Toward a Future That’s Not Just Smart, But Wise

Designing From the Inside Out

There was a nugget of wisdom that Michael B. Beckwith shared in one of his podcasts that stopped me in my tracks and has stayed with me ever since. He said that “we have developed the global brain (e.g., through social media, the internet, and now of course artificial intelligence), but what we now need is the global heart[1].”

As an architect of organizations, I think deeply about the power of intentional design. As someone shaped by a rich tapestry of influences and places – growing up in the United States, working for years on the ground alongside leaders in different countries in Africa, and now living in Scandinavia – I also reflect often on the power of beliefs, values, and the stories that define us. Intent and the essence of who we are shapes the world we create, whether as individuals, organizations, or societies.

Technology, and artificial intelligence in particular, act as a mirror for our current stage of human evolution, reflecting and amplifying our paradigms, beliefs, values, biases, and integrity – for better and for worse. As artificial intelligence advances at extraordinary speed and our fascination with technology increases, I find myself asking: Are we evolving our wisdom and humanity at the same pace?

Most innovation today focuses outward on the tools and technologies, but the real transformation begins inward.

Awakening Intelligence: A Counterpart to Artificial Intelligence

I believe we need to cultivate another kind of AI to come alongside artificial intelligence: what I call awakening intelligence. This is a deep intelligence that makes us truly human, rooted in self-awareness, presence, interconnectedness, discernment, wisdom, compassion, and a sense of purpose. It is a quiet yet essential counterpart to artificial intelligence that guides how we live, lead, design, and build a future that is not only smarter, but better for us all.

If our designs, decisions, and actions come from the inside out, then our wisest selves can drive the conscious design of policies, products and services, business models, and even entire business ecosystems that lead with purpose and put dignity, equity, and interconnectedness at the center. When awakening intelligence guides our work, we do not just build for efficiency, scale or profit, but also for meaning, for humanity, and for long-term well-being.

This has real and practical implications. For example, it shapes what we choose to automate and what we choose to keep human. It influences how we structure decision-making, accountability, and collaboration. It affects how we define success, how we allocate resources, and who ultimately benefits. At every level from strategy to execution, it invites us to ask: Are we designing by default or are we designing with deep intention?

A tremendous amount of foundational thinking and momentum is already underway, especially around the evolving blending of purpose and profit in business. Concepts like those explored in Reinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux highlight how organizations are embracing “Teal” principles of self-management, wholeness, and evolutionary purpose to create more soulful, responsive, and purpose-driven workplaces. Building on this, awakening intelligence takes us deeper by focusing not just on structures and practices, but on cultivating a profound human connection within ourselves and between each other.

 Asking Ourselves New Questions: What If?

As our curiosity drives us to experiment and innovate with artificial intelligence, I invite us to be equally curious about exploring the concepts of awakening intelligence. For example:

  • What if our human “technology” is just as magnificent as our digital technology? If we could see and value our own human greatness, how would it spark a renewed sense of wonder and curiosity about the story of who we are and who we can become?[2]
  • What if an organization could not only be technically advanced but also human-centered and wisdom-oriented? How would it approach purpose? How would it define success? How would it be structured and operated? How would its people behave and how would they make decisions?
  • What if we embraced a principle of conscious design for our organizations and societies? How would it shape our decisions and actions as we deploy artificial intelligence in service of human and planetary well-being?

Creating Our Future, By Design

We don’t just need smarter machines; we need wiser humans. We are at a critical inflection point in history and right now we have an opportunity to create our future by design, rather than simply letting it happen to us. By cultivating our awakening intelligence with as much zeal as our artificial intelligence, we can not only leverage technology and design our organizations and societies better, but we ourselves can become better in the process.

References:

[1] For more context, listen to Michael B. Beckwith describe The Global Heart on his Take Back Your Mind podcast:
IB40222_V4_(SE36994_V2_cp_shbr_easy_tip_mix2)_16x9.mp4, 4 July 2025.

[2] An excerpt from Gregg Braden on The Resilient Mind podcast, “The War on Consciousness (And How to Win It),” 12 May 2025 as an example: “[There is a philosophy that says] all the technology that we have ever built, as complex as it is, it mirrors something we already do within us. As a scientist, I have to say this is true…from building the internet to the way information is stored on the chip, even blockchain technology…blockchain mimics the way information is stored in the genome…It all begins with our story…”

Tag/s:Artificial Intelligence, Creativity, Empathy, Imagination, Personal Development,