Mark Burnett is one of the most high-octane advocates of the art of the tell with such hits as Survivor, The Apprentice, The Contender, Martha Stewart and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?. He is forced to depend on his executives to tell and sell his programs and knows that success and failure is determined by these individuals’ energy level even more than their creativity. This energy is necessary to inspire the people and those around them to action.

Mark told Peter Guber that he motivates his colleagues by telling the story of their 15 or 16 hour day which requires furious and continuous energy to ignite and fuel this flame of enthusiasm and creativity in others. He closes the story with a cautionary tale – beware of the “energy suckers!” They must think of “energy suckers” figuratively as a bathtub that you fill full of water with your energy at the beginning of the day. he says, “Crack that plug and let it drain so by the time you come home the last drop has gone through the drain. Ideally, there’s still some energy in the tub to get you home, but if you’re confronted by “energy suckers” during the day, be warned you’ll be running on empty before noon.”

Mark Burnett has turned this personal enthusiasm and story of energy conservation into career rocket fuel to energize his key executives for a mission of success.

MORE ABOUT TELL TO WIN

To validate the power of telling purposeful stories, Guber includes in this book a remarkably diverse number of ‘voices’ – master tellers with whom he’s shared experiences. They include YouTube founder Chad Hurley, NBA champion Pat Riley, clothing designer Norma Kamali, “Mission to Mars” scientist Gentry Lee, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, former South African president Nelson Mandela, magician David Copperfield, film director Steven Spielberg, novelist Nora Roberts, rock legend Gene Simmons, and physician and author Deepak Chopra.

After listening to this extraordinary mix of voices, you’ll know how to craft, deliver – and own – a story that is truly compelling, one capable of turning others into viral advocates for your goal.