might even sabotage them. Result: After a year, the management looks at their “KPIs” and finds their performance unsatisfactory. Their entire department actually did very badly, but their colleagues find them the easiest target to throw under the bus. They’re fired—or something like it. Then on to the next one.

If you had money betting, which scenario would you bet on as most likely to happen?

Bet on Scenario A Bet on Scenario B

SCENARIO A 6%

SCENARIO B 94%

Thanks for voting

Realistically, it’s probably gonna be somewhere in between. People like to dump on corporations, but some are genuinely trying to incorporate storytelling. They just lack the tools and knowledge to manifest it properly. For those hiring a storytelling expert, it could be a great start if they’re open to trusting them. Both the hire and the corporation have a big role to play here. What they do determines what scenario they get closer to. One side expecting the other to do all the work definitely won’t get either to the finish line. As they say, it takes two to tango.

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One side expecting the other to do all the work definitely won’t get either to the finish line.

What are your thoughts on this? Let me know in the comments, or feel free to ask me a question.

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