The Story as Strategy series supports leaders in using story deliberately — not as inspiration alone, but as a core leadership practice for guiding change. Across three courses, participants move from clarifying a strategic change agenda, to understanding how that change lives in people and communities, to articulating a compelling story of the future.
Course 1: Story as Change Leadership focuses on defining the change imperative and using story to anchor strategy in purpose and lived experience.
Course 2: Story as Connection centers the human side of change — beginning with the leader and expanding to the community — so the work is grounded in identity, relationships, and shared narratives.
Course 3: Story as Vision looks forward, supporting leaders in crafting vision and future stories that help communities imagine what’s possible and move toward it together.
The series culminates in a future-facing narrative that connects strategy, people, and possibility — a story leaders can use immediately to build coherence, commitment, and momentum for meaningful change.
Story I: Story as Change Leadership
In The Power of Storytelling, participants use story as a leadership tool to strengthen how change is articulated and understood. The course combines narrative practice with strategic reflection, supporting leaders in clarifying their change agenda. The course explores how leaders can use storytelling to clarify purpose, connect strategy to lived experience, and create coherence at the outset of a change effort. Participants analyze the challenges they are navigating, reflect on the stories shaping their leadership practice, and examine how personal narratives influence the way change is understood and led. By the end of the course, participants articulate a clear change strategy and develop an origin story that anchors that strategy in meaning, experience, and leadership intent—creating a strong foundation for the work that follows.
Story II: Story as Connection
In this course, participants focus on how change lives in people—starting with the leader and expanding to the community. Through structured reflection and narrative development, participants explore their own experiences, surface community narratives, and examine how those stories shape understanding, belonging, and action for change. Story is used as a leadership practice to connect personal meaning, collective identity, and strategic direction. By the end of the course, participants craft a coherent, shareable narrative that explains the change they are leading, why it matters, and how their community belongs in it.
Story III: Story as Vision
In this course, participants focus on storytelling as a future-facing leadership practice. They use story to envision a desired future state, articulate what successful change makes possible, and frame that future in ways that inspire commitment and action. Using future-search tools and narrative structures, participants define a clear picture of success—one that motivates direction, energy, and meaning to the work ahead. By the end of the course, participants create a vision story they can use in their leadership settings to guide direction, motivate action, and sustain momentum for change.
Instructor: Tara Waudby
Digital Badge and Certificate
Participants who successfully complete the series earn a Story as Strategy Certificate, awarded through a Public Demonstration of Learning.
The certificate recognizes demonstrated capability in:
Leadership and Social Influence: using story to build understanding, alignment, and momentum for change.
Strategic Narrative Design: crafting purposeful narratives that connect strategy, people, and future direction.
As well, each course is 4-5 hours long.
The Story as Strategy series supports leaders in using story deliberately — not as inspiration alone, but as a core leadership practice for guiding change. Across three courses, participants move from clarifying a strategic change agenda, to understanding how that change lives in people and communities, to articulating a compelling story of the future.
Course 1: Story as Change Leadership focuses on defining the change imperative and using story to anchor strategy in purpose and lived experience.
Course 2: Story as Connection centers the human side of change — beginning with the leader and expanding to the community — so the work is grounded in identity, relationships, and shared narratives.
Course 3: Story as Vision looks forward, supporting leaders in crafting vision and future stories that help communities imagine what’s possible and move toward it together.
The series culminates in a future-facing narrative that connects strategy, people, and possibility — a story leaders can use immediately to build coherence, commitment, and momentum for meaningful change.
Story I: Story as Change Leadership
In The Power of Storytelling, participants use story as a leadership tool to strengthen how change is articulated and understood. The course combines narrative practice with strategic reflection, supporting leaders in clarifying their change agenda. The course explores how leaders can use storytelling to clarify purpose, connect strategy to lived experience, and create coherence at the outset of a change effort. Participants analyze the challenges they are navigating, reflect on the stories shaping their leadership practice, and examine how personal narratives influence the way change is understood and led. By the end of the course, participants articulate a clear change strategy and develop an origin story that anchors that strategy in meaning, experience, and leadership intent—creating a strong foundation for the work that follows.
Story II: Story as Connection
In this course, participants focus on how change lives in people—starting with the leader and expanding to the community. Through structured reflection and narrative development, participants explore their own experiences, surface community narratives, and examine how those stories shape understanding, belonging, and action for change. Story is used as a leadership practice to connect personal meaning, collective identity, and strategic direction. By the end of the course, participants craft a coherent, shareable narrative that explains the change they are leading, why it matters, and how their community belongs in it.
Story III: Story as Vision
In this course, participants focus on storytelling as a future-facing leadership practice. They use story to envision a desired future state, articulate what successful change makes possible, and frame that future in ways that inspire commitment and action. Using future-search tools and narrative structures, participants define a clear picture of success—one that motivates direction, energy, and meaning to the work ahead. By the end of the course, participants create a vision story they can use in their leadership settings to guide direction, motivate action, and sustain momentum for change.
Instructor: Tara Waudby
Digital Badge and Certificate
Participants who successfully complete the series earn a Story as Strategy Certificate, awarded through a Public Demonstration of Learning.
The certificate recognizes demonstrated capability in:
Leadership and Social Influence: using story to build understanding, alignment, and momentum for change.
Strategic Narrative Design: crafting purposeful narratives that connect strategy, people, and future direction.
As well, each course is 4-5 hours long.
