BY BART KING
Business or community leaders often don’t have the time or skill to write well. However, publishing their ideas is valuable to the organizations they serve.
I’ve written previously about customizing the ghostwriting process to gather a thought leader’s knowledge and opinions. But there’s more to it than that, because good ghostwriting also captures a leader’s unique voice.
Two things constitute voice: the stories a person tells and the style with which she tells them. It’s the ghostwriter’s job to get both elements onto the page.
What’s the Story Behind That?
Humans are hardwired to think in terms of stories. It’s how we create meaning and remember information. Good leaders naturally use stories to explain their ideas and connect with people's emotions.
The ghostwriter works to harness the power of these stories in writing.
If a leader has been talking publicly about a particular idea for a while, she will likely already know what stories are most effective for getting her points across. In these instances, my task as a ghostwriter is simply to polish the narratives and find the best way to work them into the piece.
However, if the topic is relatively new for the leader, she may not have settled on the most effective anecdotes and examples yet. Here the job is to help select the best material, make sure the narrative details are in place, and work out the timing.
The writing process is even more valuable in these instances, because upon completion, the leader will have a confident, new arrow in her quiver. Finalizing the writing requires the leader to crystalize her thoughts and explanatory approach. This ultimately prepares her for future speaking engagements.
Say That Again?
Capturing a leader’s communication style is a more nuanced task.
I record my interviews, because the written notes I take are invariably in my own voice and arranged in my own way of thinking. These notes help me understand what a leader is trying to communicate, and I use them to create a writing outline. But recordings allow me to go back and focus on style.
Good writing, of course, is different from speech. (And the job is ghostwriting, not transcription.) However, a leader’s rhetorical constructs, timing and phrasing can be lifted from a recording, especially when it's a well-worn subject.
In the end, it’s up to the leader to make final copy edits for accuracy and voice. If the ghostwriting is well done, all the heavy lifting will be finished and the content, stories and style will be faithfully captured. The leader only has to make minor tweaks, if any at all.
Are you developing thought leadership for yourself or your organization? If so, we may be able to help. Contact me to talk it over.
