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Lilla Watson is an Aboriginal elder, activist and educator from Queensland, Australia, who framed a sentence that inspired many people at the international human rights movement:
“If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”
She later said regarding this sentence that she was not comfortable being credited for something that came out of a collective process, so the sentence should be credited to ‘Aboriginal activists group, Queensland’.
That says a lot about her commitment to the story. It also speaks volumes about the power behind the story and the woman who was credited for it.
Today, this is still a very powerful statement because it talks about people doing something together, being part of something bigger than them, and helping people to achieve something with others, rather than for others.
There are many techniques, storytelling coaches and consultants who will help you to make a story out of what you want to achieve, but if your story is not inclusive enough or doesn’t click with people’s fundamental values and concerns, you will be struggling to get the investment, the team and drive to make your project viable.
Companies and businesses don’t last forever. In the fifties, the life expectancy of a firm in the Fortune 500 was around 75 years. Today, it’s less than 15 years and declining all the time.
People are the most important asset of your business, so be sure that you attract the best talent, the most loyal customers and the right funding. Start telling them how you are going to create something really good with them, something that it is not just for yourself, but for others too.
Make your unique story about the good that you want to share, and things will start unfolding.