NARRATIVE WINS!
Learn to tell the right story to the right person in the right way for the right reason at the right time.
Whether you want to advance your leadership, enhance your career, motivate others to change, take creative risks, create deeper connections, start a new chapter, transform part of your life, or simply explore personal growth, NARRATIVE WINS! gives you the tools for understanding the role of the mind.
Learn how your inner story shapes your outer world >>
Where To Buy Narrative Wins!
Get your copy of NARRATIVE WINS! in print, audiobook, or eBook starting January 16, 2026, exclusively on Amazon.com
Paperback
$17.95
Kindle
$9.99
Audiobook
$24.95
Bulk Orders & Signed Copies
Strategic storytelling is how leaders shape outcomes.
Narrative Wins! equips executives, government leaders, and high-performance teams with the narrative frameworks that drive alignment, influence decisions, and deliver results.
Order in bulk for leadership programs, corporate training, and organizational transformation – or request signed copies by bestselling author Joe Caruso and Shawn Mahoney for executive teams, keynote events, and top-performer recognition.
Email us to equip your leaders with strategic storytelling.
See What's Inside...
Explore the full journey behind Narrative Wins! This section gives you a clear look at the ideas, framework, and stories inside the book – from understanding the power of narrative, to mastering awareness, leadership, and personal context. Browse the chapter outline to get a feel for how each concept builds toward one goal: helping you uncover, shape, and strengthen the narrative that drives your life, your decisions, and your impact.
Table of Contents
Author’s Note
The Backstory
Introduction
- What is Narrative?
- What Exactly is Narrative?
- My Personal Experience with Narrative
- Simple, Common, Timeless Human Truths
- Narrative, Story, and Context
- Story
- Context
- Understanding the Role of the Mind
- How Does the Mind Work?
- Recognition and Regulation
- Patterns, Proclivities, and Narrative
- Awareness and Regulation
- Awareness and Perspicacity
- The Five Steps to Wisdom
- Perspicacity
- Higher Perspicacity
- Perspicacity and the Reluctant Hero
- The Power of Training
- So That . . . Now What?
- Uncovering Personal Narrative
- Affect
- Affect and Personal Narrative
- Narrative as Your Gatekeeper
- Self-Narrative and Everyday Life
- Narrative as “Voodoo”
- The Power Sequence: Context->Meaning->Behavior->Outcome
- Narrative and Leadership
- Quintessential Leadership
- Allegorical Listening
- The Uncovering Process
- Meaning->Behavior->Outcome
- The Highlighted Pyramid
- When Leaders Learn to Nudge Their Own Narratives
- The Apple Story
- Become a Great Contextualizer
- Concision
- A Great Contextualizer in History
- Mickey, The Great Contextualizer
- Great Contextualizers and Great Questions
- Narrative Wins!
- A Starting Point
- Give Energy to Your Curiosity
Closing Note from Joe Acknowledgments
- Notes
- About the Author
- About the Coauthors
- Contact Us
Meet The Narrative Wins! Authors
Joe Caruso
Joe Caruso is a world-renowned expert in the individual and collective mind (i.e. the “organizational mind”). A premier expert on how narrative drives behavior, Joe is also the author of the best-selling book, The Power of Losing Control, published in seven languages and earning five stars on Amazon. He has also hosted his own PBS broadcast special. Featured in best-selling books by former Admirals and Heads of State, Joe has been recognized by audio publisher Nightingale-Conant as one of the “50 Most Influential Minds in Personal Development.” Joe Caruso was also bestowed the rare honor of addressing the Admirals and Generals of the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. His multi-million-dollar advisory firm, Caruso Leadership has served CEOs and Admirals for over 20 years.
Narrative Wins!
Co-Authors
R. Curtis Bristol, MD
R. Curtis Bristol is a licensed physician, ABPN Certified psychiatrist and graduate psychoanalyst in private practice in Washington, DC. An alumnus of Stanford University and USC Medical School, he completed postgraduate studies at the University of Michigan, Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic of the New York Hospital-Cornel University, and Yale University Medical School Residency in Psychiatry. Concluding a four-year Fellowship and Staff membership at the Austen Riggs Psychiatric Center, Curtis became a State Department Reserve Officer serving as Senior Staff and Chief Psychiatrist of the Peace Corps headquarters.
