- Let me tell you why being a storyteller as a leader is so important. One of the biggest challenges faced by leaders is building rapport with anyone with less status at work. It can be difficult to build candid two-way dialogues across organizational lines in a hierarchy. You can be competent, kind, and respected, but your elevated status as a leader can still cause predictable communication challenges. Nonetheless, the vertical flow of conversation and information must happen to support strong performance. Your solution is to become a little more approachable, relatable, and human. The single best way to do that is