Executive LinkedIn Ghost-Writing Pack

What it is

A structured system for ghost-writing LinkedIn content on behalf of senior leaders – covering four post formats (opinion/perspective, milestone and announcement, industry commentary, and personal narrative) plus a voice capture framework to ensure posts genuinely sound like the executive, not like the communications team.

Ghost-writing for executives is one of the most common – and least talked about – tasks in corporate communications. Done well, it builds genuine thought leadership. Done poorly, it produces posts that are obviously not written by the person whose name is on them. These templates bridge that gap.

When to use it

Use when:

• You manage a senior leader’s LinkedIn presence and write content on their behalf
• An executive wants a stronger LinkedIn presence but lacks time to write consistently
• You are preparing a leader for a major announcement, event, or media moment
• You need to produce a pipeline of posts without repeated briefing conversations
• You’re onboarding a new executive and need to establish their LinkedIn voice quickly

Don’t use when:

• The executive wants to write their own posts (offer these as structural prompts instead)
• There is no genuine perspective or experience to draw on – empty thought leadership is worse than no posts
• The leader has never reviewed or approved the voice capture process – always do this first
• The topic is sensitive, legal, or contentious enough to require careful legal review (this template doesn’t replace that process)

Inputs needed

Before writing any post, complete the voice capture section below. Then for each post gather:

1. The topic or prompt: What is the post about?
2. The executive’s specific view: Not a generic take – what does this person actually think?
3. Personal experience or proof point: A specific story, moment, or data point from their career
4. Intended audience: Who on LinkedIn do they most want to reach?
5. Any constraints: Topics to avoid, tone adjustments, current sensitivities
6. Posting timing: Is there a news peg, event, or moment this should align with?

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The template

Step 1: Voice Capture Framework

Complete this once per executive before writing any posts. Update it every 6 months or after significant career events.

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Voice capture questionnaire – ask the executive these questions and record their answers verbatim where possible:

On communication style:

• How would you describe yourself in three words?
• What do you never want to sound like on LinkedIn?
• Who on LinkedIn do you respect and why? (Name 2–3 people)
• Are you comfortable being direct or do you prefer to be measured?
• Do you use humour? What kind?

On professional perspective:

• What do you believe about your industry that most people don’t say out loud?
• What has changed in your field in the last five years that you find genuinely interesting?
• What advice do you give privately that you’d be comfortable saying publicly?
• What mistakes have you made that you’re willing to share?

On language:

• Are there words or phrases you use regularly? Note them.
• Are there corporate buzzwords you dislike? Note them.
• Do you prefer short punchy sentences or longer, more constructed thinking?
• Do you write in first person naturally, or does it feel unnatural?

Baseline samples:

• Collect 5–10 emails or messages the executive has written unprompted (Slack, email, texts with permission) – these reveal natural voice better than any interview
• Note recurring phrases, sentence openers, and how they handle disagreement in writing

Voice profile output:

Tone: [e.g. Direct and warm. Comfortable with uncertainty. Occasional dry humour.] Sentence style: [e.g. Short sentences. Rarely more than two clauses. Lists appear naturally.] Perspective: [e.g. Sceptical of hype. Values practical over theoretical. Frequently references specific clients or projects.] Avoids: [e.g. Superlatives. “Excited to announce”. Passive voice. Industry jargon without explanation.] Personal anchors: [e.g. 20 years in financial services. Career started in journalism. Two young children – sometimes referenced.]

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Post Format 1: Opinion / Perspective Post

Best for: Sharing a view on an industry trend, challenge, or debate Length: 150–300 words Engagement pattern: Higher engagement when the view is specific and slightly contrarian – not provocative for its own sake, but willing to say what others won’t

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Structure:

Hook (1–2 sentences – no preamble):

State the view or the observation directly. Avoid “I’ve been thinking about…” as an opener. Start with the idea.

Examples:

“Most AI governance frameworks are written by lawyers, not communicators. That’s the problem.” “The hardest thing about leading a team through redundancies isn’t the announcement. It’s the silence afterwards.”

