From Keyboard to Keynote: Storytelling for Leaders with Sophie Wadsworth.

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Do you deliver business presentations? If so, do you include stories? And if you don’t, why not? Is it because you don’t think stories are appropriate for business? Is it because you can’t find relevant stories? Is it because you don’t believe you can tell them effectively? If any of those resonate, Sophie Wadsworth is about to change your perspective. Drawing on her experience as an executive leader and storyteller, Sophie helps leaders craft personal, mission-centered communications, build a story bank for use in key meetings or keynotes, and improve presentation skills to engage their audiences. Her clients include executives and leaders at Fidelity, Amazon Web Services, Greater Lowell Community Foundation, and Condé Nast. Here’s my conversation with Sophie Wadsworth.

What Makes a Story a Story

Peter: What is a story, and how is it constructed?

Sophie: At its simplest, a story is a sequence of events that involves some kind of problem or conflict for a character or set of characters — and a transformation or change that happens in the course of it. For business stories, I’d add that it also needs a point, a takeaway for your listeners. It’s more than entertainment. Conflict is what separates a story from an anecdote. An anecdote may or may not have a moral; a story does.

Story as a Container for Truth

Peter: A lot of leaders say, “This is business — it’s not the place for stories.” How do you respond?

Sophie: I understand that instinct. In business, people want you to get to the point and give valuable information. But we can think about story differently — as a container for truth. Data tells a story. And we can find a story that will carry the truth of that data in a way that’s sticky and memorable. That’s where leaders can use storytelling to great advantage rather than just sharing information or a chronology of events.

Finding the Stories You Already Have

Peter: What do you say to people who feel they don’t have interesting stories to tell?

Sophie: There are two parts to it. First, reflect on what you most want to convey — what do you want to leave in your listeners’ minds? Then look at the stories you have. Maybe they’re origin stories of your company or career that colleagues keep coming back to. Maybe they’re high points or pivotal moments. Beyond reflection, listen to your colleagues as they talk, and ask them questions: “When you look back on the past five or ten years, what stands out as the most pivotal moments?” The right question unlocks the story.

Why Time Is Your Friend

Peter: Is giving yourself enough time to develop stories key?

Sophie: Absolutely. Time gives you a chance to practice, to take in current events, to gather details that make a story vivid — and vividness is essential for storytelling. Something as simple as scheduling a ten-minute check-in with a colleague to gather the details you need is a workaround for procrastination. Put it on the calendar and it will happen.

Delivering Stories with Presence

Sophie: A lot of what helps with delivery is practice. When we get something in our body — like playing a sport or making dinner — we reach a flow where we don’t have to think about every step. Tactically, think about how you’re guiding yourself. Do you have key notes visible? An index card with bullet points? Whatever format works, practice with it at least once. And if you can record yourself — even just on your phone — play it back. Listen for where you should add a pause, where your pacing shifts, where you sound off. A recording reveals what you can’t hear in the moment.

Letting the Movie Play in Your Mind

Sophie: When delivering a story, make space for yourself to let the movie play in your own mind. Let the images and characters be alive in your mind’s eye, and you’ll be far more able to make them vivid for your listener. You’re not just delivering words — you’re inviting your audience into a shared experience. When your brain and theirs are in sync around a narrative, that’s where real connection happens.

Adding Humor to Business Stories

Sophie: It’s critical to know your audience and what flies for humor — and to know yourself. If you’re not naturally spontaneous with humor, consider adding a fitting cartoon or retelling a relevant industry joke. For the more spontaneous, exaggeration is a great device. You don’t have to exaggerate the entire story — just play up a detail a bit. And be ready with a line for the classic mishap moments: the cell phone that rings, the Zoom that freezes. Having a planned response for the unplanned moment is its own kind of preparation.

The Advice Sophie Wishes She’d Received Earlier

Sophie: I wish someone had asked me early on: “What’s the story of how you came to this work?” The personal and the professional have a special power when combined. Each of us is in the work we do for reasons that have roots in something personal — a moment, a decade ago or from childhood, that connects the dots. Sharing that — without being confessional — grounds you as a three-dimensional person. And it invites your audience to find their own connection to what you’re saying.

Peter: Sophie, where can listeners learn more about how you help people become better storytellers?

Sophie: Find me on LinkedIn — Sophie Wadsworth — or on the web at sophiewadsworth.com. I’d love to connect.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Public Speaking with Peter George. Are you ready to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then visit petergeorgepublicspeaking.com and let’s make it happen. I’ll see you next time.