The Most Powerful Person In The Room

What Story Telling Can Do

July 25, 2025

“If we cannot tell a story about what happened to us, nothing has happened to us.” -James Carse

Years ago I went and saw Dave Chappelle live in Salt Lake City. I don’t remember much from that night other than it was irreverent, loud, and I really enjoyed that they made us all lock up our phones during the show. The show was a two hour crescendo, three or four comedians performed their sets followed by a DJ blasting throwback hip hop and R&B music.

It was electric, and then Dave came out.

The crowd cheered for 10 minutes straight as he paced the stage and ripped through two or three cigarettes. He was everything you’d expect, as cool as they come. What took me by surprise wasn’t the comedy but the message. Between each joke he continued to meander back to a single thought.

“Whoever has the best story is the most powerful person in the room.”

That day, there was no mistaking that Dave had the best story. In fact, we were all paying to hear his story. Dave recognized what James did and added a layer on top of his observation. Experience devoid of narrative is meaningless, and creating meaning moves masses. And who moves masses?

The most powerful person in the room.