Under the Stars: What Storytelling, Silence, and Stargazing Teach Us About Leadership

How firelight, poetry, and vulnerability connect us more deeply than any boardroom ever could

No slides. No suits.

Just the open sky, the glow of a fire, and the quiet company of others willing to lead with presence -not performance.

We’ve hosted these evenings in deserts. In forests. In wide open spaces where the noise of leadership fades and the truth of it finally speaks.

Sometimes, someone shares a story of a moment of truth that impacted their life or career forever and what they learned from it.

Sometimes, a leader reads a poem that shaped how they lead.

Sometimes, we just sit in silence -together- letting the stars do the talking.

It may sound simple. But these moments create a kind of leadership transformation that no training program can replicate.

Why? Because we’re not just exchanging strategies.

We’re connecting through something far more powerful: story, vulnerability, and shared awe.

WHY THE STARS MATTER

When you sit under a sky that makes you feel small, you remember something important:

Leadership isn’t about being the center of the universe.

It’s about serving something larger.

Stargazing invites humility.

It takes you out of the task list and into the timeless.

It reminds you that you’re part of a much bigger story, and that the best leaders never forget that.

WHY THE FIRE MATTERS

Firelight softens the edges.

It melts down armor.

It invites storytelling that’s not for show, but for meaning.

Around a fire, hierarchy dissolves.

The executive leadership team become human beings again.

And in that glow, leaders remember what they don’t always say out loud:

“I don’t have all the answers.”

“I’m tired sometimes.”

“I want to do this differently.”

And when one person shares, others lean in.

That’s the spark.

That’s what builds trust.

WHY STORY AND POETRY MATTER

We talk so much about leadership communication, but rarely about leadership expression.

Storytelling isn’t just a tool - it’s a mirror.

When a leader shares a personal story or a favorite poem, they reveal who they are, what shaped them, and what they care about.

And in doing so, they give others permission to bring their full selves, too.

This kind of sharing bypasses the intellectual and speaks straight to the heart.

It says: “I see you. I’ve been there. You’re not alone.”

And that’s the kind of message that actually moves people.

WHY THE SILENCE MATTERS

Silence isn’t the absence of leadership - it’s the deepest form of it.

In silence, you can finally hear what’s underneath the noise.

Your intuition.

Your unspoken desires.

Your discomforts.

Your truth.

Silence gives space for reflection.

And reflection is where real growth takes root.

In our stargazing sessions, it’s often the quiet moments - sitting shoulder to shoulder, saying nothing - that create the deepest bonds.

Because silence says: “You don’t have to perform here. You just have to be present.”

LEADERSHIP NEEDS MORE RITUAL, LESS RUSH

We live in a culture that prizes fast thinking, fast execution, fast growth.

But leadership - real, human, transformative leadership- grows slower.

More like a fire than a flash.

That’s why these stargazing nights matter.

They offer a new kind of leadership ritual -one rooted not in hustle, but in harmony.

Not in bravado, but in being.

We’ve watched teams shift in just a few hours of firelight and story.

Not because they learned something new, but because they remembered something true.

That connection is the most powerful leadership tool there is.

A PROMPT TO REFLECT:

What’s the story, poem, or silence that shaped you as a leader - but that your team has never heard?

And what would happen if you shared it?

BRINGING THE STARS BACK TO WORK

You don’t need a desert or a fire to bring this spirit into your leadership.

You just need intention.

Here are a few ways to lead like you’re under the stars:

Start your next team retreat with a personal story -not a strategy slide

Ask your team to bring a poem or song that represents how they feel about work right now

Create space in meetings for silence -not just airtime

Invite reflection with questions like: What’s something about you we wouldn’t know by your LinkedIn?

When the moment is right, share your own stargazing story - the one that made you want to lead in the first place.

Because people don’t follow titles.

They follow meaning.

They follow presence.

They follow the leader who’s willing to share around the fire - flawed, human, and fully here.

UNSCRIPTED LEADERSHIP IS FIRELIGHT LEADERSHIP

Not overly polished.

Not overly planned.

But glowing with honesty.

Rooted in story.

And willing to let the stars speak when the words run out.

So gather around.

Bring your poem.

Bring your silence.

Bring your truth.

Let’s lead - unscripted.

©2025 Kinsey Hartwell – www.unscripted-leadership.org