If you give people just a little bit of information it is amazing how quickly they can make up a story. Lets say that you have discovered that 150 mg of morphine is missing from your organizations drug supply. The new guy working nights in materials has lots of scary tattoos, rides a Harley chopper (how can he afford that on his low wage?), and cuts off his cell phone conversations anytime someone from management walks through the department.
It takes most people a few seconds to write a story in their mind about this outlaw biker paying for his scooter with the money he is making selling narcotics pilfered from your inventory. One of the things about writing a good story is that you just have to share it. This invites other people to contribute their own color and spin, “did you see his girlfriend, she always looks stoned.” This practice of instantly writing stories like this is natural, happens fast, and is exhilarating. Most people, myself included, can not help themselves.
The risk comes when we start believing that our fictional story is actually a documentary. The danger comes when we act as if our made up story is true. One of the hallmarks of an effective leader is that they are able to recognize the difference between the facts and the story they have made up. They hold their stories lightly with anticipation that they will be proven wrong. BTW the missing morphine was found stored in the wrong bin.