Storytelling as a Climate Solution – Mimi Kalinda

Could storytelling be the key to tackling the climate crisis? Mimi Kalinda thinks so. Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Mimi is the Founder and Chief Narrative Shaper of her company Storytelling and Leadership. She helps today’s leaders define their story in today’s ever-digitized world. 

In this episode, we dive into the importance of storytelling and how it can help jumpstart the energy transition:

• Effective communication is absolutely key to tackling the climate crisis. Energy companies and entrepreneurs may be passionate about the great work that they are doing, but oftentimes lack the skills necessary to translate their technical know-how into a compelling story. Those in energy need to do a better job at communicating the incredible value they bring to the world and the positive impact they are making in moving us towards new types of cost effective energy.
• Storytelling has transitioned from a soft skill to a power skill for leaders. We can largely thank social media, which has moved communications from being more institutional to being more personal. Storytelling is now returning to its historical place as one of the most important leadership skills and an ultimate determining factor in who we listen to. 
• According to Mimi, effective storytelling includes three main factors: 1) content, which must be audience-centric. The listener should be able to find themselves in your story; 2) format, because the order of a story is key. Always lead with the most important bit of information, and close with a call to action; and 3) delivery, which is essential to engaging the audience. A true storyteller needs the right tone to grab attention.