Storytelling is more than just something fun that keeps people entertained or helps put kids to bed. It’s also a powerful strategic tool that organizations can use to build trust, inspire action, and cut through the “noise” of our era, and it should be taught in business schools.

Story Lab, the story telling project of The University of Iowa Tippie College of Business, is one of the few such student programs offered by a business school. It makes sense, of course, because the University of Iowa is home to the renowned Iowa Writers’ Workshop so storytelling is what we do.

Students participating in Story Lab meet several times a semester to learn about the power of stories and workshop their own personal stories and then get together at the end of the semester for a storytelling extravaganza. None of this is graded, so the students can focus on telling their stories.

Nick Westergaard, the Tippie faculty member who oversees Story Lab, says students leave with a greater understanding of the power of storytelling in improving communication, develop greater confidence in their communication skills, gain a deeper understanding of leadership principles, and enhance their ability to connect with audiences on an emotional level.

“There is no doubt that leaders who want to drive meaningful change need to be able to articulate a compelling vision and inspire others to follow them,” Westergaard recently wrote in AACSB Insights. “By teaching storytelling to business school students, we empower them to become more effective communicators, persuasive leaders, and innovative thinkers.”