HarperCollins Focus Winning Without Persuading: A New Framework for Leading with Curiosity and Story Discovery

There is a leadership skill no one taught youyet it determines the quality of every decision you make. Leaders are trained to have answers, drive alignment, and persuade others to move forward. But in todays environment, those scripts are persistently working against them. The more leaders push their message, the less progress they actually make. The result: missed signals, shallow alignment, and decisions made without the full picture. The leaders who outperform are not the most persuasive. Instead, they are the ones who know how to discover what others dont yet know how to say. In Winning Without Persuading, Esther Choyfounder of the Leadership Story Laboffers a radically different approach to leadership: one built on curiosity, story discovery, and the ability to uncover the hidden information that drives better decisions, stronger trust, and lasting change. The real leadership power lies in learning how to find the stories that change everything. Through her T² principleTransaction × TransformationChoy shows how every interaction can achieve immediate outcomes while also reshaping how people think, contribute, and lead. Youll learn how to: Make better decisions by uncovering what your team isnt sayingbefore its too late Use curiosity to access insights, risks, and opportunities that persuasion alone will not reveal Create interpersonal connections that enable people to feel seen, speak up, and staystrengthening engagement, retention, and team performance Ask the questions that surface original, high-value thinkingnot rehashed answers Lead with clarity, human insight, and authentic voice in an age where AI can generate answersbut not understanding In a world where everyone is talking, the leaders who stand out are the ones who know how to see, hear, and uncover what others miss. Autorid: Esther Choy