Life is a Story. Lessons on Leadership by Mark Sanborn.

Mark Sanborn, best-selling author of “The Fred Factor” presented at the Chick-fil-A Leadership Training Program on May 7, 2010.

Here is an Amazon link for Sanborn’s book:

Here is Danny Pettry’s summary of Sanborn’s talk:

My life is a story and so is yours. Children love hearing a story. Stories make a great medium.

People want to know stories. What is your story? Is it a comedy? Is it a tragedy? It could be several genres.

Danny Pettry’s comment: stories are great for press releases and selling, too.

Our personal story ends at death. Be actively involved in life.

Here is an important question to consider:

How does working for me affect another person’s story? Are they a better person for having come in contact with me?

My job is to make their story better. We want leaders who can make someone else’s story better.

WIP is a work in progress.
WAC is a work already completed.

It is important to treat people as if they’re a WIP.

Leadership is about influence. It isn’t about control. That is why it isn’t called Controller-ship.

Stuck is when a person has given up hope. They don’t need a kick in the butt or more discipline. They need hope. Re-sell them on themselves. Remind them of their potential. Help them to have big dreams. Believe in their value.

Guarantee not to let them fail. This doesn’t mean taking responsibility for them. That is their job. It does mean that you’re not going to give them permission to fail. That is when you treat them as a WAC (work already completed).

Give them hope by offering something new to try and be willing to try. Give people options and alternative futures. Give them some struggle so they can be a hero who conquered. Provide encourage because no one is exempt from struggles in life. The big focus should be on hope and victory and not the current struggle.

Failure is something that happens. It is not something a person is. Failure is an indicator of success.

No resistance means no hope. Two people who have similar experiences can have very different outcomes.

Look for lessons.

Deal with life and look for a destination.

Danny Pettry’s note: Enjoy the journey in life and enjoy the present, too.

Back to Sanborn:

Leave a legacy that lives beyond our own life. That is a good destination for life.



Realize that my story has an impact on others.

Respond to a person’s story. Don’t reject the story or the person.

Provide unconditional acceptance. This does not meant approval of their story. None of our own personal stories are perfect.

Here are Sanborn’s 3 Questions:

What is your greatest hope at business? And in life?
What is your greatest fear?
What do you want to learn most?

Feel and listen with the heart.

Tell a story.

It’s not about me, but how their story can be better based on what I’ve learned.


Sanborn pointed out that he was inspired when he interviewed Tony Dungy because Dungy had pointed that that there were so many people who had poured into his life. These mentors, teachers, and family members helped to make Dungy’s story better.

Ideas and experiences come from people.

What do you do to help others? Get their story and help to improve it.

Sanborn talks about a “Generous actor.” This is a person who is not there for themselves. These people are there for others.

Be a generous leader. Be there for other people and not for yourself.

Provide stories of hope and encouragement.

Be shapers of stories. Help make their stories better.

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