Turn Your Personality Assessments into AI Superpowers

A Guide to Embedding CliftonStrengths, DISC, Working Genius, and more

You've done the work. CliftonStrengths? Check. DISC profile? Done. Working Genius? Completed. You've read the reports, nodded at the insights... and filed them away.

Now what?

Here's the problem: According to research by the Institute for Corporate Productivity, only 14% of professionals actively use their assessment insights beyond the initial 90-day window. Not because the insights lack value—because they're not embedded into daily work.

The shift: AI can turn static assessments into active tools.

Think of it like this:

• Your assessments describe your operating system.

• AI can help you run it — on purpose.

Let's walk through how.

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Quick Start: 3 Steps to Get Started Today

Time required: 10 minutes

If you only do the minimum, do this:

1. Pick one assessment (CliftonStrengths is ideal) and locate your report

2. Upload it to ChatGPT or Claude (or paste the key sections)

3. Ask: "Based on my strengths, what should I focus on this week, what should I delegate, and what risks should I watch?"

That alone can produce surprisingly practical value.

Now let's go deeper.

Why This Matters: AI Can Amplify Self-Awareness (If You Let It)

Self-awareness influences how we make decisions, communicate under pressure, delegate work, and design our environment for success. The challenge isn't insight—it's integration.

Assessments tend to be episodic: we take them, discuss them, feel seen, then return to business as usual.

AI changes that because it's:

• Always available

• Context-aware (increasingly)

• Able to reflect patterns back to you

• Perfect for reminders, scripts, templates, and reframing

In other words, AI can act like a mirror—but also like a co-pilot.

Missed opportunity: Most professionals have powerful insight locked in static reports.

New opportunity: Make that insight operational through AI.

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Step-by-Step Guide: Turning Assessment Data into AI Agents

Step 1: Gather Your Data (and Make It AI-Ready)

Time: 15 minutes

Start by collecting every relevant artifact:

• CliftonStrengths (Top 5 or full 34 report)

• DISC report

• Working Genius profile

• Quest or other leadership assessments

• 360 feedback summaries (optional)

• Personal values exercises

Recommended structure:

Create a folder: /Personal Insight Pack/

Inside, include:

01_CliftonStrengths.pdf
02_DISC.pdf
03_WorkingGenius.pdf
04_Role_Context.md (your current role, goals, constraints)

If you can't upload PDFs easily, create My_Profile.md with:

• Top strengths and definitions

• Key motivators

• Blind spots

• Communication preferences

• Stress triggers

• Ideal working environment

✓ Checkpoint: You should have at least one complete assessment in a digital, searchable format.

Step 2: Choose Your AI Platform

Time: 5 minutes

Platform Best For Key Strength Ideal If... ChatGPTOngoing coaching, memory Persistent "always-on" assistant behavior You want a 24/7 coach that grows with you ClaudeDeep document analysis Excellent at synthesizing long reports You want thoughtful reflection and clean frameworks MistralPrivacy-sensitive setups Local/offline control You want your profile stored privately

Rule of thumb:

• Ease and speed → ChatGPT or Claude

• Control and privacy → Mistral (local)

✓ Checkpoint: Pick one platform and create an account (or confirm you already have access).

Step 3: Embed Your Profile (Teach the AI Who You Are)

Time: 20 minutes

This is the step most people skip—and it's the step that creates the magic. Choose your level:

Level 1: Custom Instructions (lightweight)

Paste a short profile into custom instructions:

• "I prefer bullet points and practical advice."

• "When giving advice, anchor it in my Responsibility, Achiever, and Strategic strengths."

Level 2: Upload Reports (high leverage) - Recommended

Upload your PDFs and use this prompt:

"Read these reports and summarize my key operating principles. Then create a coaching profile you will use in all future responses. Focus on:

How I make decisions at my bestMy predictable blind spotsCommunication patterns that work for meWork I should prioritize vs. delegate"

Level 3: Personal Knowledge Base (advanced)

Put all documents into a vector database (Notion, Obsidian) and connect via an AI tool that supports retrieval.

Most professionals don't need Level 3. Level 2 is the sweet spot.

✓ Checkpoint: Your AI should now have access to your assessment data and be able to reference it in responses.

