Leaders are trained to value clarity. Focus on objectives. Be concise. Communicate priorities. Clarity is a critical component to team performance, but over-prioritizing clarity can come at a cost and we can run into situations like this:
“We just talked about what needed to be done, so why aren’t they doing it?”
“We were aligned in the meeting. What happened between then and now?”
“I can’t tell if they don’t get it–or if they just don’t care.”
What’s often missing in these moments isn’t comprehension—it’s shared meaning. Your team may understand what needs to happen, but that doesn’t mean they feel connected to why it matters, who it’s for, or what success really looks like given everything that’s on their plate.
While clarity supports execution, shared meaning is what enables judgment, alignment, and momentum amidst uncertainty. That kind of meaning isn’t delivered through instructions–it’s built through story.
Working with story often requires a shift in perspective and skills compared to the rest of our work, which is why it’s so often skipped. But it needn’t be overcomplicated or time consuming.
How to Frame the Call to Adventure
In story theory, the call to adventure is the moment that invites a protagonist out of the familiar and into something new. It signals that stakes have changed, that the old way won’t suffice, and that an uncertain but meaningful path is opening. In a leadership context, your version of a call to adventure is what helps your team move beyond seeing work as just a series of tasks and into seeing it as a purposeful challenge worth their best effort.
These three steps will help you do that — without slowing you down.
1. Shift Your Story
The first step of creating a call to adventure for your team is to start seeing one yourself. Beyond the what – the tasks to be done – what’s the why? Is there something at stake if things go well, or don’t? How does the work ahead represent a break from the familiar?
The point isn’t to add drama or hype, but to surface what you believe makes this next chapter significant. By starting with your own story frame, you’ll be better able to understand the story of your team.
Try this AI Prompt: “Help me see this next chapter of our team’s work as a call to adventure. Ask me great questions to understand our context.”
2. Understand Theirs
Even with a strong framing, your team may see things differently. Their sense of risk, urgency, or possibility can be filtered through personal experiences, constraints, or fears you may not fully see. This is why, in story theory, the call to adventure is never a one-sided declaration; it is an invitation, with room to respond, question, and ultimately choose to participate.
By asking your team how they see it — where they’re motivated, where they’re hesitant — you respect their agency and gain insight into what might actually hold them back or carry them forward. Keep in mind that resistance here isn’t a red flag; it’s valuable information to strengthen your shared narrative before moving ahead.
Try this AI Prompt: “What questions can you ask me, and what questions can I ask my team members, in order to better understand sources of genuine motivation and buy-in?”
3. Lead With Language
The final step is to maintain a throughline as the work gets underway. After all, a call to adventure doesn’t start and end in a single conversation — it carries forward across updates, standups, and one-on-ones. The language you choose will either reinforce the sense of purpose, or shrink it back into routine.
While a consistent throughline is the goal, don’t expect yourself to land on the “right” language from the beginning; listen for words, phrases, and concepts that hold water with your team by paying attention to their body language and facial expressions. When certain phrases or metaphors resonate, carry them forward — they can help reinforce a productive orientation to the challenges ahead even as circumstances shift. An AI assistant can help you start strong by exploring some words to emphasize and avoid going forward.
Try this AI Prompt: “What language could keep this story alive and aligned with our mission? What phrasing might pull us off course?”
Becoming an AI-Assisted Storyteller
Remember that when people aren’t acting with urgency or ownership, it’s rarely because they don’t get it, or don’t care. It’s often because they’re disconnected from a shared story. You don’t have to be a natural storyteller. But you do need to recognize that the way you frame a project—or don’t—is shaping how others engage with it.
Fortunately, your team’s shared story isn’t something you author alone. It’s something you help uncover and evolve—together. With the right structure and a little help from AI, stepping into this part of your role can be easier and more powerful than you expect—and it can lead to a lasting shift in how your team focuses, collaborates, and follows through.