Story Driven: You don't need to compete when you know who you are

by Bernadette Jiwa

‘To know who you are is the greatest power of all.’ —Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love

We have become reactive to the competitive landscape, rather than responsive to the needs of our communities—those people we hope to serve. We are so focused on the competition, or even the threat of it, that we’ve forgotten to double down on what makes us and our work unique and valuable.

We like to believe that change happens at the centre, that it begins at the seat of power. We’re wrong. All change happens at the edges. It starts with the first person who decides to expose a truth. In doing so, they rewrite the story.

Whether it’s articulated or not, every business is driven by one of two philosophies. A company is either competition-driven or story-driven.

In contrast, the story-driven company is responsive to customers and prioritises having a clear sense of purpose and identity. It makes little reference to the competition and is intent on creating an impact.

The leaders of story-driven companies (big and small) have clear visions for the future they want to see, and they inspire their teams to join them on the journey to creating that future.

They often succeed by doing things that can’t be measured or are not immediately scalable.

Story-driven companies have a positive impact on their customers and society. They thrive by making the connection between their purpose and prospe...

A company’s philosophy shapes its identity and its internal and external narratives.

just as our personal narratives can influence who we become and how our lives evolve, a company’s narrative also influences its identity and has a direct impact on what its leaders and employees think, believe, say and do. This identity inevitably shapes the culture.

Great companies have something in common: they don’t try to matter by winning. They win by mattering.

Great companies rise to our expectations by being who they said they would be.

Differentiation happens when you authentically amplify the best of you—discovering how to be more of who you are, rather than finding ways to be a version of the competition.

You don’t have to operate with the default setting that always, and without question, greedily pays homage to the metric of ‘more’. You can choose to create a career or a company that enables you to do work you’re proud of—and that prospers in the service of others.

When it comes to business strategy, competition-driven companies behave like players in a soccer match. They play to win—acting as if there are only ninety minutes to affect the result.

By building a story-driven company, Musk is playing what Carse describes as ‘an infinite game’. An infinite game is played ‘for the purpose of continuing the play’.

His strategy is to build companies that can create a bigger impact tomorrow and thus become more relevant in the future, rather than to only fixate on today’s metrics of success.

For them, success is now—the alignment of thoughts, beliefs, intentions and actions. The journey is part of their success.

replacing our winner-takes-more worldview with one that requires us to ask if we’re doing work we’re proud of.

We start by deciding who we are—what philosophy and values will guide us and our companies—and by investing the time to reflect on the unique contribution we can make. If we want to prioritise people over profits and impact over dividends, we need to choose carefully what we will measure each day.

When we constantly pursue and prioritise ‘more’ above ‘meaning’, we take wrong turns, box ourselves in, self-sabotage or make unhelpful plans. We become less sure about the best way to achieve our goals, and we make the wrong decisions on the fly.

getting clear about why our business exists and what difference we’re here to create, for whom.

Visionary entrepreneurs and successful companies consistently act in alignment with their values because they know who they are and who they want to become. They are guided by an internal narrative that reminds them why they do what they

This enables them to zoom out and take a 360-degree view before deciding which path to take next. That opportunity is open to every one of us.

Your identity can ground you—serving as a reminder to be intentional about the work you do and deliberate about creating the future you want to see.

‘The critical question is not “How can I achieve?” but “What can I contribute?”’

The Daily Drucker: 366 Days of Insight and Motivation for Getting the Right Things Done

reflecting deeply about the reason our idea or project needs to exist and the change we’re trying to create.

Having ideas is fun. Understanding what makes them relevant today or significant tomorrow, and why you’re the person to move them forward, is work.

we are more likely to make progress when we believe in the significance of what we’re doing.

If having a sense of purpose can improve your chances of success, it’s vital to imagine how what you’re working on creates change and to articulate your reasons for wanting to do it. Why you? Why this? Why now? Why for them? Why there? Why that way and not this? What’s your story and how will you stay true to it?

Today we’re seeing a powerful shift towards the building of the Meaning Economy, where the brands and businesses that thrive are the ones that enable us to work with our hearts as well as our heads and hands.

We know that how we spend our money and which causes we champion are votes for the future we want to see.

When we prioritise meaning in our companies and communities, it becomes easier to have authentic conversations with our stakeholders and to be honest with our customers.

Putting contribution before profits is still an underrated business strategy. Look around you at the companies you admire, the brands you are loyal to and the businesses you support. They likely have one thing in common. These businesses don’t simply exist to turn a profit—they are contributing to your community, the wellbeing of their teams and the betterment of the world, sometimes indirectly.

We’re seeing a move towards business leaders questioning their responsibility to the world and being more explicit about the reasons their companies should exist and the future they are intent on creating.

Humans are wired to do what feels good, and what feels good to customers right now is to use their choices and purchasing power to support the building of a better tomorrow. That means buying from businesses that are motivated by generosity and contribution, and that have an inclusive view of the economy rather than a selfish one.

‘Story’ is defined as ‘a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader’.

Far from just being a way to differentiate us, our stories can help us to decide, plan, lead, sell, inspire, influence, persuade, rally, create value, build trust, foster connection and succeed by building better, more purposeful organisations and lives. Our stories can shape who we are.

The foundation is who we are at birth and how we develop in early life—our traits. The second layer is our goals and values—what we believe and strive for as we get older. The final layer is our stories—what we choose to remember about our past and how we make it meaningful now and in the future.

a person’s identity is formed by integrating life experiences into an internalised, evolving story that provides him or her with a sense of purpose. We make sense of who we are by piecing together stories from our reconstructed past, perceived present and imagined future.

‘In personality psychology, what mainly counts when it comes to the idea of a life story is the narrator’s subjective understanding of how he or she came to be the person he or she is becoming—that is, the person’s narrative identity.’

Like a master weaver, we subjectively select threads from what we remember of our past and combine them to create a narrative that reflects our present priorities and future goals.

In this way, our autobiographical memory guides our behaviour and helps us to solve problems, maintain intimacy and create social bonds. It also allows us to create and preserve our sense of identity and to have insights that can help us grow.

Our customer is seen as someone who needs a guide on a quest.

We (our businesses, products and services) become that guide, helping them reach their goals or fulfil their unmet needs.

The story-driven company thrives because its people have a collective narrative identity that gives them a sense of purpose and creates a cohesive culture.

When you know where you came from and where you’re going, decisions become easier. You know which clients are a good fit and which ones are not. You have a way to filter options and make decisions that will get you to where you want to go without compromising on your values.

We humans are wired for connection and contribution. We thrive when we get the opportunity to do both.

You already have a story; it’s how you choose to interpret and use it that’s key to your success.