Six Skills for 2026: 6. Visionary

When did you last imagine the future? Not predict it. Not react to someone else's version of it. But truly, boldly imagine what could be possible?AI is exceptional at giving you data, analysis and execution. But it cannot dream. It cannot vision. It cannot look beyond what already exists and imagine what might be. That is uniquely, powerfully yours. And in the age of AI, it is about to become the most valuable skill in the room.In this final episode of their Six Skills for 2026 series, Phil and Pen explore the skill they believe will define the leaders, teams and businesses of the next decade: being Visionary. They break it down into three powerful pillars: Imagining, Planning and Communicating, and why developing all three is no longer optional for anyone who wants to shape the future rather than simply react to it.From the extraordinary story of Victorian engineer Joseph Bazalgette, who doubled the size of London's sewage tunnels based not on data but on bold imagination, saving the city from catastrophe generations later, to the neuroscience of why scrolling through social media is quite literally shutting down your creative and visionary thinking, this episode is packed with science, stories and practical tools that will change how you think, lead and communicate from today.And here is a stat worth sitting with: 85% of CEOs say vision is the single most critical skill they need in their leaders. Yet 40% of employees have no idea how their role connects to the vision of their organisation. The gap between where we are and where we need to be has never been greater, or more exciting.In this episode you'll discover:Why being visionary is the most AI proof skill you have and how to start owning itHow your smartphone habit is closing down your imagination and what to do about itThe three pillars of visionary leadership: Imagining, Planning and Communicating with passionPractical, daily tools to unlock your visionary thinking, from the weekly vision window to the backwards diaryBy the end of this episode, we want you to ask yourself one question: If the future is coming whether you imagine it or not, what would you build if you started from scratch today?