Leadership Communication, by Lawyering Up

From today’s Executive Communication Report, to which you should subscribe because unlike most things in life, it is useful and free:

I have worked my whole career counseling communication professionals not to let lawyers have their way—to let the leaders talk, like empathetic, responsible, warm human beings.

But as I wrote up the above item this morning, I thought: This is actually perfect. Maybe more leaders should let their lawyers do their communicating for them these days.

I’ve been thinking this way for a little while. In fact, we’re staging this session at the World Conference of the Professional Speechwriters Conference (Oct. 28-30 in D.C.), to teach this session.

But maybe it’s not always enough to have exec comms folks write like lawyers. Maybe it’s time, more and more of the time, when fending off attacks and unwanted political encroachments on American universities, corporations and municipalities that deserve and need to operate independently of the federal government, to have lawyers write like lawyers, on leaders’ behalf. 

Leaders, don’t bring your feelings to an intellectual debate and don’t bring your intellect to a legal attack. Bring your lawyer. 

Better yet, send your lawyer, and go on about your own good work.