Is ghost writing the dirty little secret of successful CEOs?

[Georg]

Okay, so I'm studying business communication, and we had a guest lecture from a former Fortune 500 executive. Someone asked her how she writes all her LinkedIn articles while running a company. She just smiled and said, "I have help." That got me thinking... how common is ghost writing in the professional world? Like, every time I read a CEO's "personal" blog post or a politician's memoir, am I reading something written by someone else?

Honestly? I'm not mad about it. These people are busy running things! If ghost writing helps leaders share their ideas clearly and efficiently, maybe it's not cheating—maybe it's delegation. What do you all think? Is it inauthentic, or is it just smart time management? I'm leaning toward the latter!

 

[SamuelS]

Welcome to the dirty little secret of... basically every famous person ever. Ghost writing is SO common. Those heartfelt memoirs? Ghost written. Those inspiring LinkedIn posts? Ghost written. Even some academic papers by big names have ghost writers.

Honestly, it bothers me a little. When I read something attributed to a leader, I want THEIR thoughts, not some nameless writer's interpretation. But I get it—they're busy. Still, feels like a mask sometimes.

Question though: where's the line between "help" and "pretending"? If the CEO doesn't write a single word, is it still their message?