From Story to Strength: Building Unstoppable Teams

One of the toughest tasks you’ll have as a leader is building a narrative day in and day out.

No, not to your customers (that’s a given), but to your team.

You have to give life to everything that’s being done.

To everything you’re asking them to do.

To have the discipline to do mundane tasks, even on the slowest days.

So they can push beyond their comfort zone.

So they develop the skills to exceed their goals.

It can’t stop, and if it does, everything will begin to slip away.

You’ve heard the phrase, “It’s 80% mental and 20% physical”?

I know, anything but a unique cliché, but it’s true. Not just on the field, but everywhere.

What happens between one’s ears truly dictates everything.

You build the narrative to build your team's mental toughness.

That is the fuel necessary to move anything and everything forward.

Your changes, strategies, keeping accountability, low turnover etc will come to you with ease.

So many leaders focus solely on tactics though that they lose sight of this.

What narrative are you talking about, Ardi? What are you suggesting we do outside of goal setting and weekly meetings?

Make it all mean something.

It’s generic by nature because there are so many ways to approach it.

(I've shared a few methods below)

If you can nail some or all of these, you’ll see a unique identity shape within your team.

May I be dramatic for a second?

That identity will make the team an unbeatable force.

It's tough to explain. The best way I can put it is everyone is willing to go further.

More willing to do anything that’s required.

When you have that mentality, communicating the strategy and making adjustments becomes cake.

One warning before you set off. You HAVE to be authentic.

If it's forced or hypocritical, or has no relativity, then you'll see different results.

You'll lose trust and see an influx of "cringe" looks after each meeting.

I challenge you to make your meetings this week mean something. If you're still confused, scroll below.

Building Narratives to Develop Your Team’s Mentality

1. Embed Purpose in Every Task

• Why It Matters: Without a sense of purpose, even the most talented teams can become disengaged. Purpose drives motivation, especially during repetitive or challenging tasks.

• How to Do It: Start by connecting each task to a broader team or company goal. For example, if your team is working on data entry, frame it as the foundation for strategic decisions that will shape the future of the company. Highlight how each piece of work, no matter how small, contributes to the overall mission.

2. Stay Authentic

• Why It Matters: Authenticity fosters trust. When your team believes in the narrative you’re building, they’re more likely to buy into the vision and work harder to achieve it.

• How to Do It: Address challenges openly. If the team is facing a tough quarter, acknowledge it, and then build a narrative around overcoming adversity. Share personal experiences or company history that relates to the current situation. This shows that you’re not just spinning a story, but that you genuinely believe in the path forward.

3. Use Metaphors and Stories

• Why It Matters: Metaphors and stories make complex ideas more relatable and memorable. They help bridge the gap between abstract goals and day-to-day tasks.

• How to Do It: Use sports metaphors to illustrate teamwork or battle analogies to frame competitive strategies. If your team is launching a new product, compare it to a “mission to Mars”—uncharted territory that requires precision and innovation. Stories can also be drawn from past successes or failures within the company to make the narrative more tangible.

4. Reframe Obstacles as Opportunities

• Why It Matters: Challenges are inevitable, but how they’re perceived can make or break a team’s morale. By framing obstacles as opportunities, you encourage a growth mindset that sees potential in every setback.

• How to Do It: When a project faces delays, reframe it as extra time to refine and perfect the outcome. If a competitor outperforms your team, use it as motivation to analyze their strengths and innovate beyond them. This approach not only maintains morale but also drives continuous improvement.

5. Be Consistent

• Why It Matters: Consistency reinforces the narrative, making it a core part of the team’s culture. Inconsistent messaging can lead to confusion and a lack of direction.

• How to Do It: Integrate the narrative into every aspect of communication—team meetings, one-on-one check-ins, and even casual conversations. Use consistent language and themes to reinforce the narrative. For example, if your narrative centers around “resilience,” make sure it’s a recurring theme in your feedback, recognition, and goal-setting discussions.

6. Evaluate and Adjust

• Why It Matters: A narrative that doesn’t evolve with the team’s needs and circumstances can become stale or lose relevance. Regular evaluation ensures that the narrative continues to drive engagement and performance.

• How to Do It: Solicit feedback from your team regularly to understand how the narrative is resonating. Are they motivated by it? Does it align with their daily experiences? Use this feedback to tweak the narrative, making it more relevant as the team evolves. For example, if your team has achieved a major milestone, shift the narrative to focus on the next challenge or opportunity, keeping the momentum going.