Leadership Story Lab is proud to announce the first fully international cohort

To Adapt And Thrive In The 21st Century These Global Leaders Are Investing In Communication Skills That Foster Authentic Connection

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, February 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Leadership Story Lab is proud to announce the first fully international cohort who earned their Level 1 Certification at the end of 2025:

Saif Rahman, Program Manager at Nesma and Partners in Saudi Arabia
Amy Moore, Executive and Team Coach, and Writer of Teaching Cases in South Africa
Ahmed Alfadhel, Director Strategy and Corporate Performance at BNET Bahrain Network in Bahrain

When division is trending in the news headlines, what unites us is something that business leaders must work hard to foster in their organizations. That’s why more leaders, like Rahman, Moore, and Alfadhel, are turning to the unique Certified Story Facilitation program that is designed to help leaders navigate these divisive times. The leadership development course empowers leaders with the skills in storytelling, listening, and question-asking to build authentic communication.

“Attending the Certified Storytelling Facilitator Program transformed my writing and communication,” said Saif Rahman a Program Manager at Nesma High Training Institute in Saudi Arabia. “This structured, yet flexible process is the most well-designed course, with real rigor, I have experienced. Working on the final project proved the quality was maintained throughout. I am now more confident in facilitating business storytelling workshops and sessions for leaders.”

Research has shown us that across cultures humans are hardwired to learn through stories. A story may help a leader motivate her team to embrace change, build trust, or demonstrate that she is fit to lead. For this reason, leaders from around the globe are seeking story facilitation skills from Leadership Story Lab, a storytelling consultancy based in Chicago, IL, that has been a staple since 2010.

“Across the globe, cultures and languages, people crave stories: telling theirs and listening to others,” commented Esther Choy, founder of Leadership Story Lab. “There is something powerful about truly seeing others and being seen. Leaders who are skilled in holding space for their team to tell and listen to stories hold the key to thrive and succeed in the 21st Century.”

Now in its fifth year, Leadership Story Lab’s Certified Story Facilitator (CSF) program is unique in the level of participation it requires of each participant. The classes are small and intimate by design, creating a supportive community, where everyone learns through participation and practice.

The six-week program teaches participants how to engage others and support them in telling their own stories through storytelling tools like fundamental storytelling frameworks, like IRS Paired Introduction, Crazy Good Questions, and Aggressive Listening.

With Level 1 complete, these new certified story facilitators are invited to continue investing in their communication skills through an exclusive monthly professional development call with all the other certified story facilitators in Leadership Story Lab’s community, and to continue on through the next two levels of certification, which builds story mastery progressively.

“The calls remind me that storytelling is a living discipline,” said Eugene Toh, a Level 2 Certified Story Facilitator based in Singapore. “You never truly ‘arrive’; you keep refining, listening, and adjusting. Each session offers a gentle recalibration — a reminder that facilitation is not about control, but about creating conditions for discovery.”

To learn more about Leadership Story Lab and founder Esther Choy's forthcoming book, Winning Without Persuading, visit: LeadershipStoryLab.com

About Leadership Story Lab:
Leadership Story Lab is a women-led storytelling consultancy equipping leaders across industries with Transactional × Transformational (T²) programs that strengthen authenticity, adaptability, and trust. For 15 years, the firm has coached thousands of leaders—from Fortune 500 executives to entrepreneurs and changemakers—helping them communicate with clarity, confidence, and impact.

About Esther Choy
Esther is a story facilitator and author of two leadership storytelling books: Let the Story Do The Work and Winning Without Persuading. Since 2010, she has coached thousands of executives, helping them become more persuasive through the art of story. She is the founder and CEO of Leadership Story Lab, a women-led business storytelling consultancy, offering coaching, training, and certification in story facilitation. Their strategy, T-Squared (Transaction × Transformation), empowers leaders to meet goals, see differently, and create meaning through authentic communication and connection.

Reena Kansal
Leadership Story Lab
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