The reasoning (3–5 short paragraphs or sentences):

Explain why you hold this view. Use specific experience, a named example (where appropriate), or a piece of data. One idea per paragraph. Avoid “journey”, “space”, “ecosystem”, “leverage” as verbs.

The implication or question (1–2 sentences):

What does this mean? What should people do differently? Or – if the post is deliberately open – what is the question this leaves you with?

Optional: light CTA:

“Curious what others are seeing. Drop a comment.” – or nothing. Not every post needs a call to action.

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Post Format 2: Milestone / Announcement Post

Best for: New role, company news, award, major project completion, personal milestone Length: 100–200 words Note: The worst announcement posts are about the announcement itself. The best ones are about what the milestone means.

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Structure:

What happened (1 sentence – factual, not effusive):

State the fact plainly. Don’t open with “I’m thrilled/honoured/proud to announce.”

Example:

“After four years at [Company], I’m moving on.” “[Company] has just completed its Series B.”

What it means (2–3 sentences):

The reflection, not the celebration. What does this represent? What has been learned? What is the honest story behind it?

Acknowledgement (1–2 sentences, optional):

If crediting others, be specific – not “I couldn’t have done this without my amazing team.” Name one or two people and say what they specifically did.

What’s next (1 sentence, optional):

Brief and forward-looking. Not “excited for the journey ahead.”

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Post Format 3: Industry Commentary Post

Best for: Responding to a news event, report, trend, or public debate Length: 200–350 words Timing: Publish within 24–48 hours of the news moment for best reach

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Structure:

The news or observation (1–2 sentences):

Reference the event, report, or development directly. Don’t assume everyone has seen it.

The executive’s take (3–4 sentences):

This is not a summary of the news – it is a perspective on it. What does this person think that a generic press release wouldn’t say? Include one specific observation drawn from experience.

What it means in practice (2–3 sentences):

Move from comment to implication. What should organisations, leaders, or teams actually do or think differently as a result?

Honest caveats (1–2 sentences, optional):

If the picture is genuinely complicated, say so. “I don’t think this is fully settled yet” is more credible than false certainty.

Close (1 sentence):

Open question, observation, or direct statement. Avoid “What do you think?” as the only close – it’s overused.

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Post Format 4: Personal Narrative Post

Best for: Career lessons, leadership reflections, behind-the-scenes moments, personal experience with professional relevance Length: 250–400 words Note: This is the format most likely to perform well and most likely to go wrong. The story must have a point, and the point must serve the reader, not just the writer.

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Structure:

The scene or moment (2–3 sentences):

Drop straight into a specific moment. Not “years ago” – give a year or context. Not “I learned an important lesson” – show the moment before the lesson.

Example:

“In 2018, I walked into a board meeting with a communications strategy I was certain about. By the time I left, I’d thrown it out entirely.”

What happened (4–6 sentences):

Tell the story briefly. What was the situation, what did you do or decide, what went wrong or unexpectedly right?

What you took from it (2–3 sentences):

The lesson – but stated as your own view, not as generic advice. “I now believe…” is stronger than “the lesson here is…”

How it applies more broadly (2–3 sentences):

Why does this matter beyond your own experience? What would you tell someone facing a similar moment?

Close (1 sentence):

Can be a question, a provocation, or simply the endpoint of the thought.

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AI prompt

Base prompt

You are ghost-writing a LinkedIn post for a senior executive. Here is their voice profile:

Tone: [PASTE FROM VOICE CAPTURE]
Sentence style: [PASTE FROM VOICE CAPTURE]
Perspective: [PASTE FROM VOICE CAPTURE]
Avoids: [PASTE FROM VOICE CAPTURE]
Personal anchors: [PASTE FROM VOICE CAPTURE]

Post type: [CHOOSE: Opinion | Milestone | Commentary | Narrative]
Topic or prompt: [DESCRIBE IN 2–3 SENTENCES]
Their specific view on this: [WHAT DO THEY ACTUALLY THINK – NOT GENERIC]
Personal proof point: [A SPECIFIC STORY, MOMENT, OR DATA POINT]
Audience: [WHO ON LINKEDIN ARE THEY TRYING TO REACH]
Length: [TARGET WORD COUNT]

Write the post in their voice. Do not use "delighted", "thrilled", "proud to announce", "exciting journey", "leverage" as a verb, or "space" as a synonym for "sector". Do not use bullet points unless the voice profile indicates they use them naturally. Start with the idea, not the person.

