Posted: 14th October 2024
Unlocking agency through story
Ismet “Izzy” Mamnoon is a creativity facilitator and change leader with an unconventional journey, and a powerful toolkit. As someone who transitioned from accounting to leading workshops on creativity and personal growth, Izzy embodies the idea that our stories evolve, and we can shape them. Izzy joined us for a webinar in which we explored storytelling as a deeply personal and transformational practice. From empowering first-generation college students to supporting leaders in corporate innovation, Izzy has applied these storytelling frameworks across many settings, with impactful results.
Why storytelling?
According to Izzy, the stories we tell ourselves matter just as much as the ones we tell others. Our personal narratives drive our behaviors, influence our choices, and shape how we see the world. The process of writing and reflecting on our stories helps surface beliefs, patterns, and strengths we may not even be aware of.
Izzy introduced two tools designed to make storytelling more accessible and actionable:
- Three part stories – which help us to look back, find meaning, and look forward with clarity.
- Story mining – which uses a six-part framework (Context, Characters, Challenge, Cure, Change, Call to Action) to unpack stories and extract learning, either for individuals or whole communities.
Both tools are designed to reduce intimidation, spark insight, and build confidence.
What stood out in Izzy’s approach is her belief in starting with success. Rather than using storytelling just to analyse mistakes, she encourages people to celebrate what’s already working and learn how to replicate it. This approach, grounded in Appreciative Inquiry, shifts mindsets from self-doubt to self-belief.
She also encourages storytelling as empathy-building: rewriting stories from different perspectives, including those we might see as adversaries. This helps not only in resolving conflict but in building emotional intelligence.
From personal insight to collective growth
Izzy’s storytelling frameworks have been used in:
- Classrooms with first-gen students
- Workshops with under-served young people
- Corporate innovation strategy sessions
- Community empowerment projects in Pakistan
- Informal kitchen-table conversations with children
In each case, the goal is the same: empower people to find their voice and recognise their agency.
Izzy’s parting message to participants was simple but powerful: “If we learn from our failures, we must also learn from our strengths. Our stories hold the key.”
As we continue exploring personal development through this webinar series, Izzy’s contribution reminds us that transformation often begins not with new tools, but with new ways of seeing ourselves.