25 Power Players Leading Through Stories Perhaps most striking about Anderson’s approach is her emphasis on storytelling as a leadership tool. She once devoted an entire two-day leadership congress to teaching CEOs the art of storytelling—though she admits she was initially hesitant to tell her board about the theme. “You can’t just go and say, ‘Yes, we had a meeting and we passed this bill,’” she explains. “You need to tell it in a story.” The initiative was so innovative that National Journal recognized it with an unexpected award, highlighting ISA’s creative approach to public policy communication. This appreciation for narrative extends to Anderson’s personal growth as a leader. She’s a voracious reader, consuming 70–100 books annually across genres. While business books have their place, she finds equal inspiration in novels, including an unexpected recent favorite about a philosophical talking pony that she says offers profound life lessons. Readers Are Leaders Lori Anderson’s Reading List While Anderson reads 70–100 books annually, she emphasizes that not all professional growth comes from business books. Here are some of her favorites: »Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache Series—Anderson appreciates how the characters grow and learn from their mistakes across the series »Historical Non-fiction like “Boys in the Boat“ and “Devil in the White City“ that read like thrillers while providing historical context »Pony Confidential—A surprise recent favorite that Anderson says offers unexpected wisdom about life’s journey »Various Memoirs—She enjoys reading about others’ personal journeys and finding inspiration in their stories [Note from Editor: For your reading pleasure, be sure to check out this issue’s short story, “Sister Rita: How an atheist became guardian angel to a nun” by featured author Elaine Goodman!]
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