Books Slideshow: Ten Ways to Tell Great Leadership Stories

Even though CIOs aren't necessarily known for their skills as entertainers, strong storytelling capabilities are the hallmark of influential executives. After all, every day things happen on the job that can be turned into educational tales. The key is translating these experiences into engaging lessons that resonate. The book, "Lead with a Story: A Guide to Crafting Business Narratives that Captivate, Convince, and Inspire" (Amacom/available in August), offers insight into how you can use your experiences to educate your workforce. Author Paul Smith explains that you don't need the charisma of a movie star to tell stories that "touch, teach and motivate" your department or even your entire company. His research is based upon interviews with top executives at respected companies worldwide, including Merrill Lynch, Pizza Hut, Kellogg's and Dun & Bradstreet. Smith is director of consumer and communications research at Procter & Gamble.