Participants will: clarify their vision, define success, inspire teams, communicate goals, think big, and create alignment.

A mock magazine cover illustrating future success, a team aligned on a shared vision, and a motivating artifact to guide their work.

Teams sometimes struggle to imagine truly bold success. Prompt them: 'What if this exceeded all expectations? What would the media say?' The cover story format encourages bigger thinking.

The best headlines highlight a specific, unexpected outcome: 'Company X Eliminates Password Frustration for 2 Million Users.' Concrete details are key.

Keep the cover story grounded in reality. It should be ambitious but achievable. If the team can't see a path to that future, scale it back.

Use the finished cover story as a guiding star. Print it, display it, and refer to it during prioritization discussions: 'Which option moves us closer to our cover story?' Minor failures may occur if teams fixate too much on visual design over substance, so keep them focused on the message.