How Knight-Hennessy scholars learn to lead through storytelling
Yujie Tao arrived at Stanford as a computer science PhD candidate. When she became a Knight-Hennessy scholar in the 2023 cohort, she had published award-winning papers at premier conferences on human-computer interaction, yet she had rarely presented her work to a general audience. That changed when she began participating in weekly storytelling sessions with fellow scholars. “I had always assumed leaders need to be strong to convince other people, but through the storytelling sessions, I began to see the power of empathy,” she recalls. “If you understand others, they become more willing to align with you, and then you can work together to achieve a common goal.”
For these reasons and more, weekly storytelling sessions have been a foundational part of the Knight-Hennessy Scholars experience since the program’s inception in 2018. Through the process, scholars see how a compelling narrative arc helps to illuminate problems, connect with audiences, change attitudes, and deepen relationships. At the same time, practicing these skills alongside fellow scholars helps to build community within the program.
“Storytelling is one of the most valuable things that we teach,” says Tina Seelig, executive director for KHS. “Coming up with a great idea is important. It is equally important to communicate it effectively in order to inspire others.”
Origins of KHS storytelling
Two factors influenced the decision early on to teach scholars how to craft good stories. “First, we wanted incoming scholars to share their personal journeys, as a way of bonding with one another,” recalls KHS co-founder and Shriram Family Director John L. Hennessy. This meant creating an environment in which scholars could step outside their comfort zones and talk openly about their life experiences. In this way, KHS exposes scholars to new ideas and ways of thinking, which serves as a catalyst for both personal growth and community building.
With leadership development skills in mind, Hennessy explains, “We had this deep belief that if you really want to motivate teams, you need to inspire them about the possibility for change and improvement. Crafting a story is a big part of that.” Hennessy experienced this reality firsthand when he became the tenth president of Stanford University. “I could give a good technical presentation, but until I was announced as the next president, I had never given a talk that didn’t involve slides,” he says. “I quickly learned the power of storytelling.”
Since most undergraduate and graduate programs overlook this critical skill, the KHS team decided it was imperative to bridge the gap. Additionally, since many scholars work in technical or scientific fields, they benefit from learning how to make complicated subjects more accessible for general audiences. “You can have the best ideas, but if you can't share a vision for people that explains how you’re going to change the world, it's going to be hard to persuade them to commit to it," Hennessy adds.
More than public speaking
To this end, all first-year scholars attend weekly storytelling sessions, in which they learn how to present dynamically and how to manage their voices and bodies during a presentation. Each step of the way, scholars are guided by a team of experienced improvisation specialists, Dan Klein and Lisa Rowland.
“From the beginning, it was clear that this wasn't just about public speaking,” says Klein. “The concept was — it would be great to give scholars the ability to convey ideas in a meaningful, impactful way — and what we really wanted was to build a community in which people connect with each other in deep, personal, vulnerable ways.”
Like Tao, many scholars acknowledge that empathy plays a key role in their storytelling sessions. They practice compassion in the way they give feedback, and participants have an opportunity to discover something about themselves. As Rowland notes, “You're inviting your listener into what it felt like to be inside your story. And that makes the greatest impact of all. It starts in this little way, and then you get repeated opportunities to practice being vulnerable and feeling supported, and you learn to trust each other.”
All along the way, the weekly storytelling curriculum draws upon themes in the KHS Leadership Model of traits, behaviors, and goals, reinforcing concepts such as courage, resilience, and collaboration.
Relevant skills for any profession
Whatever career directions KH scholars pursue after completing their graduate studies, the storytelling experience remains a valuable skill set. Some will craft stories to promote their scientific research or policy proposals, while others apply what they’ve learned to pitch their ideas for a startup company or nonprofit.
To date, nearly 500 scholars have participated in the innovative storytelling curriculum, and both current scholars and alumni say it’s well worth their time. “As someone who’s now a trial attorney, storytelling is what I do in court,” says Jeremy Hutton (2018 cohort), assistant district attorney in Manhattan. “Knight-Hennessy Scholars taught me how to craft a narrative, how to make it compelling, and how to be comfortable getting up in front of a large group of people. I use these skills every day at my job.”