Common Questions

Jonathan Griffiths is an award-winning, UK-based keynote speaker on celebrating brilliant humans and workplaces. With more than two decades in senior marketing leadership he brings hard-won professional experience to every stage he stands on. He is the creator of the Brilliant Humans Podcast and the HABITS framework, and won the 2026 PSA Emerging Speaker of the Year award for his talk Be More Fudge.

As well as working on some of the world's biggest brands and events, Jonathan hosts the Brilliant Humans Podcast and conducted The Brilliant Humans research after he noticed patterns in the conversations he was having. In early 2026, Jonathan asked 105 people across industries and borders one question: what makes someone truly brilliant?

54% put kindness and empathy first. 48% ranked creativity last. The finding — that the qualities we most associate with brilliance are the ones most organisations have stopped measuring — is the foundation of everything Jonathan does on stage.

Jonathan speaks on human-centred leadership, workplace culture, psychological safety, and what it means to build teams where people genuinely thrive. His three signature talks are:

Be More Fudge — the keynote of feeling. The story of a burnt-out marketing leader, a dog who knew what good looked like before any of the data did, and what happened when Jonathan finally listened. Audiences leave with a reframing of what brilliance already looks like in the people around them.

Ignore the Algorithms — the keynote of perception. We are wired for negativity, and the platforms we live inside exploit that wiring. But 105 people told Jonathan something different: the qualities most associated with brilliance — kindness, empathy, courage, curiosity — are the ones most humans quietly live by every day. The world is kinder than your feed suggests.

From Crisis to Prosperity — the keynote of utility. A practical framework — HABITS — for leaders who want to build high-trust teams or rescue one that's already in trouble.

See all three talks →

Absolutely. Every engagement begins with a conversation about the audience, the context, and what the organiser needs the room to feel or think by the end. Jonathan is happy to advise on which talk fits best — or how to shape one that's right for a specific brief.

Yes. Each talk stands alone, and many clients choose one. Some ask for two across a conference day. Get in touch to discuss what works for your format.

All three talks are available as keynotes, workshop sessions, or shorter inspiration slots. Jonathan speaks at conference main stages, leadership offsites, internal all-hands events, sales kickoffs, and school events.

Yes. Jonathan delivers virtually as well as in person. Please include your format preference when you get in touch.

In early 2026, Jonathan surveyed 105 people across industries and borders, asking what qualities they most associate with brilliance in others. 54% put kindness and empathy first. 48% put creativity last. The findings challenge most organisations' assumptions about what drives performance — and form the foundation of Jonathan's work on stage.

Explore the research →

Jonathan's signature concept: humans are wired for negativity, and tech companies have built platforms that exploit that wiring. Outrage and conflict produce more engagement than kindness and quiet decency — so that is what the feed serves.

But research across 105 people in multiple countries found something different. 89% say most people they know are generally good and kind. 81% had an ordinary act of kindness make their day better in the past week. 83% of those acts cost the giver nothing at all. The world is kinder than your feed suggests — and the talk asks audiences to notice what they've been trained to look past.

HABITS is a six-part leadership framework — Humanity, Accountability, Bravery, Integrity, Transparency, Sustainability — developed to help leaders create psychologically safe, high-trust teams, and to address toxic culture when it appears. It sits at the heart of Jonathan's talk From Crisis to Prosperity.

Yes — and it's substantial. Gallup's research across 2.7 million employees links human-centred leadership to 23% higher profitability, 81% lower absenteeism, and significantly lower staff turnover. Google's Project Aristotle identified psychological safety as the single greatest predictor of team performance.

The full evidence base is on the Business Case page.

Use the enquiry form on the Book Jonathan page. Jonathan personally replies to every enquiry within two working days. Bureau agents are welcome to contact directly by email — details are on the booking page.

The more context the better. Useful details include: your event date and location, audience size and role, the topic or challenge you want addressed, and format (keynote, workshop, virtual). Jonathan will come back with a clear recommendation and next steps.

Fees are available on request and vary depending on event type, format, location, and lead time. Please use the enquiry form or contact directly — Jonathan will respond promptly with the relevant information.

Yes. High-resolution headshots, short bio (100 words), medium bio (250 words), long bio (500 words), and a full media kit are all available to download from the Book Jonathan page.