How to Tell a Story That People Actually Remember

I have learned something as a communications leader, storyteller, and woman who has lived through some things.

People do not just follow vision. They follow clarity. They follow consistency. They follow leaders who can communicate in a way that makes them feel safe, seen, and grounded.

That is why storytelling in leadership matters.

Not for show. Not for performance.

For trust.

Here is the truth: if people cannot repeat it, it is not clear yet

You can have the best ideas in the world, but if your team, your audience, or your community cannot repeat the message, they cannot carry it.

And if they cannot carry it, it will not spread.

So when I am building messaging for a brand, a campaign, or even my own personal content, I come back to one question:

Can someone explain this to a friend in one sentence?

If not, I keep working.

The story framework I use (and you can use today)

This is the 4-part story arc I use for posts, speeches, videos, and even internal communication.

1. The moment: What happened? What did you see, hear, or realize?

2. The tension: What made it hard, uncertain, or vulnerable?

3. The turning point: What shifted? What did you decide? What did God reveal? What changed?

4. The takeaway: What should the listener do, remember, or apply?

This works because it makes your message human. And humans remember humans.

Example: turning a lesson into a message people can repeat

Let us say your leadership lesson is about boundaries.

• Moment: I realized I was exhausted all the time.

• Tension: I kept saying yes, even when I had no capacity.

• Turning point: I started protecting my peace and stopped explaining my no.

• Takeaway: If it costs you your peace, it is too expensive.

Now you have a message people can repeat.

A simple clarity exercise (for leaders and creators)

Finish this sentence:

“I help ________ do ________ so they can ________.”

That one sentence will save you from scattered content, confusing messaging, and unclear calls to action.

And once it is clear, you can say it everywhere:

• in your captions

• in your emails

• in your meetings

• in your media interviews

• in your presentations

Consistency builds trust. Clarity builds confidence.

This is your reminder:

Your story is not extra. Your story is your advantage.

If you are leading, building, teaching, serving, or starting over, your story gives people a reason to care. It gives them context. It gives them hope.

And in 2026, people are not just looking for information. They are looking for something real.