From Storytelling to Idea-Telling: The big comms shift you might be missing

Mark Carney framed his now-famous speech at Davos like this: “Today I will talk about a rupture in the world order, the end of a pleasant fiction and the beginning of a harsh reality…”

Thus began an explanation of how the world works, what has changed, and what will follow. Beneath Carney’s speech is a significant idea — an academic thesis, really — delivered in accessible language and narrative form.

Its politics aside, that speech points to where communications is heading.

For the better part of the last decade, communications professionals (like me) have told leaders and organizations that storytelling is everything. And there was truth in that. Stories build empathy. They create connection. They help institutions sound more human.

But we need to understand that the tectonic plates of our craft are shifting. Storytelling alone is no longer enough.

People need more than connection – they need a map. Because in a world of dizzying social, political and technological change, every news story feels like a fresh bout of vertigo. People crave understanding and direction.

That means audiences are now gravitating to ideas inside those stories, not just to stories themselves. They are looking for new points of view about how the world works, what is broken, what matters, and what should happen next.

This changes the role of communications significantly. And it means the line between communications, policy, and strategy has become fuzzier. 

In the past, communications was brought in to package decisions that had already been made. The strategy got developed first, and communications “told the story.” Leaders were supposed to be accessible, interesting, warm and personal. Politicians competed to become the one you want to have a beer with.

Both of those things are changing, fast. Here’s a recent example of a leader who missed the shift: 

When Pierre Poilievre re-introduced himself after his leadership review – retelling his origin story and motives for leadership, it felt very “2015.” To persuadable voters looking for a stronger policy agenda, he offered a new, folksier narrative frame. It felt out of style – like wearing last year’s dress on the runway. And out of step – because people are looking for something more substantial.  

In a fragmented and unstable world, the ability to frame problems, define urgency, and articulate a path forward – bolstered by sound and thoughtful plans about how to get there – is now central to leadership.

Which means communicators need to bring more than polished language to the table at the end of the process. They need to bring interpretation, judgment, and ideas at the beginning of the strategic conversation.

In other words, my fellow comms nerds: don’t just bring your best words. Bring your best thinking.

And if thoughtful leaders fail to muster a clear direction, rest assured, authoritarianism, racism, all manner of intolerance and cruelty are waiting by the door, ready to march, with their boots on. 

Put simply, our job isn’t only to make organizations sound compelling or relatable. Our job now is also to help leaders articulate ideas strong enough to compete with louder, simpler, and often darker narratives.

That requires courage – because ideas create risk. They expose values. They invite disagreement. They force leaders to actually stand for something.

But that is also what audiences increasingly want: clarity. They don’t expect perfection. They want to know that somebody has thought seriously about the future and is willing to propose a direction through uncertainty. 

And they expect those ideas to be delivered with earnestness. Conviction. Clarity. Boldness. If the other side has a megaphone, they don’t want you to arrive at the debate with a five-point plan and a PowerPoint. They want you to carry a scalpel. To fire a laser. They want you to have clear-eyed, adult-in-the-room energy, a smart agenda and the courage to speak up. 

Look, my fellow comms-crafters, storytelling still matters deeply. It always will. Human beings understand the world through stories. But stories alone are no longer sufficient.

Stories create connection.

Ideas create direction.

People are hungry for direction. 

Our job is to help give it to them. 

 

Does your organization need a new strategic plan or communications strategy? Send us a message, we’re here to help.