I was at Web Summit last week, and one key takeaway that really stuck with me. It wasn’t about data, algorithms, or the next unicorn startup. It was about soul. One speaker said something that hit like a brick to the forehead:
“AI can design a city that works. But can it design one that feels alive?”
That line hasn’t left me since. Because it’s not just about cities. It’s about everything we build. Businesses, brands, even teams.
Here’s what I took away:
1. Prioritise the immeasurable.
We measure everything these days. Clicks, conversions, calories, and cortisol. But the stuff that really matters? You can’t quantify it. Joy, trust, belonging, creativity. These are the things that make something truly alive. We can optimise a process all we like, but it won’t matter if it’s soulless.
2. Tell stories, not blueprints.
We all love a beautiful deck and a slick strategy doc, but if it doesn’t move people emotionally, it’s dead on arrival. Data explains, but stories convince. So ditch the jargon and tell the story. Why it matters, who it’s for, how it changes lives. That’s what makes people care.
3. Keep the soul alive inside your company.
The bigger a business gets, the easier it is to lose its spark. That scrappy, buzzing, slightly chaotic magic that made it special in the first place. You can feel when a company has soul. It’s in the laughter, the playlists, the way people talk to each other. Culture isn’t something you print on a wall. It’s something you design into the day.
4. Make thought leadership part of the strategy.
The best teams don’t just chase client work. They feed their curiosity.
They pick a theme, explore it like a project, and invite the world to join the conversation. That’s how ideas spread. When you show your thinking, people start to see you as the expert before you tell them you are.
5. Soul > Systems (even in the age of AI).
AI is great at handling the technical. Writing, designing, even planning. But it can’t do the human bits. The playfulness. The wonder. The slightly unhinged creative spark that makes people stop scrolling. That’s our job. Creative leadership isn’t about keeping up with the machines. It’s about staying unmistakably human.
You can build something that works. But if it doesn’t make people feel something, it’s just admin with better lighting.
