Asif Uddin Ahmed

I am an educator, entrepreneur, and international development worker. But Most importantly, I am in the business of creating compelling stories. As an educator, I need to understand how stories touch students—why one story is instantly appealing to my students while another fails miserably to connect. The power of storytelling is also central to my work as an international development professional or a business executive and entrepreneur. Over the years, I’ve learned that the ability to articulate your story or that of your company is crucial in almost every phase of enterprise management. As a fundraiser for international development organizations, I now know how to tell a compelling story in which the cause is the hero and appeals to the donors’ interest and emotion. As a line manager, I can rally the team to extraordinary efforts through a story that shows how short-term sacrifice leads to long-term success. As a CEO, I use an emotional narrative about the organization’s mission to attract investors and partners, to set lofty goals, and to inspire employees. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some of the world’s most talented storytellers- lifelong development workers, gifted academicians, maverick CEOs and from them, I’ve gleaned insights into the alchemy of great stories. Make no mistake, success is still an elusive target, and I’ve had my share of flops- both personally and professionally. But experience has at least provided me with a clear sense of the essential elements of a story and how to tap into its power.