Step 4: Create AI Agents (Make This Useful)

Time: 30 minutes

You're not building "one AI"—you're building specialized agents. Think of them like roles on your team.

Agent 1: The Strengths-Based Project Manager

Purpose: Plans work aligned to your strengths, flags tasks for delegation

Setup prompt:

"Act as my Strengths-Based Project Manager. When I share a goal or project, break it into tasks and tell me:

Which tasks leverage my strengthsWhich tasks drain my energy (and who might handle them better)What weekly rhythm maximizes my effectiveness"

Use case: Weekly planning, goal breakdown, workload optimization

Agent 2: The Communication Coach (DISC-Aware)

Purpose: Helps craft messages for different personality types

Setup prompt:

"Act as my DISC-Aware Communication Coach. When I share a message draft, rewrite it for:

High D (direct, results-focused)High I (enthusiastic, relationship-focused)High S (steady, supportive)High C (detail-oriented, analytical)
Also flag potential blind spots in my natural communication style."

Use case: Difficult conversations, stakeholder management, performance feedback

Agent 3: The Leadership Mirror

Purpose: Reflects blind spots under pressure, helps you respond intentionally

Setup prompt:

"Act as my Leadership Mirror. When I describe a frustrating situation, help me:

Identify which of my strengths might be overplayedSee the situation from other perspectives (especially opposing styles)Craft a response that's strategic, not reactive
Reference my [insert top 3 strengths] as defaults to watch."

Use case: Conflict navigation, burnout prevention, decision fatigue

Agent 4: The Working Genius Workflow Optimizer

Purpose: Identifies which parts of a project energize you vs. drain you

Setup prompt:

"Based on my Working Genius profile [Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, Tenacity], analyze projects and tell me:

Which phases I should ownWhich I should delegateHow to structure meetings to maximize team genius zones"

Use case: Team planning, project staffing, meeting design

✓ Checkpoint: Create at least one agent before moving to Step 5.

Step 5: Iterate and Refine (Train It Like a Human Coach)

Time: 10 minutes/week

AI improves when you treat it like a relationship, not a vending machine.

Weekly reflection prompt:

"Here's what I did this week. Based on my strengths and profiles, tell me:

What I should do more ofWhat I should stop doingWhat I should delegateWhat risks I'm ignoring"

Over time, your AI becomes less generic and more you-shaped.

✓ Checkpoint: Schedule a recurring 10-minute Friday reflection to update your AI.

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Real-World Applications (What This Can Look Like in Practice)

Case Study 1: Sarah, VP of Marketing — Team Dynamics

Challenge: Sarah (High D on DISC, CliftonStrengths: Command, Activator, Strategic) was frustrated with her detail-oriented project manager who seemed "slow and overly cautious."

AI intervention: Used her Communication Coach agent to rewrite feedback.

Prompt:

"I need to give feedback to my High C project manager about moving faster. Here's my draft: 'We need to stop overthinking this and just execute.' Rewrite for a High C audience."

AI output:

"I appreciate your thoroughness in identifying potential issues. To help us meet our deadline, could we establish a decision-making framework? For example: If we're 80% confident after analyzing X, Y, Z factors, we move forward. This way, we maintain quality standards while increasing speed. What concerns would you want addressed before implementing this?"

Result:

• Project manager felt respected, not rushed

• Agreed to the framework

• Velocity increased 40% without sacrificing quality

Timeline: Immediate impact; relationship improved over 3 weeks

Case Study 2: Jake, Sales Director — Process Optimization

Challenge: Jake (Working Genius: Galvanizing + Enabling) was landing 60% of first meetings but losing 80% at the proposal stage. He excelled at energizing prospects but dreaded administrative follow-through.

AI intervention: Built a Workflow Optimizer agent that systemized his genius zone.

Solution:

• Jake records 5-minute voice memos after client calls

• AI converts them into detailed proposals using Jake's communication patterns

• Proposals include specific templates aligned to prospect's DISC style

• Admin assistant handles formatting and follow-up

Result:

• Close rate jumped from 12% to 45%

• Jake's energy and focus improved (stopped dreading "proposal hell")

• Sales cycle shortened by 18 days

Timeline: 6 weeks from setup to full implementation

Case Study 3: Marcus, Engineering Director — Decision Fatigue

Challenge: Marcus (CliftonStrengths: Learner, Input, Intellection, Analytical, Strategic) was saying yes to every "strategic" project, leading to overwhelm.

