Nowadays, you can create content in whatever form or format:
- a rant on FB
- a quote-tweet on X
- a reshare on LinkedIn
- an interview on your podcast
- a clip on TikTok
I’ve seen many leaders create content on formats like these. Some do so once in a while; others do so every day. Most use ghostwriters, copyeditors, content platforms (hello, DashoContent), or PR people. Nothing wrong with that.
When I get curious about what they do and visit their profiles, I still need to learn what they are all about and what their company does.
And these days, who has time to uncover all of that?
Sometimes, I wish for people to come with either a user’s manual or a TLDR version distilled in keywords or hashtags for those with a low attention span.
What I would appreciate is one thoughtful essay about what they REALLY think.
That is the missing narrative.
I don’t want a rehashed amalgamation of other people’s content. I want to see YOUR originals, not derivatives. Is that too much to ask for?
In what format should you write a piece that consolidates your thoughts? How do you create one core message based on these diverging formats? How do you distill it into one single message?
The answer to a missing narrative is an essay. Or call it a blog post or in-depth article.
Why an essay? It’s long enough to add coherence and deep dive into a topic. It’s structured enough to add your points and arguments. It’s evergreen and sufficient to establish you as the authority.
I wish leaders wrote more thoughtful content themselves.
Gone are the days when leaders write their essays.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, last wrote about privacy and social networking. It’s clear and well-structured, showing his approach to a topic that has plagued Facebook for years.
Mark Benioff, co-founder of Salesforce, wrote about new capitalism. It’s convincing and provides a good argument for the flaws of current capitalism.
The only one worth following these days is Paul Graham of Y Combinator. He is known to write long essays about complex topics and simplify them with the goal of challenging conventional thinking.
With essays, these leaders were able to converse better. Through other types of content, they can add context.
But as you can see, you have to start with the narrative. As Ted Lasso said, “Brevity is nice, but sometimes clarity is the true soul of wit. “
To write is to think. Consolidate your thoughts, show me conviction, and give me clarity.