The Hero's Journey

Storytelling is a foundational skill for all leaders who want their message to cut through the noise and get right to their audience's hearts. “The Hero’s Journey” is a tested and proven storytelling framework that is used in almost every successful Hollywood movie. Using it in your content will increase engagement, watch time, and brand loyalty.

This is a general framework that can be adapted to many uses. It can be used to tell very simple and short stories or very complex, multi-faceted ones. Don't be afraid to be flexible with it. You don’t need to use all 12 elements in every story. 

The "hero" in the story could be you, a client, or a made-up person you use to convey a lesson or insight to the audience:

1. The hero is introduced in the ordinary world where…
2. They receive a call to adventure…
3. They are reluctant at first and refuse the call, but…
4. Are encouraged by a mentor to…
5. Cross the first threshold and enter the new world where…
6. They encounter tests, allies, and enemies…
7. They approach the inmost cave, crossing a second threshold…
8. Where they endure the ordeal…
9. They take possession of the reward and…
10. Are pursued on the road back to the ordinary world…
11. They cross the third threshold, experience a resurrection and are transformed by the experience…
12. They return with the elixir, a boon or treasure to benefit the ordinary world.

Read the book "The Writer's Journey" and "The Hero With a Thousand Faces" for a more detailed explanation of this framework and how to tell great stories.