Executive thought leadership
Leader advocacy: building a system executives can sustain
Executive communication programmes often begin with energy: a workshop, a charter, a calendar and the first posts. They lose momentum when publishing becomes an additional demand, disconnected from executives’ actual responsibilities and the way they think.
Brand experience
A perspective grounded in practice.
Throughout my career, I have worked with organisations across different sectors and cultures, including:
- Capgemini
- VINCI Energies
- Groupe Atlantic
- BNP Paribas
- Bouygues Construction
- Orange Wholesale
Leader advocacy works when it reduces friction without erasing the voice: a clear framework, material drawn from real work and support proportionate to each executive.
Starting point
Motivation is not an operating model
Asking an executive to publish more does not solve the lack of time, the fear of overexposure or the absence of a clear territory. A programme becomes fragile as soon as it depends entirely on availability or short-term enthusiasm.
The model must clarify why this voice matters, what it can contribute that the brand cannot say in the same way, and how editorial material will be captured without turning every post into another meeting.
Territories
Give every executive an identifiable editorial role
Not every executive committee member should address the same subjects. Their responsibilities, experience and decisions provide access to different territories. The objective is not to allocate themes, but to identify the questions on which each person has a legitimate perspective.
An editorial territory is defined through tensions, decisions and evidence. It may evolve, but it must remain stable enough for an audience to associate a voice with a recognisable contribution.
- Identify the decisions and experiences genuinely owned by the executive.
- Define the subjects they want to illuminate and those they will not expose.
- Choose a level of support suited to their autonomy.
- Create a regular capture process using conversations, notes, meetings and events.
Support
Ghostwriting must not produce a synthetic executive voice
Editorial support may range from a light edit to full drafting. In every case, the substance must come from the executive: their examples, language, hesitations and decisions.
Over-polished writing sounds generic. Good support removes the production burden while preserving the texture that makes the voice credible. The executive must recognise the thinking and be able to answer comments without discovering their own opinion.
Sustainability
Establish a rhythm compatible with the reality of the role
Sustainable executive communication relies on simple routines: a regular editorial conversation, a short approval path, recurring formats and the ability to respond when events require it.
Success is not simply the number of active leaders. It lies in the quality of conversations, the growing recognition of each territory and the programme’s ability to continue without exceptional mobilisation from communications teams.
Frequently asked questions
What needs to be clear before taking action
Should every executive publish?
No. Start with people who have a clear territory, a genuine willingness to participate and the ability to engage in conversation. The programme can expand later.
Is ghostwriting compatible with authenticity?
Yes, when support organises and articulates thinking genuinely expressed by the executive. It becomes problematic when it invents a voice or conviction that is not there.
How can a programme avoid losing momentum?
Reduce the burden, plan how material will be captured, give every voice a clear role and establish a rhythm teams can sustain over time.
Sources and further reading