Shahryar was the king of a vast Persian Empire. His wife betrayed him, convincing Shahryar that all women would eventually do the same.
Shahryar married a new woman every day. Each morning the new bride would be beheaded. This daily ritual went on for three years.
One day, the King married Scheherazade, his advisor’s daughter. Scheherazade was not only beautiful–she was a well-read storyteller.
That night, Scheherazade began telling the King a story. Shahryar was enthralled. As the sun began to rise, she stopped telling the story midway through. The King begged for more, but Scheherazade promised to continue the next night.
Night two began. Scheherazade finished her first story and began another. Night after night, she started a story but stopped it short, buying another day of life from the curious King. Among Scheherazade’s many tales was Aladdin, Sinbad the Sailor, and Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves.
Scheherazade ran out of stories after 1,001 Nights, but Shahryar’s heart had changed. He had fallen in love. Shahryar made Scheherazade his queen.
Many organizations die because they don’t tell enough stories for people to fall in love.