Write Like an Executive, Not a College Student

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If your emails get ignored, it’s not them. It’s you.

Strong writing gets responses.

Writing is one of the most underrated skills in the workplace.

It helps you:

• Get your ideas across clearly

• Build credibility and trust.

• Reduce unnecessary back-and-forth.

• Persuade and align stakeholders.

All things you must do to succeed.

You may be thinking, I’m not a writer.

Do you write emails? Build presentations? Send Slack messages?

Then you are a writer. And sharpening this skill could quietly become one of your biggest professional advantages.

Write Like an Executive, Not a College Student

Most people write like they are still in college. They:

• Think longer is better.

• Assume bigger words make them sound smart.

• Over-explain

• Use AI to write for them - and lose their voice

The result? No one reads or takes action on what they write.

Your writing style may have worked in school when professors graded you on a “rich and varied word choice” or ”thoroughly presented ideas with numerous supporting facts.”

At work? No one cares.

People are busy. They skim. If your message isn’t clear immediately, they’ll ignore it (maybe you’ve already moved on from this article…).

How to Write Like an Executive

1. Get to the Point - Fast

Don’t assume people will read everything. Lead with the takeaway.

Military professionals use a framework called “Bottom Line Up Front” (BLUF)—stating the key point first, then providing the details.

🛑 Bad Example: For the past few months, we’ve been working on a detailed 2025 marketing plan. We’ve focused on aligning the plan with the key pillars of accelerating growth and expanding into new markets. This has required a lot of work across many cross-functional teams, and we’re excited to complete the work finally.

Please review and let us know what you think by the end of the day Friday, February 28th.

✅ Good Example: Can you review the marketing plan for 2025 and give feedback by the end of day Friday, February 28th?

(then, if needed, add supporting details.)

2. Use Simple Language

Jeff Bezos is famous for clear, straightforward writing. 70% of his shareholder letters are written at an 8th-grade level.

Why? Because complex writing slows people down.

How can you simplify?

• Avoid jargon words (here’s some of the most common jargon in business)

• Write short sentences

• Use active voice ("The team completed the report" > "The report was completed by the team.")

🛑Bad Example: For the past few months, we’ve been working on a detailed 2025 marketing plan. We’ve focused on aligning the plan with the key pillars of accelerating growth and expanding into new markets. This has required a lot of work across many cross-functional teams, and we’re excited to complete the work finally.

✅ Simplified Example: We're finishing our 2025 marketing plan, aimed at growing faster and reaching new markets. Teams have worked together on this, and we’re excited to share it with you.

3. Use Formatting to Your Advantage

I recently received this email from a colleague. What stands out?

The use of formatting makes it significantly easier to digest. A few key things they did.

• Underlined the key topic so it stood out.

• Put the “Bottom Line Up Front”.

• Shared context in bullets making it easier to skim.

• Bolded headers to separate sections.

• Kept paragraphs short

Formatting isn’t only for aesthetics. It helps people process information better.

4. Use AI as a Coach, Not a Ghostwriter

AI can improve your writing, if you use it right.

I don’t believe AI should write for you. Your ideas come from your soul and experience, not a computer.

But AI can be your expert writing coach by helping you:

• Edit for clarity

• Shorten long sentences

• Identify weak spots in your writing

Do you want to incorporate some of these tips to help you rewrite? Try this prompt:

I am writing a [email, memo, report, etc.] for [audience]. Act as my expert writing coach. Be a tough critic. Analyze whether my message is clear, if my language is simple (8th-grade level), and if my formatting makes it easy to digest. Provide specific feedback and suggest concise revisions that keep my voice and core message intact.

5. Always Rewrite At Least Once

Great writing is never one-and-done. Editing is where the magic happens.

To edit effectively, step away from your writing. Then, return to the reader’s mindset. Ask yourself:

• Would this make sense to someone outside my company or industry?

• Am I clear on what action to take next?

• What can I cut without losing meaning?

• If I skimmed this, would I get the key message?

Read through the draft four different times - each time focusing on one of these questions.

Final Takeaway

Mark Twain famously said, “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.”

Clear, concise writing isn’t easy - it takes time and practice. Personally, it’s something I’m working hard at improving while I write this!

You can’t be an executive if you don’t communicate like one.

Start small. Try one of these tips today.

Let me know how it goes!

Until Next Time,

Winston

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