Let Me Take You Back: The Storytelling Technique That Changes Everything

When I say, "Let me take you back," I am creating an anchor. I am returning us to the human experience — not just yours or mine, but our collective memory. I am reminding you of where we started, the pain we felt, or the lesson we almost forgot.

Let me take you back to 480 BC, to the coast of Greece. Imagine the leader Themistocles. The Persian empire — the greatest superpower the world had ever seen — is literally on the horizon. The Greek city-states are terrified, arguing, and ready to retreat. Themistocles is standing on a wooden deck, facing a council of men who want to run. He has to make a decision in a moment of total crisis with no guarantee of success. When we go there together, you realise that the pressure you feel in your boardroom today is the same weight humans have carried for millennia.

Or let me take you back to May 1940. Britain is about to be invaded. The disaster at Dunkirk is unfolding. Look at Winston Churchill. He is sitting in a dark room, his heart heavy, operating with what he called a "drunk brain" fuelled by late-night brandy and the crushing weight of a world at war. He is exhausted. His tongue literally does not want to follow his brain — he struggles with his speech, his words are slurred, and his physical energy is spent.

He had every reason to fail. Yet, in that state of disaster, he delivered one of the greatest motivational speeches in history. Why? Because he didn't try to be a perfect corporate version of a leader. He spoke from the truth of the struggle. By taking you back to that room, I remind you that you don't need to be perfect to be powerful; you just need to be human.

But a story that only looks backward is a eulogy. A story that only looks backward is nostalgia. To lead, you must move.

"Let me take you forward."

This is where the magic happens. This is the vision. This is the What If? When I take you forward, I am painting a picture of a future that doesn't exist yet — but could. I am showing you the version of your company that has solved the problem. I am showing you the leader you become once you apply the lessons we found in the past. If the Back is the reality of our shared history, the Forward is the architecture of our possibility.

You might notice that I repeat these phrases throughout a talk. I do it on purpose. In poetry and classical literature, this is called anaphora. Repetition is not a lack of vocabulary — it is a leadership tool.

When I repeat these phrases, I am doing three things: Signposting — making sure no one gets lost; in a complex talk, these are the landmarks that tell you where we are. Building Rhythm — creating a heartbeat in the speech that keeps you engaged. Creating a Handle — giving you something so the message is easy to retell to your own team tomorrow.

Repetition creates a sense of safety. It tells the audience: you are safe, you know where we are, I am leading you.

I am a presenter, a speaker, and a coach because I believe your message is too important to stay still. We must return to the human experience in the past to find the courage to see the possibility in the future.

By oscillating between the Back and the Forward, I create a narrative tension that turns a presentation into a journey.

If you are looking for a speaker or a coach who can take your audience beyond the slides and into a true experience of movement, let's talk. Let me take you back to the heart of your mission, so we can take your organisation forward to its greatest potential.