Why narrating your learning process is part of change leadership

Many leaders dismiss storytelling as something reserved for marketing teams, creative teams, or as an after-hours inspiration. When they’re leading change, the instinct is usually to focus on deadlines, training sessions, and technical steps.

In practice, though, storytelling in leadership is one of the most practical tools you have during transitions.

When leaders narrate their own learning, they make change feel less like a top-down directive and more like a shared journey. That shift is what builds trust and brings people with you.

The myth of knowing it all

Leadership has long carried the expectation of certainty. You’re meant to be a step ahead, setting direction and giving confidence that the team is on solid ground.

That part of leadership hasn’t gone away. People still look to you for clarity.

But the idea that you need to have every answer figured out creates distance. Teams can sense when leaders are projecting certainty that doesn’t match reality. Instead of building trust, it risks making change feel imposed.

Modern views of leadership point in a different direction. Forbes suggests that modern leadership aligns closely with James Williams’ idea of “Chameleon Leadership”. It’s the ability to shift fluidly between confidence and vulnerability, assertiveness and empathy.

That’s the kind of balance teams respond to.

The team sees that adaptability is part of the job, and that makes them more willing to adapt alongside you.

Storytelling in leadership builds engagement

When automated workflows or updated systems are introduced, the technical side is usually straightforward. The bigger challenge is getting people to see why the change matters and feel comfortable enough to try it. This is where storytelling in leadership makes a practical difference.

1. It normalises iteration

Automated workflows aren’t perfect from day one. Settings need adjusting, and data might not flow as expected.

By sharing how you’ve had to tweak a process or retry a task, you set the expectation that trial and error is part of the journey. That makes people less likely to give up the first time something feels awkward.

2. It reduces quiet resistance

Teams often hedge their bets. They keep using spreadsheets or manual workarounds until they’re sure the “new way” isn’t just a passing experiment.

When you narrate how you’ve already started relying on the automated process, you show that the change is already embedded. That lowers the urge to stick with old habits.

3. It shifts ownership of the change

If change is only framed as a management directive, people will do the bare minimum. Storytelling makes it collaborative.

A quick story about how you struggled with an approval workflow but found a fix invites others to share their own discoveries. Soon, the team is swapping tips and ideas, and the system evolves with input from everyone.

4. It reinforces proven change leadership strategies

Stories tie the change back to the reasons behind it. They help you model adaptability, remind people of the “why,” and keep communication grounded in real work.

Instead of abstract promises about “efficiency,” people hear specific, believable accounts of what’s getting better. This is what keeps momentum going when the early excitement fades.

People have lived through initiatives that started with big promises and then fizzled out. They’re cautious with their energy until they know the change is real. When leaders use storytelling in this way, it turns uncertainty into progress and helps teams see the change as something worth investing in.

Narrate your learning without overcomplicating

Narration only works if it feels genuine. Your team will sense if you’re forcing it. It’s better to let small observations surface naturally in your conversations.

That might mean admitting when something is tricky. Team members value more the honest, timely reflections that show you’re learning alongside them while still guiding the path forward.

Or maybe it’s as simple as sharing when you’ve tried out a feature that no one else has touched yet. Talking through what surprised you or how it actually saved time makes the change feel real and practical instead of abstract.

Even quick, offhand comments like these can remind people of the “why” behind the shift and show that progress doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful.

Change feels easier when leaders make learning visible

Strong leadership has always been linked to continuous learning. Leaders who continually develop new skills adapt more quickly and bring their teams along with them.

That matters most during times of change. Adjustment is inevitable, but it feels lighter when people see their leader learning alongside them instead of acting like they already have all the answers.

Storytelling is one of the simplest ways to show this. Sharing your own learning process makes progress feel more real: mistakes and discoveries become proof that growth is happening, not signs of failure.

Over time, this openness sets a different tone across the organisation. When leaders learn out loud, they normalise curiosity, make questions welcome, and build a culture where learning isn’t an extra activity but part of everyday work.

One of the most effective change leadership strategies is humanising the process. At Adapt, we bring this to life by helping leaders combine clear systems with people-first communication so change sticks.

If you’re planning a digital transformation and want it to land smoothly, let’s talk.