And now, I don’t mean an approval of a figure in a report, or a nod at a chart on a screen.
No, I’m talking about that quiet revolution within, when the perspective clicks into place and suddenly everything looks different.
Do you remember the moment?
Was it after you plowed through yet another stack of claims, neatly packaged in color-coded segments?
Or was it when you stared blankly at a sea of rows and columns, where each cell seemed to scream out its own absolute truth?
I doubt it.
Because change, real and lasting, rarely settles in our minds via the cold, hard road of data.
It sneaks in through another door, one oiled by feeling and unlocked by recognition.
You changed your mind, that last time, because something felt true.
Not just logically true, but deeply, resonantly true. It vibrated with a frequency that your own inner compass could sense.
It struck a chord in your heart, a melody you might not have even known was there, but that suddenly filled the room with meaning.
It happened when someone saw you.
Not just your demographic data, not just your purchasing power, not just your position in the hierarchy.
But the real you, with your own unique experiences, fears, and hopes.
It didn’t speak to your logic, it spoke through it, directly to that core of humanity that we all carry within us.
We love to call ourselves rational beings. We build empires on logic, create algorithms that optimize every step.
But beneath the surface, deep-rooted in our nature, we are storytelling beings.
We understand the world through narratives, through connections between cause and effect that give meaning to the otherwise chaotic flow of information.
Data can explain what happened. It can draw lines and point to correlations. But it’s the stories that create connections.
They build bridges between us, between ideas, and between the known and the unknown. And it’s the emotions that give these stories the power to move us, to shake up our ingrained thought patterns, and open us to new possibilities.
So, you who want to lead, you who want to inspire, you who want to persuade – don’t forget this simple, yet powerful fact: Don’t start with the numbers. Start by listening.
Understand what is already vibrating within them, what stories shape their worldview, what emotions drive their decisions.
📊 Numbers? Sure, they have their place. They can provide support and legitimacy.
📖 A story? Now something starts to happen. A well-told story can paint a picture, create a feeling, open a window to a new reality.
💡 But empathy? That’s where the magic really happens. To be able to step into the other person’s shoes, to see the world through their eyes, to feel what they feel – that is the foundation of genuine understanding and thus, genuine influence.
It’s not about winning an argument, about proving you’re right and the other person is wrong.
It’s about building bridges of understanding, about creating a common ground where new ideas can take root and grow.
Because change is rarely about logical triumph, but about a deeply human resonance.
Here you can read about the importance of finding the right feeling when selling.
