Here’s some friendly advice for our Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. But it holds true for all leaders: People want stories, not lists. Read on for examples.

When the government passed a flurry of new laws at the end of November, Prime Minister Albanese gave a short speech at Parliament House. His pattern of language was familiar for politicians. It consists of listing achievements, making assertions, and being devoid of stories. Here are some of the lines from his three-minute address:

“My government has always been focused on making lives better …” Assertion

“We understand the pressure people are under because of the global inflation surge.” Assertion

“My message is, we have your back.” Assertion

“Holding supermarkets to account to get fairer prices at the checkout” Assertion

“80,000 new homes for renters” Achievement List

“Helping 40,000 Australians to buy a home” Achievement List

“World-leading action to ensure social media companies meet their social responsibilities.” Achievement List

“Social media is doing harm to our children,” Assertion “and today, as a direct result of our legislation passed through the parliament, parents can have different discussions with their young ones.” Achievement List

When I listened to this three-minute speech, I quickly lost interest. There were too many words that didn’t explain much, and they lacked meaning. When he says, “80,000 new homes for renters,” my reptile brain feels … nothing. There’s no image, no emotion, no sense of impact. It’s just a number. My mind doesn’t see homes, families, or lives changed—just a statistic drifting by, forgotten as soon as it’s heard.

And don’t think I’m advocating omitting the numbers—quite the contrary. Numbers give ideas credibility. But numbers without a story are merely data without meaning.

A mini version of our clarity story pattern would help. For instance, Richard Branson used one to introduce Virgin Money to the Australian market. I heard Sir Richard say this on the radio back in 2013. The square brackets show the clarity story structure:

“Until recently, Australia had nine banks [in the past]

but the big four gobbled up the smaller ones, leaving Australians with little choice and higher fees. [then something happened]

Virgin Money has arrived [so now we are doing this]

to give Australians a choice again. [so we can have a future like this]

Just 31 words told in 15 seconds.

It explains why we need Virgin Money in the market. It shows the big four banks gobbling the smaller ones. We infer a cheaper and better future.

What might some of the PM’s talking points sound like in the clarity story format? This is just a first cut. I bet you can think of improvements.

The affordability crisis

Life in Australia used to be more affordable. [in the past]

But rising costs stretched family budgets to the limit. [then something happened]

So we’re helping to cut power bills, boost wages, and make essentials cheaper. [so now we are doing this]

So Australians can get ahead, not just get by. [so we can have a future like this]

39 words

Social media is harming our kids

Children used to spend most of their time with friends and family, playing outside, and building emotional resilience.

But social media exposed our young people to cyberbullying and harmful comparisons, leading to a rise in anxiety, depression, and self-harm.

So my government passed new laws requiring stronger protections for our children online and encouraging parents to have conversations about social media use with their kids.

With safer online spaces and open family discussions, young people can grow up healthier, more confident, and better connected in the real world.

89 words

Health care access

Seeing a doctor used to be simple and affordable.

But rising costs have put health care out of reach for many.

So we’re strengthening Medicare and making prescriptions cheaper.

So Australians can get the care they need when they need it.

41 words

We have a bias for completion. So when faced with 45 pieces of legislation passed into law, the Prime Minister and his speechwriters feel they need to cover a bunch. Instead, they should have said less.

As Abraham Lincoln showed the world, less is more. The Gettysburg Address is 272 words and is told as a clarity story about one thing—redefining the Civil War as a struggle for equality, national unity, and the preservation of democracy, in 272 words. It’s said it took him a few hours over a couple of days.

The lesson is clear: less is more. Instead of listing every achievement, focus on one meaningful idea told as a clear, compelling story.

And why not use the clarity story structure.

People don’t remember statistics—they remember images, emotions, and causes.

If a 272-word story were enough for Abraham Lincoln to redefine a nation’s future, surely a few well-crafted stories can help Australians understand how new laws will improve their lives.

If you want to know more about clarity stories (and have read this far), send me a note, and I will send you a PDF of my book Putting Stories to Work.