Stories are infrastructure.
Stories are narrative infrastructure. They shape culture, build trust, influence decisions and affect whether people participate or disengage. This principle places narrative within organizational strategy.
The founding principles
What holds the
ecosystem together.
Ten original commitments to purpose, narrative, culture and meaningful change.
Every organization already has a story.
Employees, customers, communities and partners interpret an organization through what they encounter. Leaders have a responsibility to understand and intentionally shape that narrative.
Purpose gives stories direction.
Purpose is the organizing principle behind decisions. It gives content meaning and provides a basis for deciding what deserves attention.
Trust is built through consistency.
Trust is earned through aligned moments: editorial choices, leadership behavior, customer experience and community engagement. Every interaction can strengthen or weaken it.
Community is the highest expression of communication.
The philosophy values the transition from receiving a story to contributing to it. People become participants when their voices and actions have a meaningful place within a shared purpose.
Great brands don't interrupt culture. They participate in it.
Understand the conversations people are already having and add value. Participation requires attention to context and a willingness to listen.
Platforms are connected.
Magazine, podcast, website, speech, event, social media and newsletter contribute to one experience of an organization. Their editorial choices should reinforce a coherent purpose.
Leadership is editorial.
Leaders shape culture through the stories, voices, priorities and values they choose to amplify. Their decisions and behavior communicate alongside their words.
Creativity needs systems.
Structure can make creative excellence repeatable. Clear editorial processes, shared standards and dependable ways to collaborate help good ideas become sustained practice.
Impact is the outcome.
Meaningful change is the intended end of the work. Stories matter because people do; attention, influence and community should be assessed in relation to what changes for them.
Emerging principle / 11
Behavior is the strongest story
an organization tells.
Communication begins when people observe. Policies, meetings, decisions and everyday conduct contribute to the story an organization makes believable.