7 reasons your top execs should NOT blog

Sure, a blog can humanize your CEO or even a senior VP, but not every honcho can deliver the fresh perspective or winning personality required. Here’s when to say, ‘Nah, I don’t think so.’

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Is blogging a good idea for your top executive(s)?

Six years ago, Gawker broke a story: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Has a ‘Ghostwriter.’

Some were shocked at the news. Others were shocked it was news. Few, however, could blame a high-profile leader for seeking help with finding the right things to say. Thoughtful communication is a nuanced art, and even the best intentions can have disastrous results.

Consider Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and his “Race Together” campaign of 2015. What was meant to initiate a healthy dialogue about racial and ethnic inequality struck some customers as self-serving and tone deaf.

Remember, too, the time Vice President Joe Biden assured nearly 500 college students, “I promise you, the president has a big stick.” Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy certainly wasn’t the first thing that popped into their minds.

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