At Davos, Inkwell Beach Asked CEO’s To Reclaim Leadership Through The Art Of Storytelling

J.J. Carter, CEO FleishmanHillard speaks at the 2026 Inkwell Beach at Davos.

Photo Courtesy of MBE

Every year since 1971, the most influential people in the world have traveled to the highest town in Europe, the small alpine village of Davos, Switzerland, to take part in a week of closed-door meetings, dinners, and community. The reason? The World Economic Forum (WEF).

The language is urgent, the rooms are full, and the stakes are enormous. And while the presence of prime ministers, presidents, central bank leaders, executives, and global influencers has always been highlighted, one thing traditionally has been overlooked: CEO’s need to tell more stories that drive human connection.

This year, that is the space Inkwell Beach Davos occupied. Now in its third year, Inkwell, which was named as a subtle nod to the exclusionary practices of the past, has become a symbol of community and cultural pride.

“Empty promises have never been more damaging. Storytelling that is disconnected from operational truth is just noise.” Said J.J. Carter, CEO FleishmanHillard, a global communications consultancy, “Authenticity equals accountability. Effective leaders have to be willing to own the missteps, and when things don’t go as planned.”

How? Through the art of storytelling.

Inkwell Beach Davos has become the go-to gathering for leaders and changemakers committed to turning inclusion from aspiration into action – from Wanji Walcott, Chief Business and Legal officer of Pinterest to Chris Foster, CEO of Omnicom PR Group to Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD. And a key component of that is being visible, honest, and taking a stand by telling compelling stories of how changes, which have become inevitable during these times, are affecting all of us, from our clients to our culture, to overall fans and followers of brands.

Why Storytelling Is The New Leadership Skill

2026 has ushered CEO’s into the middle of a world obsessed with data, dashboards and performance metrics. But trust is built through narrative. Change is mobilized through story. Belonging is created through voice.

Storytelling is not a soft skill. It is a leadership skill.

While organizations generally have teams of corporate communications departments, investor relations liaisons, and marketing agencies and functions to help tell their stories in different ways, it’s the CEO’s words and deeds that carry the most weight and cast the largest influence for mirroring and trust. How much? Roughly six in ten people say a CEO’s actions affect their opinion of a company.

McKinsey & Co recently released The CEO’s Role As A Chief Storyteller, in which they proclaimed “To ensure that their companies engage effectively with stakeholders, CEOs must set communication standards, embody the organization’s culture and purpose, and speak up in moments that matter most”. McKinsey finds that high-performing CEOs spend about 30% of their time engaging with external stakeholders to maintain narrative consistency.

A License to Lead study commissioned by FleishmanHillard, involving almost 1500 executives and policymakers and 4000 consumers, revealed a significant confidence gap between business leaders and their stakeholders that must be bridged to navigate disruptive change.

That bridge begins with storytelling.

The Rise of Misinformation

CEO’s are also up against something that they often can’t control. With the advent of generative AI, algorithms, and social media platforms, the amount of disinformation and misinformation available to the public is at an all-time high.

According to Oxford Academic, the ability of non-experts to rapidly post information, the influence of bots and social media algorithms, the global nature of social media, the limited commitment to action by social media giants, and rapid technological advancements hamper progress toward improving information quality and accuracy.

And while some companies are bringing on a ‘Chief Storyteller’ as a new C-Suite role, the role of the leadership to be able to tell a story is becoming more evident.

“The best CEOs are the best storytellers in the company. And for those leaders who want to improve their game, remember these three things: One, your company’s origin story is often your best way to navigate today’s challenges; tell folks about the founders and what they faced. Two, there’s a difference between a story and speech, so be human and give the jargon a rest. Three, when you’re tired of telling the story to the organization, that’s just about the time it’s probably sinking in, so tell it again. And again. As they say in Hollywood, ‘once more, with feeling,” said Rob Schwartz, former CEO TBWA\Chiat\Day, who now spends his days as an Executive Leadership and Performance Coach.

In 2024, Adrianne C. Smith, Senior Partner and SVP, FleishmanHillard, set her eyes on what many consider the most powerful event in the world. She came to Davos, Switzerland, to create what she didn’t see and couldn’t feel at the Forum – Inkwell Beach Davos.

Now that’s a great story.