Home>The CEO as a “total media”: leveraging executive voice to shape influence and govern impact

3 July 2026

The CEO as a “total media”: leveraging executive voice to shape influence and govern impact

In this new episode of our governance series, Guillaume Labbez, specialist in executive communication and Affiliate Professor at Sciences Po Executive Education -where he leads the short programme Mastering Influence Techniques”- and CEO of the CommStrat agency, analyses how CEO communication has become a fully-fledged strategic issue.

He shares four recommendations on how to use it as a controlled lever of influence.

“The Media CEO”: A New Imperative

In just a few years, social media and 24-hour news have thrust leaders into an unprecedented role - that of a “total media”.Oncet confined to closed inner circles or expertly filtered by censored press releases, executive communication now circulates freely. It is expected, scrutinised, and immediately commented on by all stakeholders: employees, clients, public authorities and citizens.

Against a backdrop of distrust in political leaders and traditional media, this relative capital of trust creates new opportunities for influence. But, at the same time, it exposes organisationsto major reputational risks when executive communication is not strategically scripted nor properly managed.

Cultivating Integrity and Consistency

By adopting an official stance on social, environmental or geopolitical challenges, business leaders can leverage their exposure to shape the public debate. When well-managed, this activism enhances the company’s legitimacy by aligning strategy, values and commitments. By way of example, Nigerian banker and philanthropist Tony Elumelu has shown that activism rooted in a genuine development project can also become a powerful lever of appeal.

But the exercise is a highly risky one: the slightest discrepancy between narrative and practice is immediately exposed. Elon Musk, by shifting from visionary narrative to polarising positions, tainted the very brand he had helped to build. Insights from the social and political sciences highlight a dual imperative: integrity, for alignment of word and action, and consistency, so that the executive stances form a clear, long-term strategy.

Scripting the Message and Embracing Nuance

Recycling generic language and uncritically embracing the algorithm trends is quickly seen as greenwashing or social washing. Executive communication must therefore be developed as a strategic narrative. Social psychologist Robert Cialdini identifies the three conditions for building trust and influence: credibility, consistency and expected imperfections. The challenge is not to please everyone, but rather to embrace one’s human dimension - acknowledging missteps when necessary and articulating convictions while accepting the controversies they may generate.

« The role of the “total media” executive is to bring conviction, nuance and insight to public debate. »

Guillaume Labbez

Orchestrating a Coherent System of Influence

Going “full media” does not mean speaking everywhere, all the time, and about everything. It requires orchestrating of public affairs, media relations and social media relations within ashared system of influence, where each message is adapted in format while grounded in a consistent set of convictions.

The social sciences offer valuable tools for understanding the circulation of messages and trust dynamics, helping to structure both monitoring and evaluation of executive communication.

This orchestration also entails mastering timing:: knowing when to delay an immediate reaction, relying on communication and influence experts, and reserving rapid responses for genuinely critical situations.

Governing One’s Impact: Defining Boundaries and Elevating Discourse

Executive communication must be governed in the same manner as strategy or financial risk. It requires a clear framework, well-defined red lines and explicit trade-offs between personal expression and collective positioning.

Like a specialised media outlet, this involves building a strong voice on topics where expertise is established and action is tangible. When trained in these approaches, an “influence-ready” leader is poised to rise to the most demanding role: elevating the level of public discourse, rather than contributing to the surrounding noise.