From Olympics to Organizations: The Impact of Storytelling in Business

Guest:Christian NapierFounder & CEO, Rakonto Inc. | Knowledge Management Advisor, International Olympic CommitteeLinkedInHost:Melissa AarskaugExecutive Connect | WebsiteYouTube: @ExecutiveConnectEpisode Overview:In this episode of the Executive Connect Podcast, Melissa Aarskaug sits down with Christian Napier, a knowledge management expert whose storytelling work has spanned the Olympic Games and Fortune 500 boardrooms. Christian shares how storytelling can go beyond inspiration—it can transform how organizations learn, grow, and retain vital knowledge. He takes us behind the scenes of the Olympics, unpacks how to “scalably harvest contextual knowledge,” and explains why even a short story can influence hiring, culture, and leadership.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro to Christian and his Olympic journey03:15 – Why stories of behind-the-scenes heroes matter07:40 – Storytelling as a business tool: changing minds and building bridges12:05 – What is “contextual knowledge,” and why should you care?16:30 – How leaders can mine insights from employees at every level21:10 – LinkedIn and micro-stories: small actions, big ripples25:00 – Capturing personal stories before they’re lostConnect With Us:Podcast Website: https://www.executiveconnectpodcast.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExecutiveConnectSocial:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-aarskaug/Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/my-executive-connect/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@melissa_aarskaugX: https://x.com/melissaaarskaug