Key Takeaways:

• Proximity Bias: Why your story might feel “boring” to you but is magical to others hearing it for the first time.
• From Shame to Service: How sharing your story transforms not just others but also yourself.
• Emotional Credibility: Establish trust and connection with audiences by sharing your authentic origin story.
• Strategic Storytelling: Your story is about you, but it’s for your audience—tailor it with intention to resonate and inspire action.
• Vulnerability in Leadership: Being imperfect in public makes you relatable and influential, fostering genuine connections.

Addressing Polarization in Leadership:

Mark and John discuss how marginalized communities face unique challenges in sharing their stories and the importance of creating safe spaces for authentic expression. They emphasize how leaders who share their humanity can build trust, break barriers, and inspire connection across diverse teams.

Key Insight: "Your story is about you, but it’s not for you—it’s for the people you serve."

Quotable Moments:

• “What you resist persists; acknowledgment causes disappearance.” – John Bates
• “If you’re afraid of offending people when you share your story, remember: if they wanted you to write kindly about them, they should have behaved better.” – Mark Leruste
• “Proximity bias makes us undervalue our stories—but to others, they can be life-changing.” – Mark Leruste

Resources Mentioned:

• Mark Leruste’s Website: MarkLeruste.com
• Mark’s Book: Glow in the Dark – available on Amazon and other retailers
• Take the Story Impact Assessment: Storycast.co
• Mark on LinkedIn: Mark Leruste on LinkedIn

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Next Steps:

• Visit LiveLikeALeader.show for more inspiring episodes.
• Explore Mark’s work and resources at MarkLeruste.com.
• Connect with Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markleruste/
• Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbates/

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John Bates provides 1:1 Executive Communications Coaching, both in-person and online. He also gets 92+ Net Promoter Scores for his large and small group leadership development trainings at organizations like Johnson & Johnson, NASA, Google, Intuit, Boston Scientific, and many more. Find more at https://executivespeakingsuccess.com.

Sign up for his weekly micro-trainings for free at https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings and create a great leadership communications habit that makes you the kind of leader who inspires trust, loyalty, and connection.