The roster of high-profile CEO communication blunders is a long one. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff drew criticism after making an ill-judged joke about US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) monitoring international employees during a company event, while Air India’s boss, Campbell Wilson, faced backlash for a video message following a plane crash last year that many observers deemed cold and insensitive. He was also accused of plagiarising portions of the speech.
Not long ago, storytelling was considered a helpful but non-essential skill, largely confined to marketing teams and brand strategists. Today, however, organisations operate in a far more complex and transparent environment, where leadership communication shapes trust as much as strategy does.
“It used to be enough for a company simply to do the thing it was built to do,” says Sarah Kocianski, chief executive at SJK Insights, a fintech consultancy. “Today, people still care about product quality, but they also ask: is the company ethical? How does it treat its staff? What are its sustainability credentials?”
Companies have evolved from entities that do something into brands that stand for something. And, as Kocianski notes: “Values and missions are subjective. You have to explain why they matter and why anyone else should care.”
Performance and strategy alone are no longer enough; CEOs must also create meaning through clear and compelling storytelling. But how can they meet these higher expectations without drifting into style over substance?
A multi-audience reality
For many CEOs, particularly in regulated sectors such as financial services, storytelling is more about coherence than charisma. Leaders must communicate simultaneously with multiple audiences whose priorities often conflict.
We are moving into a world that feels less human, but people still want to hear a good story
“The CEO of a regulated financial institution speaks very differently depending on the audience,” explains Susanne Chishti, chair of Fintech Circle, an investor network. “When they speak to regulators, the focus is on risk and compliance. When they speak to investors, the conversation shifts to growth and upside. Unless a CEO has a consistent and coherent narrative, this becomes very difficult.”
Complicating matters further is the collapse of traditional communication boundaries. In a hyper-connected world, messages rarely remain confined to their intended audience. Investor presentations are scrutinised by employees, internal communications reach journalists and regulatory messaging becomes public commentary.
“Today, all stakeholder groups can effectively listen to each other,” Chishti says. “CEOs increasingly have to operate with the mindset that anything they say could become public.” As a result, leaders are expected to ensure their messaging remains consistent and aligned, regardless of channel or constituency.
Storytelling in the age of complexity
The growing importance of storytelling is also a response to technological complexity. As companies build increasingly sophisticated products, particularly in fintech and advanced technology sectors, understanding gaps widen between organisations and the public.
“If you are operating in complex technology spaces, you need to tell a clear, credible story about what you are doing and why it matters. Otherwise misinformation fills the gap,” Kocianski says. “We are moving into a world that often feels less human, but people still want to hear a good story. When technology becomes harder to understand, the surrounding narrative becomes more important. The story provides the bridge.”
Katie Ramsey, head of the Global Venture Capital Unit at the Office for Investment, believes one of the most widely misunderstood aspects of storytelling is the assumption that it is primarily about visibility or tone of voice. In financial services, she argues, it is fundamentally about education and inclusion.
“Clear communication gives people the confidence to ask questions, understand the risks and opportunities in front of them, and make informed decisions,” she says. “That applies to small business owners navigating cash flow, older generations adapting to digital services, and younger consumers engaging with financial tools for the first time.”
As Ramsey points out: “Trust grows when information is accessible, transparent and designed to empower, not overwhelm.”
Credibility over charisma
For all its rising importance, positioning the CEO as chief storyteller is not without risk. Leaders may be tempted to prioritise narrative over substance.
“I’m a professional cynic, so my instinct is always to question whether companies are really doing what they say they are doing,” Kocianski says. “We have seen examples of organisations using powerful narratives to sell compelling visions that ultimately turned out to be built on sand.”
Your audience checks whether you actually do what you said you’d do
Authenticity, therefore, becomes the defining factor. Stakeholders do not merely listen to leadership narratives, they test them over time. “Your audience checks whether you actually do what you said you would do,” Chishti explains. “It’s about credibility and realism. CEOs must avoid overpromising and clearly explain why certain priorities matter.”
Memorability also plays a role. After an earnings call or annual general meeting, investors rarely remember every metric, Chishti says. What endures is the underlying story – the explanation that gives numbers meaning.
Of course, what counts as credible and impactful storytelling varies by context. A fintech startup may value a CEO who projects bold vision and a disruption-driven narrative, while the leader of a mature, publicly traded company must convey stability, responsibility and gravitas.
Humans need stories
Looking ahead, storytelling’s importance is only likely to grow. The expansion of AI and digital communication is accelerating information saturation, making clarity a key competitive advantage.
“We’re entering a period of information overload, particularly with the rise of AI,” says Chishti. “In that environment, human leadership stories become more valuable.”
Ramsey agrees, arguing that future leaders will distinguish themselves by using storytelling as a vehicle for trust rather than promotion.
At its heart, storytelling remains fundamentally human. “Humans need stories because they answer one core question,” Kocianski says. “Why should I care?”
As technology advances and the world’s biggest companies build things that fewer people fully understand, storytelling may become even more important, Kocianski adds. “Storytelling itself is not a trend. It is fundamental to the human experience.”
The roster of high-profile CEO communication blunders is a long one. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff drew criticism after making an ill-judged joke about US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) monitoring international employees during a company event, while Air India’s boss, Campbell Wilson, faced backlash for a video message following a plane crash last year that many observers deemed cold and insensitive. He was also accused of plagiarising portions of the speech.
Not long ago, storytelling was considered a helpful but non-essential skill, largely confined to marketing teams and brand strategists. Today, however, organisations operate in a far more complex and transparent environment, where leadership communication shapes trust as much as strategy does.
“It used to be enough for a company simply to do the thing it was built to do,” says Sarah Kocianski, chief executive at SJK Insights, a fintech consultancy. “Today, people still care about product quality, but they also ask: is the company ethical? How does it treat its staff? What are its sustainability credentials?”
