Musings of a CEO: On the Weight of the World
I’ve been thinking a lot about uncertainty lately. Not just the kind that disrupts markets or shifts algorithms - the kind that seeps into the collective nervous system of a world that feels more fragmented, more frayed, and more fatigued than ever.
We’re living in strange times; politics is polarised, communities are splintered, economies are unstable, truth feels subjective, and compassion feels scarce - somewhere in all of this, there’s a very human question emerging - what are we building, and who are we becoming in the process?
Running a business right now means leading in the grey. There’s no rulebook for navigating these uncertain times. No roadmap for navigating a world where today’s trend becomes tomorrow’s crisis. No perfect brand message that won’t be questioned, dissected, or misunderstood by someone, anyone, everyone.
Strip it all back - beneath the headlines, the forecasts, the positioning statements - I think what we’re really experiencing is a void. A void of connection, softness, and love.
Not romantic love, but the kind of radical empathy that makes us feel connected to one another. The kind of human warmth that reminds us we’re not just audiences, algorithms, or attention metrics - we’re people. People trying to make sense of chaos. People building things that matter. People trying, and often failing, to feel whole.
As a communicator, I’ve always believed in the power of words. Yet lately I’ve been more interested in the power of presence. Of really showing up, asking deeper questioning, and letting silence say what strategy can’t. If there’s one thing I know to be true right now, it’s that we don’t need more content. We need more connection.
In business, in branding, in culture - connection is a necessity. The challenges we’re facing - politically, economically, emotionally, existentially - are too vast to navigate alone. We need creative coalitions, generous collaborations, and brave conversations.
We won’t fix the world overnight, but we can choose softness, even when the world asks us to harden.
Maybe that’s where it all begins? Not with answers, but with awareness and a willingness to keep building something better, even when the ground keeps shifting.
Samuel Marriott-Dowding
CEO
Marriott Communications