NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 27, 2026) – Esther Choy started teaching leadership storytelling long before it was “a thing.” Since 2010, Choy has coached thousands of business leaders across a wide array of industries, harnessing the power of story to build trust, ignite connection, and inspire action as CEO and Chief Story Facilitator at Leadership Story Lab.
In her highly anticipated second book, Winning Without Persuading: A New Framework for Leading with Curiosity and Story Discovery (HarperCollins Leadership, May 5, 2026), Choy offers a revolutionary approach – leadership storytelling built on uncovering the hidden stories that change everything.
“If you lead today, you are operating in a time when trust is brittle, attention is fractured, and AI and automation are redrawing the boundaries of what human communication even means,” writes Choy. “Leaders cannot afford to wait until they are on stage or under pressure to begin.”
In the book, Choy turns conventional business storytelling on its head, showing that the real power of story in leadership isn’t only about spotlighting yourself. As Esther says, “the best way to get someone’s attention is by giving them yours. By encouraging others to share their stories, leaders not only gain a deeper understanding but also demonstrate a genuine desire to connect on a human level.”
Choy shares many of these revolutionary storytelling principles and stories in the book, based on her experience with guiding individuals, teams, and organizations on leadership communication.
Since 2020, she has taught leaders to master the art of storytelling and equipped them to empower others to tell their stories through the transformative 6-week Certified Story Facilitator course.
This book is written for now, for the leaders who recognize that every conversation holds more than content, every team carries more than metrics, every moment could be a mirror.
Esther K. Choy is the CEO and Chief Story Facilitator at Leadership Story Lab, where she coaches leaders across industries to harness the power of story to build trust, ignite change, and inspire action. The author of Let the Story Do the Work and a top contributor to Forbes’ Leadership Strategy channel, her work has also been featured in Harvard Business Review, the New York Times, and Entrepreneur magazine. Currently completing her MFA in Creative Writing at DePaul University, Esther blends business rigor with narrative craft to redefine leadership as an act of connection and transformation. Her latest book, Winning Without Persuading, will be available nationwide on May 5, 2026.
Leadership Story Lab equips leaders with skills in business storytelling through coaching, training, and certification in facilitation. 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.
HarperCollins Leadership publishes content from leaders who redefine or expand what a reader previously thought possible. Authors provide unique inspiration and experiences to those who seek to learn, make a difference, and find their own version of success.
