Publisher CEO blogs voraciously

A while back I emailed Publisher Thomas Nelson’s CEO, Michael Hyatt, about his blogging, curious if he really did it himself, since I’ve discovered that some (many? all?) top executives often have their staff write the copy on their public communications. He replied back within a day:

Yes, I do all the writing — 100% — myself. I don’t think blogging can be done by a ghost. The writer’s “voice” is too important.

I was amazed by his wise practical content and his blogging frequency, which is now up to a daily pace. Here is a CEO who understands how blogging can be used for effective communication:

As the CEO, I think that communication is one of my primary responsibilities. My job is to cast vision, shape our culture, and mentor those under me. Blogging is simply a means to an end.

However, I like blogging because it gives me direct, unfiltered access to my colleagues. It also provides a way for me to hear directly from all of our employees. It essentially “flattens” the organization and puts us all on an equal footing.

The truth is that I spend no more than about forty-five minutes a day writing. Maybe this sounds impossible, but I assure you it’s not. You have to remember that I have written four books. I wrote each of them while maintaining a regular day job. Over the years, I have learned to write fast.

And, I do it on my own time. Usually, I write late at night or early in the morning. I usually don’t write every day. I tend to write several posts at a time and then “bank” them for posting later.

Read the full text of his post about how he blogs and why. Now if only other executives can get it too.

While we’re on this subject, you might be curious about my blogging frequency and rhythm, as this often becomes a discussion item when I meet people who read my blog in real life (if only I could get them to comment!) I aim to write a blog post 3 times a week, with no undue pressure on having to do a set number. And in all, it takes me about an hour per week to blog. Note, this does not include the time it’d take me to read other blogs. So being an active blogger does not have to be so time-consuming; we all only have 24 hours a day.