{"id":45168,"date":"2026-02-11T16:17:25","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T21:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=45168"},"modified":"2026-02-11T16:20:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T21:20:22","slug":"new-book-explores-why-and-how-successful-ceos-communicate","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/articles\/new-book-explores-why-and-how-successful-ceos-communicate\/","title":{"rendered":"New book explores why, and how, successful CEOs communicate"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin bu-blocks-block-editorial-leadin is-style-side-by-side has-media has-wider has-flip has-box has-media-focus-center-middle\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"600\" height=\"880\" src=\"\/com\/files\/2026\/02\/april-yue.png\" class=\"\" alt=\"A smiling headshot of April Yue.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/02\/april-yue.png 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2026\/02\/april-yue-434x636.png 434w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNew Book Explores Why, and How, Successful CEOs Communicate\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-categories\">\n\t\t\t<ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/category\/public-relations\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPublic Relations\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/category\/research\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tResearch\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">February 11, 2026<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/authors\/com-staff\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCOM Staff\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div style=\"display:none;\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-share-tools\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-share-tools-inner js-prepress-component-share-tools\">\n\t\t<h4>Share<\/h4>\n\t\t<p class=\"wp-prepress-component-share-tools-article-title\">New book explores why, and how, successful CEOs communicate<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-share-tools-article-link\">\n\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" value=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/articles\/new-book-explores-why-and-how-successful-ceos-communicate\/\" readonly>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<label>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Copy URL:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"js-prepress-component-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>Copy<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/label>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/profile\/april-yue\/\">April Yue<\/a>, an assistant professor at BU\u2019s College of Communication, wrote one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.routledge.com\/Strategic-CEO-Communication\/Lee-Yue\/p\/book\/9781032725543\">Strategic CEO Communication<\/a>, co-authored with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.libarts.colostate.edu\/people\/yeunjae\/\">Yeunjae Lee<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe both agreed there needs to be a book that examines CEOs from a communicator&#8217;s angle,\u201d Yue says, \u201cbecause you can&#8217;t become an effective leader without being an effective communicator. It&#8217;s one essential skill, or I would even call it a mindset &#8212; a communication mindset to survive in today&#8217;s attention economy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yue spoke to COM about the book, what she learned that surprised her, and how CEOs can speak out on social issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title-heading\">Q<span>&amp;<\/span>A<\/h2><h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title-subheading\">With April Yue<\/h4><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COM:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>Why a communications book that focuses on CEOs?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">April Yue:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">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\u2014research reveals organizational leaders spend 70% to 80% of their time communicating. So it&#8217;s really important to dive into what CEOs are communicating, their leadership communication styles; who they&#8217;re communicating to, the different stakeholder groups; and what the purpose and impact of their communication is in today&#8217;s world. We look at how emerging media, technology, and globalization have raised new opportunities and challenges for CEO communication.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COM:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>In analyzing the research, what were some findings that genuinely surprised you?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">April Yue:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">CEOs&#8217; 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\u2014and livestreaming is also becoming more and more popular.<br><br>CEOs are also increasingly expected to become their company&#8217;s chief PR person and chief communicator. People are now turning to the CEO, not the company&#8217;s official account or their PR head, for information, interaction, and questions.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COM:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>CEOs, recently outspoken on social issues, seem to have grown more cautious. If true, why is that?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">April Yue:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">If we focus specifically on CEOs in the U.S., they&#8217;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&#8217;ve seen CEOs become relatively silent compared to three to five years ago.<br><br>But here&#8217;s what&#8217;s interesting\u2014many of them are communicating vigorously internally with their employees to make sure their teams are aligned, feel motivated, and have confidence in the organization&#8217;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.<br><br>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&#8217;s broader support for CEOs publicly backing the president. But on tariffs and military action, more Americans want CEOs to publicly oppose than support.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COM:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>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?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">April Yue:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">I&#8217;d say it&#8217;s among one of the greatest challenges. It&#8217;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.<br><br>Most AI projects fail not because of the technology itself, but because people don&#8217;t trust it, don&#8217;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.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COM:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>Since it&#8217;s important enough to include in the title, explain more about &#8220;strategic communication&#8221; in the context of your book.<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">April Yue:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">It&#8217;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&#8217;s about CEOs allocating their limited time wisely to invest in what&#8217;s most important for their company.<br><br>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.<br><br>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.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COM:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>Can you cite examples of high-profile CEOs today who are winning at strategic communication and why?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">April Yue:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">There are some notoriously good communicators out there, like Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, Bumble&#8217;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.<br><br>People tend to think that only high-profile CEOs should care about their public communication. That&#8217;s not true. You don&#8217;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.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This interview was edited for clarity and concision.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To be a great business leader, a chief executive officer must be a great communicator. That belief, hardly controversial, has&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25826,"featured_media":40564,"template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"categories":[17,177],"tags":[4,1808],"bu-publication":[],"discipline-type":[],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/45168"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25826"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/45168\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45176,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/45168\/revisions\/45176"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45168"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=45168"},{"taxonomy":"discipline-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/discipline-type?post=45168"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=45168"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=45168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}