Leaders People Love (Penguin Business, 2023) by Yeo Chuen Chuen won a silver medal in the Axion Business Book Awards for the category Company Culture. The Axiom Business Book Awards are a respected guidepost for business books, intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary business books.
“This book is a refreshing departure from traditional leadership literature,” writes Chow Song Chee, Head of People at Ordinary Folk, in a review of the book that highlights the importance of Yeo’s ability to tell powerful stories. “She delves into the deeper, more human aspects of leadership… Her insights resonate with readers (like me) on a personal level, challenging us to reflect on our own leadership style and values.”
Yeo credits Leadership Story Lab’s Certified Story Facilitation (CSF) class with the success of the book. “The core principles from CSF sharpen my ability to think from the audience perspective,” shared Yeo. “While I was already attuned to my audience’s needs and pain points, applying the principles of curation to strategically evoke emotions made my stories even more compelling.”
Yeo shared that she wrote a leadership story using Kung Fu Panda during the CSF class, and the workshopping helped refine it. This story was later incorporated into Leaders People Love, becoming one of the most resonant stories in the book. Using a well-liked movie helped Yeo create the perfect relatable example to reflect the inner struggles of many leaders.
“Many seasoned leaders tell me my stories made them reflect deeper,” said Yeo. “One even told me, he confronted his version of truth and challenged his operating principle all these years. This shows that storytelling, when done powerfully, can shift the most resistant minds.”
The Certified Story Facilitation course has been offered through Leadership Story Lab since 2020. The pandemic inspired the virtual class, but the success has inspired Esther Choy, Founder and Chief Story Facilitator at Leadership Story Lab, to continue even after the stay-at-home orders were lifted.
“The community we build and results we see during these courses are amazing,” said Choy. “Because it’s virtual we get to work with leaders from around the world, sharing and workshopping stories together. It’s powerful.”