After the post, add one line explaining one choice you made to match the voice.

Prompt variations

Variation 1: Quick opinion post from a brief

Write a LinkedIn opinion post for a [JOB TITLE] in [SECTOR]. Their view: [ONE SENTENCE OPINION]. Proof point: [ONE SPECIFIC EXAMPLE]. Voice: [3 ADJECTIVES]. Under 200 words. Start with the opinion, not the person.

Variation 2: Announcement without the fanfare

Write a LinkedIn post announcing [NEWS] for an executive who hates corporate language. The facts are: [FACTS]. The honest story behind it: [CONTEXT]. 100–150 words. Do not open with "I'm excited/proud/honoured."

Variation 3: Commentary on a news event

[NEWS EVENT] was announced today. Write a LinkedIn commentary post from the perspective of a [TITLE] in [SECTOR]. Their take: [PERSPECTIVE]. What this means in practice: [IMPLICATION]. 200 words. Specific and opinionated, not a neutral summary.

Variation 4: Personal story with a professional point

Write a LinkedIn narrative post based on this experience: [BRIEF STORY]. The point of the story: [LESSON OR OBSERVATION]. Audience: [WHO SHOULD CARE ABOUT THIS]. Start in scene, not in reflection. 300 words.

Variation 5: Post pipeline from a single briefing

Based on this voice profile [PROFILE] and these topics [LIST 5 TOPICS WITH BRIEF VIEWS], write five LinkedIn post outlines – one for each topic. For each, state the post type, hook, and key point. I'll select which to develop fully.

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Human review checklist

• Voice match: Read the post out loud. Would you believe this person said it?
• No ghost-writing tells: Check for unnatural formality, overly polished structure, or phrasing the executive would never use
• Opening line test: Does the first sentence make you want to read the second? If not, cut to where it gets interesting
• Specific over general: Is there at least one specific detail – a year, a number, a named situation – that proves this is from lived experience?
• Avoids banned words: Check your voice profile’s “avoids” list – every post before sending
• Appropriate length: LinkedIn posts over 400 words need to earn every word. Most don’t.
• Executive has approved: Has the executive read and approved this before it’s posted? This is non-negotiable.
• No legal or HR issues: Does the post reference clients, colleagues, or situations that could create legal or HR problems? If unsure, check before posting.
• Timing appropriate: Is today a good day to post this? Check for conflicting company news, sensitive industry events, or inappropriate juxtapositions
• Personal pronoun check: Is this written in first person throughout? Third-person slips are a ghost-writing tell.

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Example output

Opinion post example

Topic: AI-generated content in communications teams Executive: Head of Communications, professional services firm Voice profile: Direct, sceptical of hype, short sentences, occasional wry observation

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Most AI governance policies in communications are written in the last 15 minutes before someone got caught.

I’ve seen three in the past year. Each one arrived after an incident – a draft that went too far, a quote that wasn’t quite right, a piece of content that no one could trace back to a source. The policy was the response, not the plan.

This isn’t a criticism of the teams involved. It’s just how organisations work. We build the fence after the accident.

The problem is that AI in communications moves faster than the accident cycle. By the time the policy lands, the team has already moved on to the next tool.

What actually helps: a one-page checklist, owned by the team lead, reviewed monthly. Not a governance framework. Not a steering committee. A list of things to check before you hit send.

Simpler than a policy. Harder to ignore.

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Related templates

• Brand Voice Audit Checklist – Document consistent voice standards that inform executive content
• Social Post Variants – Adapt executive posts across platforms
• Message House – Build the narrative framework that keeps all executive communications aligned
• Media Pitch Builder – Extend executive thought leadership into media relations