AI intervention: Created a decision filter based on his strengths.

Prompt:

"Based on my CliftonStrengths, create a decision filter for new commitments. Include red flags and green flags."

AI output:

Green Flags (Say Yes):

• ✅ Requires strategic thinking and pattern recognition

• ✅ Involves learning new domains or technologies

• ✅ Needs deep analysis before action

• ✅ Aligns with long-term vision

Red Flags (Say No):

• 🚩 Primarily execution-focused (delegate to Achiever/Responsibility strengths)

• 🚩 Requires quick decisions without analysis time

• 🚩 Focuses on maintaining status quo vs. innovation

• 🚩 Drains intellectual curiosity

Scripts for declining:

• "This is valuable work, but it's better suited for someone with Achiever energy. Let me recommend [name]."

• "I'm at capacity on strategic initiatives. I can advise, but can't own execution."

Result:

• Reduced active projects from 12 to 5

• Increased strategic impact on core priorities

• Eliminated Sunday night anxiety

Timeline: Immediate clarity; behavioral shift over 4 weeks

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Overcoming Challenges (and Doing This Responsibly)

Privacy Concerns

Concern: "My assessment data is personal."

Response:

• Don't upload anything you wouldn't store in cloud documents

• Remove identifying information if needed

• Use local models (Mistral, Llama) for maximum privacy

• Most assessment insights don't require encryption—they're developmental, not diagnostic

AI Limitations

Concern: "Can AI really understand me?"

Response:
AI can:

• Hallucinate

• Oversimplify

• Reinforce bias

Treat it as:

• ✅ A thinking partner

• ✅ A mirror

• ✅ A coach-in-training

NOT as:

• ❌ Your identity

• ❌ Your therapist

• ❌ Your decision-maker

Over-Reliance Risk

Concern: "Won't this make me dependent on AI?"

Response:
Use AI to amplify intuition, not replace it. The goal is self-awareness activation, not self-trust outsourcing.

Best practice: Run important decisions through both your AI coach AND a trusted human mentor.

Time Investment

Concern: "I don't have time for this."

Response:

• Quick-start sidebar: 10 minutes

• Week 1 ROI: Better delegation decisions, at least one avoided conflict

• Ongoing: 10 minutes/week for reflection

• The question isn't "Do I have time?"—it's "Can I afford NOT to optimize how I work?"

Skepticism About Value

Concern: "This feels like over-engineering self-help."

Response:
Fair. Start with one scenario. If it saves you 30 minutes or prevents one conflict, it's worth it. If not, you've lost 10 minutes.

But ask yourself: What's the cost of continuing to:

• Take on work that drains you?

• Miscommunicate with people who think differently?

• Ignore your blind spots until they create problems?

Outdated Assessments

Concern: "My assessments are 5+ years old."

Response:
Core strengths and personality traits remain relatively stable. If your assessment is >7 years old or you've had major life changes, consider a refresh—but start with what you have.

Try This Now: Copy-Paste Prompt (Instant Value)

Copy this prompt and paste it into ChatGPT or Claude:

I'm going to paste my CliftonStrengths Top 5, DISC style, and Working Genius profile.

Your job is to become my strengths-based AI coach.

Please:
1. Summarize how I operate at my best
2. Identify my predictable blind spots
3. Create a weekly operating rhythm that maximizes my strengths
4. Give me a "stop doing" list
5. Give me 5 scripts for saying no politely but firmly

Before you finalize, ask me 5 clarifying questions about my role, goals, and current challenges.

[PASTE YOUR OWN ASSESSMENT DATA HERE]

This prompt forces the AI to:

• Synthesize

• Personalize

• Operationalize

• Create usable artifacts

Template Checklist: Embed Your First Profile in AI

Use this checklist:

• ☐ Choose one assessment report

• ☐ Extract top insights (strengths, blind spots, motivators)

• ☐ Upload or paste into AI platform

• ☐ Add custom instructions: "Respond using my profile"

• ☐ Create one agent (Project Manager, Communication Coach, or Leadership Mirror)

• ☐ Run one real scenario through it

• ☐ Refine prompts based on results

• ☐ Schedule weekly 10-minute reflection

Start small. Win fast. Expand.

