Our execs need to be visible on LinkedIn, but won’t give me anything to work with.

Dear Social Strategist,

I’ve been tasked with helping our CEO and a few other execs build their presence on LinkedIn — which I fully support, because I know how much impact leadership visibility can have for brand trust and talent attraction. But I’m really struggling to get content out of them. They’re on board in theory, but between packed schedules and inbox overload, I’m lucky if I get a two-line email response when I ask for input. I don’t want to resort to canned leadership content — I know it won’t perform, and it definitely won’t sound like them. But right now, I’m stuck trying to write posts without any voice, POV, or storytelling to work from. How can I make this work when I can’t get much of their time or perspective?

— Ghostwriting in the Void

Dear Ghostwriting,

Executive visibility is one of the most powerful tools a brand can have — for thought leadership, employer brand, recruiting, credibility, even deal flow. But getting meaningful content out of senior leaders? That’s where things usually fall apart — as you’re finding out.

They’re supportive in theory. They’ll nod along in meetings, agree that it’s important, maybe even offer a few general topic ideas. But then comes the calendar chaos, the inbox overflow, and the part where your request for input gets bumped for the third time. When they do respond, it’s often a rushed one-liner followed by “Sorry I don’t have more time — gotta jump to my next call.”

You’re not wrong to be frustrated. But you’re also not without options.

Here’s how to shift your approach and still build a high-impact LinkedIn presence for your execs — even when they’re short on time.

1. Start with a clear POV and strategy.

Before you write a single post, you need to understand what each exec’s content should actually do for the business.

Ask:  

• What role does this leader play in our brand strategy as an organization?  

• What do we want them to be known for? (What do they want to be known for?)

• How does their visibility support company goals (e.g. recruiting, funding, sales, reputation)?  

• What unique perspective, background, or experience do they bring to the table?

Their content doesn’t need to cover everything. It just needs to consistently support a few core themes that ladder back to the brand’s positioning — while still sounding like a real person, not a press release.

Think of it like a Venn diagram: brand strategy + exec perspective = LinkedIn POV.

2. Do a strategic “content intake” — but make it easy.

Don’t ask execs to write. Most won’t.

Instead, develop a quarterly content survey with 5–8 open-ended questions tailored to each leader’s POV. Focus on opinion, tension, experience — the kinds of things that make for engaging posts.

Example questions:  

• What’s one belief you have about [insert your topic] that most people would disagree with?  

• What’s something you wish more people understood about your industry?  

• What’s one lesson you had to learn the hard way as a leader?

Better yet: let them answer via voice memo. Some execs are verbal processors — they'll give you way more in 90 seconds of talking than they ever would in writing.  

Add prompts like “tell me a story” or “what would you say to a room of early-career professionals about this?” to get them out of memo-mode and into something real.

3.. Look for the edges — not just the polished parts.

Overly polished thought leadership is everywhere. And it all sounds the same.

If you want posts that actually resonate, you have to pull on threads that feel human — a little vulnerable, a little bold, a little specific. You’ll find those moments in their stories, career pivots, mistakes, misbeliefs, and turning points. That’s the stuff that builds connection and trust.

You don’t need long interviews to find these nuggets. Dig into bios, old interviews, panels, podcasts, even internal Slack messages. If it made your ears perk up, it’s probably a good angle.

4. Build a bank of ideas. Then pre-write posts.

Once you have raw material, build an internal content bank — 20–30 post angles aligned to their POV.

From there, pre-draft posts that sound like them. Keep it short. Keep it natural. Vary the formats (quick insight, 3-point list, story, take + tip, etc.). Then send 2–3 post drafts per month for quick review and approval.

You’re not asking them to create. You’re asking them to react. And that’s a much easier lift.

5. Don’t forget to define success for them.

Make sure they know what success looks like. LinkedIn thought leadership rarely goes viral — but it can drive profile views, DMs, comments from your ideal audience, and visibility for your brand in the right circles.

Those soft signals matter — especially for high-trust, high-context industries. So set expectations accordingly, and measure what matters.

Bottom line: your execs don’t need to give you more time — they need to give you better inputs. And you have the tools to lead that process.

So take the lead.

— Megan Van Groll

Have you had to build a content presence for a leader who doesn’t have the time (or words) to contribute? How’d you make it work? Let’s trade ideas — drop yours in the comments.

Have a question for the Social Strategist? Submit it now at askasocialstrategist.com.