So many leadership communications mistakes come down to one thing: not having a clear goal and a roadmap to get there. That's especially true when it comes to areas where leaders aren't as familiar with the subject matter.

This episode looks at a high-profile communications failure: an op-ed that blew up in CEO's face, damaged the company's reputation and forced an embarrassing public about-face. We'll look at what went wrong... and how you can keep your communications on track.

The important thing: Don't let stories like this discourage you from speaking up! You can make a positive contribution to the conversation… but it starts with doing the work.

Links:

• Washingtonian CEO Cathy Merrill's op-ed in the Washington Post
• Just one of the news articles on the backlash against her op-ed
• My wife Alexandra Samuel has co-written a terrific new book on making the most of remote work, called Remote, Inc. Highly recommended for making the most of the new workplace!
• I'm thrilled to be reading Tamsen Webster's new book Finding Your Red Thread. Highly recommended for making the most of your message!

Music: All music is by Lee Rosevere. The theme music is "Twitter Will Kill Us All." Used under a Creative Commons license.

Photo: Fakurian Design on Unsplash