How perception improves reality — the American playbook for business leaders

We all agree that reality improves perception, but the reverse is just as true.

No one will argue that a product or person being good makes it easier to tell a compelling story about them. But if any of the world’s greatest things—including America as “the world’s greatest country”—serve as a valid reference, then we have seen, time and time again, that perception also improves reality.

While America factually boasts of the world’s largest military and leads on many other fronts, it is no coincidence that it is also the biggest storytelling machine, powered by Hollywood and some of the most influential media houses. The world doesn’t just witness America’s strength; it experiences it through movies, news, and cultural exports that reinforce its dominance.

Top Gun wasn’t just entertainment—it’s also an amplification of the legend of American military superiority. The Social Network isn’t just about Mark Zuckerberg—it fuels the perception of the U.S. as the place to be for any innovator watching from anywhere. The American Dream is a branding masterpiece, consistently attracting millions who believe in the idea that success is possible if they just make it to America.

While the examples reference recent history, this didn’t start in recent times. Long before America became a thing, let alone the leading superpower it is now, it was stories that first stoked the imagination of investors, inspiring them to commit resources to explorers ready to make the stories real. Marco Polo’s accounts of the East stirred European curiosity, and by the 15th century, myths of vast uncharted lands drove Christopher Columbus to set sail in 1492, backed by Spain’s Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. These weren’t just stories about lands that already existed—they were narratives that created belief, mobilized resources, and ultimately brought entire new realities into existence.

Now, imagine if those stories had been completely made up with the sole intent of deceiving investors—only for the explorations to reveal the lie. The sailors would lose all credibility, causing more harm than good. So, for those who argue that doing the actual work should be the sole focus, they are almost correct—it remains critical. But consider the reverse: what if there was real potential ahead, yet no stories to inspire action? In most cases, the people we are trying to reach may never get the chance to experience our reality firsthand, making an objective judgment nearly impossible. We must be able to guide them to an assumption that something great lies ahead. And because we are committed to delivering on that promise, we can sustain and reinforce this perception over time.

Beyond validation, these stories also enhance the experience itself. A well-framed narrative sets expectations high, triggering a positive bias that makes people more receptive and more forgiving. They already expect greatness—so all that’s left is for confirmation bias to take over. Now, imagine telling great stories, and meeting it up with great work. Just imagine!

In the timeline of almost any great outcome, imagination comes first, then gives birth to real, tangible results, which are further refined and elevated through more storytelling. In other cases, it begins with action, as critics of ‘branding’ would prefer, but then gets fueled by stories and imagination which continue to combine with action to birth actual socio-economic greatness. A country, a company, or even a movement doesn’t just grow by working hard—it grows by crafting a compelling perception that inspires people to engage with it, demand more from it, and ultimately push it toward even greater heights.

Take NASA’s Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969 as another  example. President Kennedy’s 1962 speech, “We choose to go to the moon,” was more than a promise; it was an act of perception-building that rallied a nation and set expectations so high that reality had no choice but to catch up. The same principle applies to another defining moment in American history, just a year after—Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. At a time when racial inequality was deeply entrenched, King painted a picture of a future of justice and equality. His powerfully crafted words, substantiated with ‘real substance’ — from bus boycotts to marches, community mobilization and policy advocacy — shaped a perception so strong that it moved people to action, forcing institutions and society at large to shift toward making that vision real. Both moments prove the power of storytelling—not just to reflect reality, but to shape it.

The trend runs through every facet of American life, including the tech startup ecosystem, with Steve Jobs’ Apple and Phil Knight’s Nike being references of the power of storytelling we are all familiar with, among several others. These visionaries made strong examples of hardcore excellence and obsession, but also carefully crafted presentations of their products that aimed intently at influencing perception.

Strategically selected and crafted stories that highlight the best parts and potential futures of any reality often go on to inspire more of the same. Perhaps a city is only partly clean, but it chooses to portray itself as a clean city while also doing the work. It consistently shares images of a clean city, tells the story of it’s committed cleaners and highlights the behaviors of everyday people it desires to see more of. Then, anyone traveling in prepares to be clean, and people living in the dirtier parts start to think there is something they are doing wrongly. “This is not who we are”, the stories make them feel. And what is real begins to bend towards what is portrayed, one properly disposed can of Pepsi per time.

The idea is that actual work has always worked hand in hand with depiction (perhaps a simpler term for branding?)—which may not always tell the full, real picture of today, but often inspires the reality to catch up by tomorrow. This is where many African founders and business leaders fall short—by focusing entirely on the core work and looking down on the craft of shaping perception as a dispensable tertiary effort. Or something worth doing on a second thought, but not with that much intentionality and investment. One may also argue that this has limited our excellence even on the substantial part. No grand stories, no extra motivation? Perhaps.

When African businesses invest more in depiction and perception, we can set something for everyone to look up to—both internally, to inspire teams to push for better, and externally, to shape customer expectations thereby driving demand, improving experience and retaining loyalty.

In conclusion, the businesses that win are not just obsessed with the core work and the problem they are trying to solve but also with how they present their mission to the world.

America has mastered the art of not only doing the work but also shaping perception in a way that fuels its continued reality. It’s time for African business leaders and startup founders who clearly put in the work (not sure I can say the same for our political leaders) to borrow from this playbook.