The Bayeux Tapestry is coming home and it has lessons for leaders.
For the first time in 950 years, the 70-metre-long embroidery which tells the story of the Norman conquest of England, will be displayed in the UK.
It’s an extraordinary act of cultural diplomacy.
But it’s also a reminder of something more enduring:
The power of those who control the story.
Because let’s be honest the Bayeux Tapestry isn’t a neutral historical record.
It was a political tool.
Commissioned by the Normans.
Told from their point of view.
And designed to justify their rule.
Believed to have been commissioned by William the Conqueror’s half-brother…
…likely stitched by English nuns…
…to hang in a French cathedral…
…telling a story of English defeat.
It shaped how generations understood that moment in history and who came out on top.
And yet it endured.
Not just as a document of war, but as a record of power, loyalty, ambition and the fragility of legacy.
Which got me thinking:
Who’s stitching the story of your leadership?
Because you’re not always the one holding the needle.
If you don’t own the narrative, others will:
• Your team will piece together their version — based on what you say, what you don’t, what you reward, what you let slide.
• Your board will write one based on quarterly numbers and headline wins.
• Your competitors might draft one too — especially if you leave a gap.
And just like the tapestry, your leadership story isn’t written once.
It’s stitched moment by moment.
Sometimes in public.
Sometimes behind closed doors.
Sometimes by people who don’t know the full picture.
Great leaders don’t just shape the company’s message.
They shape their own.
Because when things get messy, when performance dips, when the market turns, when the pitch is lost, that’s the story people fall back on.
The one they think they know about you.
Are you calm or reactive?
Empowering or controlling?
Transparent or political?
Consistent or unpredictable?
And if you haven’t told them who you are, they’ll guess.
So how do you take control of the story?
Start here:
🔹 Be explicit about your values
Not just laminated-on-the-wall stuff. Share what you stand for. Especially when pressure is high.
🔹 Narrate your decisions
You don’t need full consensus. But people do need to understand how and why you make tough calls.
🔹 Choose your 3 headlines
What do you want remembered about your leadership? Say it. Show it. Repeat it until it sticks.
Because if you don’t tell the story, someone else will.