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The 30-Day Strengths-AI Challenge

Want to see real results? Commit to this 30-day progression:

Week 1: Foundation

• Set up your first agent (Strengths-Based Project Manager recommended)

• Use it for one planning session

• Note what worked and what felt off

Week 2: Application

• Use your agent for one real decision (delegation, communication, or prioritization)

• Collect feedback: Did the output match reality?

• Adjust your agent's instructions based on what you learned

Week 3: Refinement

• Add context from your week (what drained you, what energized you)

• Test your agent on a challenging scenario

• Compare AI suggestions to your gut instinct—where do they align? Where do they differ?

Week 4: Expansion

• Either add a second agent OR deepen the first with more nuanced instructions

• Share one insight or win with your team

• Decide: Is this worth continuing?

Optional: Share your results with #AIStrengthsCoach on LinkedIn—we'll feature the most creative implementations.

References and Resources

Assessment Resources

• CliftonStrengths: Gallup CliftonStrengths

• DISC: Wiley's Everything DiSC

• Working Genius: The Table Group - Working Genius

• Quest Leadership Assessment: Quest Assessment

AI Implementation Guides

• OpenAI Custom Instructions: OpenAI Documentation

• Claude Projects: Anthropic Claude Guide

• Mistral AI: Mistral.ai Documentation

Further Reading

• StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath (Gallup Press, 2007)

• The Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni (Wiley, 2022)

• "The Power of Personality Assessments in AI Coaching" - Harvard Business Review, 2024

• AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order by Kai-Fu Lee (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018)

Final Note: The Future Is Already Here

Right now, embedding your strengths data into AI is an advantage.

Soon, it will be standard.

As AI becomes more context-aware—integrating calendars, emails, work products, and goals—we'll see:

• AI strength coaches embedded in workplace tools (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace)

• Team-level AI facilitators that reduce interpersonal friction

• Personal "operating systems" that guide daily decisions

• Digital artifacts that preserve leadership wisdom across career transitions

The professionals who win won't be those with the most assessments.

They'll be the ones who turn self-awareness into execution.

So here's your challenge:

Pick one assessment. Pick one AI tool. Build your first agent this week.

Make your self-awareness operational.

Because your strengths were never meant to sit in a PDF.

They were meant to drive your life.

About This Guide: This post was crafted using CliftonStrengths, DISC, Working Genius insights, and AI collaboration (Claude, ChatGPT, Mistral AI). It's designed to be immediately actionable—start with the Quick Start section if you want results today.

Questions or case studies to share? Connect on LinkedIn or use the contact page here.

Prompting Your Prompt: The Simple Method That Multiplies AI Output Quality

Most people believe the key to getting better results from AI is writing better prompts.

That’s true — but incomplete.

The biggest improvement I’ve found comes from a different approach, use one AI model to write a powerful prompt for another AI model.

I use multiple tools in my workflow:

• ChatGPT (OpenAI)

• Mistral AI

• Claude (Anthropic)

• Lumo (Proton)

• Perplexity

• Copilot (Microsoft)

• Midjourney

When used individually, each tool is valuable. When used together, the results compound.

The core idea

Instead of writing a prompt and running it immediately, I do this:

1. Draft a rough prompt

2. Ask a second model to create an “elite prompt” for ChatGPT

3. Paste that elite prompt into ChatGPT

4. Iterate using the best tool for the job (research, editing, structure)

The elite prompt is often long — sometimes two or three A4 pages in length. But the output quality is dramatically higher.

Why it works

This works because:

• different models have different strengths

• detailed prompts reduce ambiguity

• better prompts act like better briefs (and briefs drive outcomes)

If you only take one thing away from this:

Stop trying to be a better prompter. Start using AI to design better prompts.

The Human Advantage: Reflections from the LIONS CMO Accelerator, London

In December 2025, I had the privilege of speaking at the LIONS CMO Accelerator Series in London, joining a room of senior marketing leaders navigating one of the most consequential shifts our profession has faced.

