Blog Post: Why Narrative Intelligence Matters?

Humans are narrative seeking beings.
We can’t help it. It’s how we make sense of the world.

We don’t just see events. We interpret them. We don’t just hear words. We read a meaning into them. That’s why a simple phrase like “I’m sorry” can carry weight for years, or why a brand logo can make us feel comfort, disgust, or pride; depending on the story we associate with it.

We assign value to things not just because of what they are, but because of what they represent to us. It applies to products, companies, people, experiences, causes. A holiday can feel meaningful. A pair of shoes can feel powerful. A leader’s stumble can feel symbolic.

And this value we assign? That’s what drives us.
It’s what gets people out of bed.
What makes us choose one item over another?
What keeps communities loyal, or makes them walk away.

Now think about this at scale.

Across a country, a market, a workforce. There are thousands of small communities, shaped by geography, beliefs, experience, and culture. Each with their own sense of what matters. And each with their own stories about what things mean.

Some of these stories are lighthearted. Like a village rumour about statues that move. Some are more serious, like the belief that a politician is cursed, and that anything that happens under their presidency is doomed to fail. These aren’t just jokes. People act on these beliefs, even if they wouldn’t admit it out loud.

Stories like these, whether grounded or imagined, influence how people think, feel, and act. And because most of our decisions happen without us consciously thinking about them, these stories are often working quietly in the background.

They shape what people trust.
They shape what they avoid.
They shape who they listen to, and who they write off.

So what does this mean for leaders?

It means the stories people tell; about your organisation, your products, your leadership, your cause can build value or drain it. They can open the door to opportunity or quietly shut it behind you.

You can have the best plan, the strongest case, the clearest truth, and still lose momentum if the story surrounding you shifts.

Sometimes the shift is small. Sometimes it’s deliberate, stirred up by someone with something to gain. Sometimes it’s no one’s fault at all. But the outcome is the same; people stop seeing what you want to show them. And once that happens, everything becomes harder.

This is why narrative intelligence matters.

It’s not a new technology to buy, or another piece of software to learn. It’s not about data visualisations or sentiment graphs. It’s about paying attention to the stories your communities already believe. The ones shaping what they notice, what they value, and what they dismiss.

If you're leading a business, a department, or a public body, the stories around you are already doing quiet work. They’re building momentum or resistance. They’re helping you or holding you back.

And this is why you always need to understand the narrative.