Mastering the art of storytelling can help female leaders thrive

Storytelling is an essential element of the human experience. The stories we share enable us to work with each other, find common ground, and interpret the world around us. They inform, educate, and entertain, providing the glue that bonds societies together.

Storytelling is also, of course, essential for great marketing and leadership. For women in leadership positions, the way we tell our stories shapes how others perceive us and how we perceive ourselves. Women telling powerful stories can break down barriers to workplace inclusion and help create a more equitable future for all.

There is some evidence that this is already happening in the film industry, in which I have spent the lion's share of my career. Like the tech sector, the film industry has long been male-dominated, but women are now reshaping the narrative—both on screen and in the boardroom.

In 2024, for example, 42% of the top 100 domestic grossing films featured female protagonists for the first time, increasing from 28% in 2023. Meanwhile, USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative reported that 54% of the top 100 films in 2024 had female leads or co-leads, a substantial rise from 30% in 2023.

Things are getting better (although not fast enough in my opinion!). There is more opportunity for women in the industry compared to when I started out (when I was frequently the only woman in the room), but the key now is for women to thrive in the leadership positions they gain and support the next generation of female leaders. In order to do that we need to ensure that our stories are heard. 

My 20-year career working in marketing roles across ad agencies, global film studios, cinema exhibition and technology companies has taught me a thing or two about how this can be done. Whether communicating brand narratives, or coordinating with colleagues, clients, and business partners, storytelling has proved essential to my success both as a marketer and as a leader.  

My advice for women in the tech sector – or for any sector – is to build your story on a narrative of success. Success makes for a powerful story, particularly when leading a team or organisation through a period of change. I learned this when introducing an industry-first partnership marketing and content production department at ODEON Cinemas Group, with the aim of establishing strategic partnerships with film studios including Walt Disney, 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers and Universal. Our key objective was to drive incremental value across their film slates to the mutual benefit of both businesses. 

This was a major shift for all concerned (it was, for example, the first time studios were given data insights into the people who actually watch their movies), but it was possible – at scale, across multiple countries and stakeholder groups – because I communicated our joint objectives, campaign successes and brought people together around this common narrative. Success in this story was as much about commercial impact as it was about the trusting relationships built. Ultimately, it was one that fundamentally altered how studios and exhibitors work together to drive mutual growth.

In my current role, I have learned much about the importance of emotive storytelling. DiO uses advanced technologies such as biometrics, facial coding, and AI to reveal to film, advertisers, and game makers how audiences react in real-time to their content. Essentially, the approach surfaces valuable conscious and subconscious emotional responses and insights. This reminds us that storytelling is ultimately all about creating an emotional reaction and connection. It is something that leaders need to harness when building and inspiring their teams.

Here, women may well be at an advantage. As a group, women tend to have higher emotional intelligence (EQ) than men. EQ measures a person's ability to perceive, control, evaluate, and express emotions. Speaking from my own experience, I have always sought to lead from a nurturing, emotionally aware place. I've found from my journey that this approach builds trust and strengthens relationships both with peers and with the teams you lead. By listening and using empathy, you can support the people you manage, be the main characters in their own stories, helping to empower them and to achieve more.

If there was one thing that I wish I had done more of in my early career as a woman in very male dominated businesses, it would have been to use my voice more and ensure it was heard. Both the film and technology sectors have been through some very turbulent years, and, with the increase in use of AI in the workplace and challenging macro-environments both politically and economically these challenges will continue.

We need to support and nurture the next female leaders, and these young women need to ensure that they are using their voices to tell their stories, build their brand and share their successes. To increase equality, we all need to join in and share their stories, highlighting the power that women can bring to businesses in all sectors.