Building on my two previous LIONS presentations at Cannes Lions in 2022 and 2024 my session focused on AI. Not as a technology update, but as a leadership challenge.

The temptation when discussing AI is to start with tools, platforms, and vendors. I chose a different entry point: judgment. Because AI does not replace the fundamentals of marketing. It exposes whether we have them.

From funnels to learning systems

One of the core ideas I explored was the need to move from marketing funnels to marketing learning systems. AI works best when organisations treat marketing as a continuous feedback loop rather than a sequence of campaigns.

That shift sounds technical. It is not. It is cultural.

Learning systems demand clarity of intent, data discipline, and the courage to say no. Without those, AI simply accelerates noise.

Strategy still means sacrifice

A recurring theme in the room was overload. Too many tools. Too many vendors. Too many experiments without ownership.

The essence of strategy has not changed. It is still about sacrifice.

In a landscape with more than 15,000 marketing technology vendors, the competitive advantage does not come from doing more. It comes from choosing deliberately: which platforms to commit to, which problems to solve, and which capabilities to build internally.

AI rewards focus. Indecision is expensive.

Agents, automation, and the next generation of teams

We also discussed AI agents and automation, not as abstractions, but as practical extensions of teams. We are likely the last generation of leaders who will manage human-only teams.

That reality raises new questions for CMOs: governance, training, data quality, and accountability. AI needs ownership. It needs rules. It needs leaders who understand both its power and its limits.

The human edge does not disappear

The most important part of the session came at the end.

I heard this first, I recall, from Mark Ritson. AI is not going to kill marketing. And it is not going to save it either.

The only thing truly threatened by AI is low-imagination work. When everyone has access to the same models, the only remaining competitive advantage is taste. Taste cannot be automated. It cannot be commoditised. It cannot be downloaded.

Technology accelerates. Feelings scale. But meaning still comes from us.

The next creative revolution will not be AI-driven. It will be human-AI hybrid craft, where imagination, judgment, and emotional intelligence are amplified rather than outsourced.

Speaking at the LIONS CMO Accelerator was a reminder that the future of marketing will not be decided by tools alone. It will be shaped by leaders willing to combine discipline with creativity, and efficiency with meaning.

That is where the real advantage lies.

Forbes CMO Summit Europe 2025: Depth, not novelty

Returning to London for the Forbes CMO Summit Europe 2025 felt less like attending an event and more like re-joining an ongoing conversation.

The theme — What Matters Most — could easily have drifted into abstraction. Instead, the Summit doubled down on realism. Once again, Seth Matlins proved to be an exceptional steward of the dialogue, holding the line against platitudes and keeping the focus firmly on lived experience at the top of the profession.

What impressed me most in 2025 was the confidence of the room. There was less anxiety about tools, platforms, or trends, and more discussion about judgment, leadership, and organisational clarity. Marketing was treated not as a service function, but as a core driver of enterprise value.

Across the sessions, a few quiet themes emerged:

• Growth remains the mandate, but the path to it is rarely linear

• Measurement is essential, but never complete

• Creativity and effectiveness are inseparable, not competing forces

The Summit reinforced something that is easy to forget amid constant change: progress in marketing does not come from chasing novelty. It comes from better questions, better thinking, and better conversations between people who take the responsibility of influence seriously.

I appreciated the continuity from the previous year — not because the ideas were repeated, but because they were deepened. The absence of ego, the willingness to admit uncertainty, and the focus on long-term impact made this another genuinely valuable experience.

Events like this, Seth’s experience and insight, and discussions with industry leaders remind me why I remain optimistic about the future of marketing — not because the challenges are smaller, but because the thinking is getting sharper.

Event-Led Growth and the Discipline of ROI: Cvent Connect Europe 2025

In November 2025, I was invited to speak on two panels at Cvent Connect Europe, joining marketing leaders from across Europe to explore how events can deliver genuine, sustained return rather than short-lived activity.

Cvent Connect has always been an interesting forum because it sits at the intersection of strategy, execution, and accountability. The conversations are not about whether events matter — that debate is settled — but about how leaders ensure that time, attention, and investment compound rather than dissipate.

