Stories turn feeling into action—research shows they increase our willingness to act by 261 percent. Think about that the next time you click through a graph-heavy quarterly report with your team. Thirty years ago, Julie Lancaster began studying teams and what causes them to succeed and fail. She’s delivered 900 performance evaluations and worked with teams ranging from college faculty, outdoor educators, cross-cultural teachers, government employees, to board members and has found three consistent takeaways: People love or hate stories depending on how they are told. Personal stories inspire action and connection. A toolkit of practical strategies to draw from gets more successful outcomes. Beyond Words gives you bite-size, research-based strategies paired with relevant storytelling from Lancaster’s experience that cut through the noise and inspire real action. Whether you are a long-winded storyteller who drones on and takes hostages or you don’t tell any stories at all, you will harvest and develop your own authentic stories that create connection, relevance, and inspiration using the REST Method. Considering that inspired people are twice as productive, this has massive implications for you, your people, and the team as a whole. By reframing inspiration as something rooted in looking backward to lived experiences, we correct the outdated notion that inspiration is rare or innate. Instead, we find how it can be intentionally cultivated to create workplaces that thrive in an artificial intelligence age—when human stories are more precious than ever. “Leadership excellence is not easy. Yet, in this book, Julie Lancaster presents a way for leaders to become dramatically more efficient and effective by mastering the art and science of storytelling. With great insights and useful materials, she provides a vital tool all leaders need to possess.” —Robert Cialdini, bestselling author, Influence and Pre-Suasion “This wonderful book shows readers how to make storytelling a strategic asset that leaders can deploy to drive performance. You think you know how to influence people, but you need to read this book to be great at it.” —Paul J. Zak, PhD, author, The Little Book of Happiness and The Moral Molecule “Our stories are not simply a series of events. They are, perhaps, our greatest under-leveraged asset. Beyond Words teaches us how to knit our stories and communities together to weave a fabric of inspiration, wisdom, and insight!” —Taryn Marie Stejskal, PhD, #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author, The 5 Practices of Highly Resilient People “Julie Lancaster’s Beyond Words is a thoughtful, inspiring, and deeply practical guide to the power of storytelling in leadership. With clarity and specificity, Lancaster shows how stories aren’t just a communication tool—they’re a strategy for creating meaning, building connection, and leading with authenticity. She understands that great leadership isn’t just about what you say, but how you say it—and more importantly, why you say it. Beyond Words will help any leader tap into the stories that define them, and use those stories to lead with purpose and impact.” —Matthew J. Dicks, author, Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life Through the Power of Storytelling ; record fifty-eight-time Moth StorySLAM champion and nine-time GrandSLAM champion “ Beyond Words goes beyond leadership theory, delivering a storytelling blueprint that turns your lived experiences into your most powerful leadership tool.” —Park Howell, Emmy-winning business storytelling coach; top-ten podcaster; and author, Brand Bewitchery and The Narrative Gym for Business “If you had the opportunity to learn a skill that could improve your impact as a leader by 200 percent, would you be interested? Julie Lancaster has written a resource that can help you do just that. This practical guide to unlocking a human leadership superpower is an important read as we collectively stand on the precipice of AI-led transformation.” —Tony Bingham, president and CEO, Association for Talent Development “As an HR leader in tech, I highly recommend this masterful new book that provides practical frameworks for leveraging the power of narrative to inspire teams, navigate change, and articulate strategy. As humans, our experiences and stories provide our connection to each other. Beyond Words teaches us how to be alive with our stories and use them as leaders to benefit our teams, our companies, and our world. It offers actionable strategies for crafting compelling stories that resonate deeply, fostering connection and driving significant business outcomes. It includes all the tools to be self-reflective, purposeful, and strategic with your leadership and your legacy. Beyond Words is filled with great stories about Julie’s experiences, which are motivating to capture how leadership is developed and shared, builds community, and binds us together. Any leader looking to enhance their influ