New Book Explores Why, and How, Successful CEOs Communicate
To be a great business leader, a chief executive officer must be a great communicator. That belief, hardly controversial, has never been the primary focus of the many business books that fill bookstore and library shelves.
So April Yue, an assistant professor at BU’s College of Communication, wrote one.
Strategic CEO Communication, co-authored with Yeunjae Lee of Colorado State University, is the result of two years of research and writing. In it, Yue and Lee explore why communication is so linked to the success of leaders, especially when customers and employees expect more from them in times of crisis and shifting technologies.
“We both agreed there needs to be a book that examines CEOs from a communicator’s angle,” Yue says, “because you can’t become an effective leader without being an effective communicator. It’s one essential skill, or I would even call it a mindset — a communication mindset to survive in today’s attention economy.”
Yue spoke to COM about the book, what she learned that surprised her, and how CEOs can speak out on social issues.
Q&A
With April Yue
COM: Why a communications book that focuses on CEOs?
April Yue: There have been many books on CEOs and leadership, but no book has really been laser-focused on CEO communication. And we know that leadership cannot be separated from communication—research reveals organizational leaders spend 70% to 80% of their time communicating. So it’s really important to dive into what CEOs are communicating, their leadership communication styles; who they’re communicating to, the different stakeholder groups; and what the purpose and impact of their communication is in today’s world. We look at how emerging media, technology, and globalization have raised new opportunities and challenges for CEO communication.
COM: In analyzing the research, what were some findings that genuinely surprised you?
April Yue: CEOs’ use of social media varies significantly, but in general it showed an upward trend. It used to be Twitter dominating the space of leadership social media communication, but now LinkedIn is becoming the new front—and livestreaming is also becoming more and more popular.
CEOs are also increasingly expected to become their company’s chief PR person and chief communicator. People are now turning to the CEO, not the company’s official account or their PR head, for information, interaction, and questions.
COM: CEOs, recently outspoken on social issues, seem to have grown more cautious. If true, why is that?
April Yue: If we focus specifically on CEOs in the U.S., they’re under immense pressure to navigate the current political environment. Americans are also split on how CEOs should engage. Those are the main factors why we’ve seen CEOs become relatively silent compared to three to five years ago.
But here’s what’s interesting—many of them are communicating vigorously internally with their employees to make sure their teams are aligned, feel motivated, and have confidence in the organization’s direction. And while public-facing communication has declined, a lot of investment is still going into sustainability and inclusion efforts because companies and shareholders are seeing real business impact from it.
CEO activism is also context dependent. CEOs need to make calculated decisions about which issues to be more or less public on. For example, according to a recent Morning Consult survey, on the economy and healthcare, there’s broader support for CEOs publicly backing the president. But on tariffs and military action, more Americans want CEOs to publicly oppose than support.
COM: Rapid advances in technology and in media may be the greatest challenge for CEOs. Do you agree and, if so, how are CEOs handling it?
April Yue: I’d say it’s among one of the greatest challenges. It’s really, really hard to be a modern-day CEO. Among many technologies, Artificial Intelligence is the most imminent transformation that CEOs need to lead. And communication is the absolute key to bringing your team on board with AI change.
Most AI projects fail not because of the technology itself, but because people don’t trust it, don’t have confidence in it, or see it as a threat to their beliefs, values, and working philosophy. CEOs need to work closely with their internal communication teams to listen and understand their different stakeholder groups instead of assuming everyone is ready for it.
COM: Since it’s important enough to include in the title, explain more about “strategic communication” in the context of your book.
April Yue: It’s about best practices, or in an ideal world, what best practices would look like. Strategic communication is about using research to intentionally communicate with a mindset of welcoming feedback. It’s about CEOs allocating their limited time wisely to invest in what’s most important for their company.
Strategic communication means building an authentic, engaging executive communication profile for both external and internal stakeholders. It means standing up for things you truly believe in that align with your business values. And it means making sure your communication reaches a global, culturally nuanced audience.
Of course, not all of this falls solely on CEOs, but they have to understand the focus of their communication and actively consult with and delegate to their communication team.
COM: Can you cite examples of high-profile CEOs today who are winning at strategic communication and why?
April Yue: There are some notoriously good communicators out there, like Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, Bumble’s founder and executive chair Whitney Wolfe Herd, and former American Family Insurance CEO Jack Salzwedel, to name a few. But most CEOs fly under the radar for their communication. Those who are on social media, doing media interviews, or appearing on podcasts are already making an effort.
People tend to think that only high-profile CEOs should care about their public communication. That’s not true. You don’t need to land yourself in the New York Times or Wall Street Journal to make yourself or your values known. People can find you on niche podcasts, your LinkedIn page, or a Substack channel. Start where you feel most comfortable and be authentic to your voice and character.
This interview was edited for clarity and concision.