The first panel focused on marketing leadership — specifically how senior marketers make decisions in environments where certainty is rare, scrutiny is high, and trade-offs are unavoidable. What struck me was how consistent the challenges were across sectors: aligning events to commercial outcomes, resisting vanity metrics, and maintaining strategic clarity when teams are under delivery pressure.

The second panel explored maximising ROI on event spend, a topic that often attracts simplistic answers. The discussion moved quickly beyond tools and dashboards into more uncomfortable but more useful territory:

• What problem is this event actually solving?

• What behaviour do we expect to change as a result?

• How will this investment compound over time rather than peak on the day?

My contribution centred on a belief I hold strongly: events should be treated as platforms, not moments. When designed properly, they can create learning loops, relationships, and commercial momentum that extend far beyond the physical or virtual experience itself. When designed poorly, they become expensive theatre.

What I valued most about Cvent Connect Europe 2025 was the quality of the dialogue. There was little appetite for buzzwords, and a strong shared interest in effectiveness, discipline, and long-term value creation. The room was full of leaders who understand that ROI is not just measured — it is designed.

I left the event encouraged for event-led growth. Not because the challenges facing marketing are getting easier, but because the conversations are getting better and in the age of artificial intelligence it is even more important to come together in our communities..

A Profound Bet

Something Extraordinary Is Happening All Over the World

“Migrants are individuals making a profound, risky bet that by undertaking the rare and difficult decision to leave home, they can build something new.”

— Lydia Polgreen,

This powerful statement by Lydia Polgreen, "Something Extraordinary Is Happening All Over the World" The Great Migration Series (paywall/archive), encapsulates the essence of migration: a courageous leap into the unknown driven by the desire to create a better future.

As someone who has experienced the challenges and rewards of migration firsthand, I find these words both poignant and inspiring.

The CEO’s Job Isn’t What You Think It Is

Why being great at everything misses the point entirely. The CEO’s Only Job Is to Win.

The CEO's main duty is to ensure the company wins. As Brian Borque aptly puts it:

“The only universal job description of a CEO is to make sure the company wins.”

— Brian Borque

This statement encapsulates the essence of leadership, emphasizing that the CEO's role is not to be a jack-of-all-trades but to guide the organization toward success.

There is a pervasive myth in boardrooms, backchannels, and startup circles that a CEO must be a flawless superhuman, excelling in operations, finance, sales, product, people management, and strategy. This belief suggests that to lead effectively, one must have a comprehensive understanding and hands-on expertise in every aspect of the business. However, this is a dangerous misconception that can actually hinder a CEO’s effectiveness.

Central to a CEO's duties is the company's success, not the micromanagement of every detail or expertise in every function. Winning can mean different things depending on the context—profitability, market share, mission delivery, or even survival. But the ultimate goal remains the same: to steer the business toward victory. The most effective CEOs I’ve encountered, like each of us, are often deeply flawed in certain areas, yet they excel in their role by focusing on the outcome rather than personal perfection.

For example, some CEOs are visionary leaders who may struggle with detailed financial analysis, while others are sales geniuses who find hiring a challenge. These leaders understand that their job is to build a strong, complementary team that can cover their weaknesses. They hire the right people, delegate tasks, and create a culture where everyone is working towards a common goal. Instead of wasting time trying to become proficient in every area, they leverage the strengths of their team to achieve the company’s objectives.

This approach to leadership is what sets successful CEOs apart. Their clarity of purpose and ability to focus on the big picture, rather than getting bogged down in minutiae, is what drives the company forward. So, the next time someone criticizes a CEO for not being “across the detail,” “not technical enough,” or “not a natural manager,” consider this: is the company winning? Are they building a team and culture that can sustain that success?

A CEO's true measure of leadership and their company's success is not about being perfect, but about winning and creating an environment where the company can flourish and achieve its goals.

Effie UK: Judging effectiveness, not just creativity

What judging Effie UK reinforced about effectiveness

This year, I had the privilege of serving on the Effie UK judging panel, reviewing work where effectiveness is not an afterthought, but the point.

Effie has always occupied a distinct place in our industry. It asks a harder question than most awards: Did it actually work?

What struck me most during the judging process was how rare true clarity still is. The strongest entries were not those with the most sophisticated models or the densest data, but those that demonstrated a clean line of sight between problem, strategy, execution, and outcome.