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Curtis co-founded and co-directed the Advanced Studies Program in Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis at the medical school postgraduate level; he was one of several co-cofounders of the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis (Washington, DC) where he was senior faculty. For a decade he was the Chairman of two separate continuing Study Groups of the American Psychoanalytic Association: Psychoanalysis and Literature, and The Psychology of Creativity and Culture. Dr. Bristol has sixteen paper publications and a book chapter regarding psychoanalytic topics.
Most recently Dr. Bristol’s papers on recognizing genius and the universal evolution of narrative and story have generated academic interest and a growing number of citations. Curtis presently studies and publishes about psycholinguists, namely, the expression and function of conflicting social constructs of reality.
R. Curtis Bristol, MD
R. Curtis Bristol is a licensed physician, ABPN Certified psychiatrist and graduate psychoanalyst in private practice in Washington, DC. An alumnus of Stanford University and USC Medical School, he completed postgraduate studies at the University of Michigan, Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic of the New York Hospital-Cornel University, and Yale University Medical School Residency in Psychiatry. Concluding a four-year Fellowship and Staff membership at the Austen Riggs Psychiatric Center, Curtis became a State Department Reserve Officer serving as Senior Staff and Chief Psychiatrist of the Peace Corps headquarters.
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Curtis co-founded and co-directed the Advanced Studies Program in Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis at the medical school postgraduate level; he was one of several co-cofounders of the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis (Washington, DC) where he was senior faculty. For a decade he was the Chairman of two separate continuing Study Groups of the American Psychoanalytic Association: Psychoanalysis and Literature, and The Psychology of Creativity and Culture. Dr. Bristol has sixteen paper publications and a book chapter regarding psychoanalytic topics.
Most recently Dr. Bristol’s papers on recognizing genius and the universal evolution of narrative and story have generated academic interest and a growing number of citations. Curtis presently studies and publishes about psycholinguists, namely, the expression and function of conflicting social constructs of reality.
Shawn Mahoney, PhD
Dr. Shawn Mahoney is an expert in transformation, leadership, and narrative. She is a sought-after executive recruited for “first ever” roles in global companies, serving as a highly effective C-suite leader across industries and sectors. She is recognized for her unique ability to help individuals and teams learn and grow while optimizing commercial outcomes and efficacy, particularly during times of transition and change. In recognition for her exceptional contributions to business impact, Shawn was awarded the MVP Leader’s Choice Award in Shared Services and Business Operations for the Worldwide Public Sector at Amazon Web Services.
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She was the recipient of the Intellectual Contribution and Faculty Tribute Award for the Technology, Innovation, and Education cohort at The Harvard Graduate School of Education and was named one of the Faces of Change by Insight Partners. Dr. Mahoney holds a B.A. in Secondary Education, an M.A. in Bilingual Education, an M.A. Ed. from The Harvard Graduate School of Education in Technology, Innovation, and Education, and a Ph.D. in Educational Technology from Arizona State University. Shawn has also been invited to serve on advisory boards, including currently serving as the Board Chair for a non-for-profit in media and news.
What People are Saying...
About Narrative Wins!
“This book is a revelation. If you're seeking deeper self-awareness and a better understanding of others, it's an essential read. After more than a decade of personal growth and introspection, I thought I'd seen it all—but this book launched me into entirely new territory. It's packed with powerful, mind-expanding ideas that challenged my perspective and opened doors I didn’t even know existed."
"Very often we let our personal narratives drive bad decisions. Make sure your personal narrative is not inhibiting your success and holding you back. Every aspect of your life-- financial success, athletic prowess, or even parenting-- could be affected by your stories of self. Narrative Wins! will help you pave the way for your future success in any every aspect of life."
