Every business has a story – but what story are today’s most ambitious companies really living? The Dreamers is an interview series exploring how senior leaders understand the deeper narrative behind their work and how it shapes the way they lead – through the lens of the Human Story of Business framework and its four archetypes.

The best creative teams, Matt Gale believes, are built on a restless curiosity. Over a decade leading Brand and Creative Content at Deloitte, he brought creative ideas and stories to life across different mediums, with the scale to reach millions.  

Now he’s left to build something smaller and more deliberate: be human, a consultancy helping businesses connect more authentically with the people they care about. We spoke to him about what it takes to tell a story worth repeating – and the one he’s living in himself. 

How do you build a culture where great storytelling happens?   

I’m a naturally curious person and always have been. But you have to be on the lookout for inspiration constantly. In my previous team, we ran a creative breakfast – everyone had to bring one thing they’d seen, read or watched and explain why they liked it. It was the best meeting of the fortnight. 

Early on, people would turn up with the same things from Campaign or Little Black Book. I had to push back: “I don’t want what Little Black Book thinks is good; I want what you think is good.” 

That’s the thing around creativity. You can take and borrow from different places, see something here, and apply it there. If you only listen to brand and creative people, you’re going to run dry. The wider you go, the better.   

Which brands do storytelling well?     

I find smaller brands do it better; they’re closer to the founder’s vision. One of my favourite storytellers is David Hieatt. I unashamedly stole, borrowed – whichever way you want to look at it – his communications tactics. 

He just sold his denim brand Hiut. But their purpose – to get 400 people their jobs back – and how they brought that story to life; was incredible. One of his famous quotes is, “The power of your story is that other people WANT to tell it for you.”  

With him, or someone like Nils Leonard at Uncommon, a lot of their work allows other people to re-tell the story. Like Uncommon’s ‘A British Original’ campaign for British Airways – these are the stories you want to share and talk about with friends and family. That’s really powerful. 

What’s your strategy for turning ideas into reality?  

Getting out of your own way is important. Naturally, we all want to make something perfect. But perfection a) kills humanity – which is what makes great stories, and b) stops you putting anything out there.  

Equally, I’ve had ideas that failed not because they were wrong, but because I gave them away too early. Creative, disruptive ideas that have spilled out in pure enthusiasm – without the story that brings people along the journey. Storytelling to the wider world (or even internal audiences) is different to how you sell it to the board or senior stakeholders.

You also have to be stubborn and fight for your ideas. At Deloitte, for COP26, I wanted to go against the usual narrative of ‘look at what we’re doing to solve climate change.’ If everyone wants to talk, nobody is listening.  

We created the Lightbulb List: book recommendations from our network – like Hannah Jones, former CEO of the Earthshot Prize and film director and campaigner Richard Curtis – to help inspire climate action. We collaborated with the Book Fairies, a magical organisation that hides books in plain sight, and left copies all around Glasgow (where COP26 was hosted) and major UK cities. A beautiful, human story. 

When we first presented it, people didn’t get it. We had to fight, sell it in and take them on the journey they needed. In the end, everyone loved it. It won awards; it cut through.   

How can organisations tell their story over time?   

You have to keep telling it. And think about whether it’s authentic. Take The Green Room, Deloitte’s podcast – we could have got a big name in to host it. But that wouldn’t have been authentic. Instead, we X-Factor-auditioned 150 employees across the business. And our values lived in the guests we invited. If you believe in diversity, it should just be reflected as standard. You don’t have to announce that you’re doing it; you can just feel it. 

The best organisations are the ones that tell their story consistently over time – not get bored of it. A lot of organisations keep reinventing. But being clear on your story and finding different creative ways to tell it – that’s what matters.  

What gets in the way of telling a good story in an organisation?    

First, disagreement is a good thing – it makes better creative work. I don’t ever hire ‘yes’ people. But you have to come from the same shared goal. 

Secondly, getting this wrong: who is the hero of your story? Too often, businesses make themselves the hero. They never should be. Nike is never the hero; it’s the consumer or the athlete they’re championing. Nike just helps them be great – and that’s what made Nike great over the years.  

What story are you living in right now?      

I left Deloitte at the end of last year, and I’ve given myself space to think about what’s next. I went for coffee with Adam Penny (CEO of The Beautiful Truth), who said: ‘you’ve got to sit in the uncomfortableness for a little bit, because good ideas come.’ 

Starting a business is a combination of Quest and Rise to Greatness. I start with no clients, just some ideals – and the hope to build something. That’s quite an exciting journey, not an easy one.

But to go on that quest, you have to know what you’re searching for. For me, it’s more human businesses. Brands that form deeper connections with the people they care about – internally and externally. 

I’ve created be human – which helps businesses be more human in how they lead, tell stories, position themselves, and connect with others. As businesses become more reliant on technology, human moments, stories and connection differentiate. The more I think about it the more energised and excited I get – but it’s scary too. I’ve got to get out of my own way and go for it.  

How do you feel about doing this on your own?    

When I think about the future of business, I see it as smaller businesses understanding where they add value and collaborating with each other – rather than trying to do everything yourself.  

You need to work with organisations and people that share your view of the world. Not the exact same view – but a shared outlook of what good looks like, the difference you want to make. That’s where the richer work lies. 

What I’m exploring is: is it better to work with businesses that are already human and push them further? Or is the real value helping businesses that genuinely want to get better – but don’t quite know how?  

Find out more about the Four Archetypes of the Human Story of Business here.