Effectiveness is not about proving everything. It is about proving the right things.

The best cases showed restraint. They made deliberate choices. They resisted the temptation to retrofit narratives around results and instead demonstrated how judgment shaped decisions before money was spent.

Judging Effie is a reminder that marketing credibility is earned when creativity and commercial outcomes are treated as partners, not rivals. When one is privileged at the expense of the other, effectiveness suffers.

Effie UK continues to play an essential role in keeping our industry honest. We need that discipline more than ever.

The British Interactive Media Association

I am really pleased to announce that I have joined BIMA, the British Interactive Media Association. BIMA is the voice of tech and creativity and I’m looking forward to being a part of the association.

Cannes Lions 2025: Hegarty Warns “Giants Can’t Dance” Without Cultural Courage

Sir John Hegarty and me at Cannes Lions 2025

At Cannes Lions 2025, Sir John Hegarty returned to the Croisette with a provocation that cut through the AI noise with characteristic clarity: size is no longer a competitive advantage—creativity is. Addressing a packed audience, the BBH co-founder made the case that legacy institutions are structurally ill-equipped to thrive in the AI era unless they undergo radical cultural reinvention.

“It’s not the big that beat the small or the small that beat the big. It’s the bold that beat the bureaucratic.”

This central thesis—delivered with Hegarty’s signature wit and steel—has clear implications for CMOs and agency leaders. As WARC has previously reported, organisational agility and creative bravery are outperforming traditional scale economics (a). Hegarty’s framework clarifies why bureaucracy and process, once the hallmark of durable enterprise, are now liabilities in a landscape shaped by speed, signal, and strategic improvisation.

The Collapse of the Creative Pyramid

Hegarty contended that the traditional triangle of leadership—where decision-making is concentrated at the top—is outdated. Instead, he offered the metaphor of the inverted triangle, where leadership serves from below, unlocking the distributed creativity of the organisation.

In the age of AI, everyone becomes a creative director. That shift necessitates more than upskilling—it demands a wholesale rethinking of structure, culture, and philosophy.

AI as Collaborator, Not Tool

Rejecting the reductive view of AI as a “tool,” Hegarty framed it as a collaborator. This nuance matters: AI can preserve and evolve founding philosophies, keeping a brand’s original vision relevant long after its originator is gone.

“Maybe one of the functions of AI is that the founder never dies.”

This reframing invites serious consideration from brand stewards. If AI can embody the sensibility and philosophy of a company’s origins—Chanel, Ford, Apple—then strategic brand leadership must shift from protecting the past to actively operationalising it in real-time.

Rebuilding from First Principles

For Hegarty, the path forward for large enterprises lies in rediscovering and reactivating their original philosophy. This rebuilding from first principles is not a nostalgic exercise. It is strategic regeneration. As he put it:

“Go back to what built you.”

This approach aligns with a trend WARC has observed in post-pandemic brand strategy: a return to essential values, often codified in founding principles, used as a compass for navigating transformation (b).

Hegarty cited Patagonia, Oatly, and Apple as examples of brands whose philosophies were not marketing lines but business doctrines—creatively interpreted through product, communications, and culture.

The Strategic Imperative for Brands

Hegarty’s presentation was a call to action, particularly for global brands under pressure to remain culturally relevant in a fragmented, AI-powered landscape. His advice:

• Rethink structure: Flip hierarchies to empower bottom-up creativity.

• Rediscover your philosophy: Make it central to innovation and brand behaviour.

• Use AI to scale culture, not just content.

• Stop aiming to be the biggest. Start aiming to be the boldest.

Final Thought

Sir John Hegarty may be a familiar voice at Cannes, but his message this year felt newly urgent. For organisations struggling to keep pace, his challenge was simple: either dance or die. And in the AI era, the pace is only accelerating.

I have recently completed the Creativity for Growth Course. It was a brilliant opportunity for insight and learning from an industry legend.

Sources:

(a) Building Belief: What It Takes to Instill a Culture of Creative Effectiveness

(b) WARC Asian Strategy Report: Staying relevant amidst changing tides

Also published to Medium.

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Published on June 25, 2025, at anthonykennedy.com