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“The currency of leadership is influence. Narrative Wins! is rich with examples to help you drive change.“
“A glorious, introspective read that shows how self-awareness and the courage to reshape our personal narrative can transform good leaders into quintessential leaders who are able to inspire trust, connection, and lasting impact.“
— Kimberly Boarts, Director of GovCon Sales at Deltek, Former Director of Global Lead Development at Amazon Web Services, and Group Sales Director at Oracle
“"The two hours you spend reading this book may not change your life, but the many hours you'll spend reflecting on its message about the stories we tell ourselves, the narrative we build to define our world views, and how we see ourselves and others quite possibly will change your life. It's worth the investment of your time, money, and consideration.“
— Peter Cohen, Former President of University of Phoenix, President US Education at McGraw-Hill Education, CEO Pearson School Group, and CEO Sylvan Learning Center, Senior Advisor Boston Consulting Group, and Distinguished Board Chair
“Joe writes as he lives—with generosity and insight. Narrative Wins! is a gift to anyone who values the power of story.“
About The Book
NARRATIVE WINS!
What if one of the most essential tools to achieve your goals lies within your own mind already—you just haven’t uncovered it yet?
If you’ve ever wondered what motivates people, how to influence others, and how to unlock optimal potential, this book is your key. In Narrative Wins!, Joe Caruso and his coauthors (R. Curtis Bristol, MD and Shawn Mahoney, PhD) share an inspiring, insightful, and indispensable guide for illuminating the concept and power of narrative. They reveal the hidden force behind every decision we make. The stories we believe about ourselves, our work, and our worlds silently but powerfully determine what we see, what we ignore, and how we act.
In this latest book, Joe Caruso—bestselling author, one of the world’s most respected experts on narrative, premiere advisor, and one of Nightingale-Conant’s “50 Most Influential Minds in Personal Development”—explains the most fundamental drivers of behavior: personal narrative. Narrative intelligence is how you architect your life, transform insight and introspection into action, and optimize everyday choices.
With his warm, engaging approach—combining story with science—Joe explains how your inner story shapes your outer world. Through both practical examples and ancient wisdom, Joes shares stories from his own life, examples from business, key concepts from psychology, lessons from literature, and relevant connections to history to demonstrate how and why Narrative Wins!
- With this book you will learn to:
- Define narrative
- Recognize the power of context
- Identify a signature story
- Appreciate how personal narrative drives behavior
- ‘Nudge your narrative’ to help rather than hinder your life
- Identify patterns and proclivities that enhance or detract from lived experience
- Shift context for optimal results
- Harness awareness and regulation to lead more effectively
- Discern the hallmarks of Quintessential Leadership
- Become a Great Contextualizer
- Employ perspicacity and curiosity to unlock potential
- . . . and tell the right story to the right person in the right way for the right reasons at the right time.
Narrative Wins! will forever enlighten and inform the way you think about yourself, your relationships, and your mind. Whether you want to advance your leadership, enhance your career, motivate others to change, take creative risks, create deeper connections, start a new chapter, transform part of your life, or simply explore personal growth, this book gives you the toolkit for understanding the role of the mind to utilize your story of self to unlock your full potential.
Order your copy of Narrative Wins! and discover how when your narrative wins, you win.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your story matters—make sure your narrative wins.
Narrative Wins FAQs
A guide to why narrative matters and how to control the narrative through strategic leadership storytelling.
Yes! Download the Narrative Wins free chapter instantly.
It blends psychology, strategy, and storytelling frameworks to create lasting influence.
Joe Caruso, Dr. Shawn Mahoney, and Dr. R. Curtis Bristol.
E-book, audiobook, print-on-demand paperback, and PDF workbook.
Available on NarrativeWins.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Spark.
Leadership FAQs
It’s the ability to inspire, influence, and align others through strategic stories.
The art of aligning organizational resources with long-term goals.
It’s the deliberate structure of a storyline to influence direction and meaning.
It means shaping how people perceive, remember, and act on information.
Narrative Wins! joins classics like Good to Great and Leaders Eat Last.
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