By Stephanie Bickel
How to Write Like a Leader: Elevating Your Written Communication
As leaders, our words carry weight. While a powerful presentation can inspire in the moment, it’s the written word that lives on—shared across teams, referenced for decisions, and sometimes shaping the future of an organization. Writing like a leader means mastering the art of clarity, impact, and influence while also coaching your team to do the same.
In our latest Speak by Design podcast episode, we explored the art and science of great writing. Here, we’ll dive deeper into the key takeaways, including actionable tips, AI-powered tools, and the 3S model—a framework to guide both your writing and your coaching.
Listen to the full lesson on Apple Podcasts.
1. Start with Strategy: Know Your Audience
Great writing begins with understanding your audience. Before you write a single word, ask yourself:
What is my audience’s goal?
What do they already know, and what do they need to know?
What are their hopes, concerns, or objections?
When you focus on meeting your audience where they are, your message will resonate more deeply. Use AI tools like ChatGPT to help brainstorm audience profiles or refine your insights. Simply prompt:"Help me define my audience for this topic. Include their goals, challenges, and the key insights they need to hear."
2. Outline First: Structure is King
Before diving into paragraphs, create an outline. Frameworks like Barbara Minto’s Pyramid Principle help ensure your writing is clear, logical, and engaging. Not sure where to start? Use AI to draft a structure:
Prompt example: “Organize this idea using the Pyramid Principle. Include a clear headline, supporting arguments, and a compelling conclusion.”
Or, if you’re storytelling, try: “Restructure this content into a Hero’s Journey format, making the audience the hero.”
By outlining first, you’ll save time revising and create a roadmap for effective communication.
3. Write with Vigorous Style
Crisp, active sentences are easier to read and understand. Avoid passive voice and unnecessary filler words. For example:
Instead of: “It was decided that we need to change the process.”
Try: “We need to change the process.”
AI tools can help here, too:
Prompt example: “Revise this text to use vigorous style and remove passive voice.”
This approach ensures your writing is not only clear but also impactful and engaging.
4. Focus on Insights Over Facts
While data and facts are essential, it’s the insights behind them that move people to action. Instead of listing statistics, explain why they matter and what action your audience should take. AI can help generate insights:
Prompt example: “Analyze this data and provide 3 insights relevant to [audience].”
The result? Writing that sparks understanding and inspires decision-making.
5. Coach Great Writing Using the 3S Model
As a leader, you’re not only responsible for your own writing but also for coaching your team to elevate theirs. That’s where the 3S model—Strategy, Structure, and Style—comes in:
Strategy: Help your team identify their audience’s needs, goals, and mindset before writing.
Structure: Teach them to organize their ideas using frameworks like the Pyramid Principle or the Hero’s Journey.
Style: Encourage the use of vigorous language, active voice, and concise phrasing.
AI can be an incredible tool for coaching. Use prompts like:
“Help me rewrite this email with a focus on clarity and tone for a [specific audience].”
“Suggest edits to align this PowerPoint with the Pyramid Principle.”
By coaching your team to write with the 3S model, you’ll create a ripple effect of clarity and influence across your organization.
Why Writing Like a Leader Matters
In today’s fast-paced, global environment, written communication often outlives the spoken word. A well-crafted email, memo, or presentation can shape decisions, unite teams, and build trust—even when you’re not in the room.
As you elevate your own writing and coach your team to do the same, you’re not just improving communication—you’re amplifying your leadership.
Ready to take your writing to the next level? Explore our Speak by Design University to master these skills and more.
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Let’s make your words—and your leadership—unforgettable.