Leadership and social influence are now critical skills. The World Economic Forum’s most recent Future of Jobs Report ranks these as the third-most-important core skills today, representing a massive 22-point increase in just two years.

In the digital age, attention is the new currency. Modern executives are the primary extension of the company brand. While the term “influencer” may cause some to cringe, the reality is that leaders have always been expected to influence. Today, leadership visibility, especially on social platforms, is a powerful vehicle for brand authority. When a leader speaks consistently and authentically, they build “attention equity,” turning digital presence into a measurable corporate asset.

This visibility is the bedrock of organizational trust. During the pandemic, weekly CEO updates became a corporate staple, fueling a rise in both workplace trust and employee expectations. This shift was underscored by the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer, which found that 77 percent of employees trusted their employer more than government or media sources.

This shift didn’t happen in a vacuum. Communication platforms keep multiplying, and stakeholders expect more from leaders as the pace of change accelerates. Leaders need to be visible and strategic about how they show up. Every statement, post and public appearance matters, and there are far more of these moments than ever before.

The New Executive Office

Even with a high-performing executive assistant and chief of staff, today’s communication demands have outgrown the traditional executive office. That’s why a third role has become essential: the executive communicator.

This role ensures a leader’s voice breaks through the noise, reaches the right audience and advances organizational priorities at the speed of change. Working in tandem, these three roles support modern executives in unique and complementary ways: The executive assistant handles day-to-day operations and keeps things running smoothly. The chief of staff coordinates across teams and turns strategy into action. The executive communicator develops messaging that captures the leader’s vision and voice.

This partnership goes beyond messaging and provides strategic counsel. Years ago, I advised on a sensitive security program that corporate counsel deemed “completely legal.” I asked the room: “But will employees see it as ethical?” The next day, leadership shuttered the program. This level of stakeholder acumen is essential in sectors like tech, where innovation consistently outpaces the regulatory landscape.

A Role Built Around You

Most executives know what public relations and internal communications teams do. Executive communicators are different. Traditional communications teams serve the broader organization; this role serves you.

While core deliverables remain consistent (think talking points, executive briefings, presentation decks), the day-to-day work is hyper-tailored to each leader’s style and strategic priorities. If you’re a sales executive, your communications partner focuses on how you talk about pipeline, revenue and growth. If you’re a CEO with a highly visible public profile, they’re thinking about your thought leadership and how you represent the company in the market. If you’re an operations executive, they may help you translate a significant strategic shift into something the organization can rally around and execute. If you are picturing how you would partner with this person, think about the mission-critical priority for your success: I have to hit this number. This merger must succeed. The culture shift must hold. That is where your partner will focus most of their time.

Ultimately, an executive communicator should become an extension of you, just like your assistant and chief of staff. They learn how you think and help you influence others. They can build the platform for your thought leadership, but the insights have to come from you. Your expertise and experience make your messages authentic and impactful. This works best when you talk regularly, share what’s going on and both invest in getting the story right.

Finding the Right Person

Once you understand the value this role brings, the question becomes: How do you find the right person?

Executive communication requires a unique mix of skills. You need someone who thinks strategically, gets business and finance, can handle tough stakeholders and commands a room with clarity and confidence. Because the role spans so many audiences (like employees, analysts, press, customers, partners), most people don’t start here. They also don’t always have a communications background and can transition from roles across corporate strategy, investor relations, or operations.

While this role is more common in Fortune 500 companies, it’s often more vital for small and midsize companies, where the C-Suite is the brand. For organizations where budget is a limiting factor, consider one executive communicator who serves multiple leaders, focusing on mission-critical objectives.

When you’re hiring, focus on three things:

First, writing. Ask for samples or give them an assignment. This is standard practice. Look for clarity, strategic framing and the ability to adjust tone for the intended audience. If you have a strong public presence, ask them to try to capture your style.

Second, outcomes. Be specific. Are you trying to grow your social media presence? Do you need help with major organizational changes? Are you dealing with high-stakes audiences like board members or regulators? Say what matters most to you.

Third, fit. Skills matter, but so does chemistry. But notice I didn’t say personality. Chemistry is about finding the person who will operate in a way that accommodates your style. Are you looking for someone who can push back when needed, or someone to execute your vision? Be honest with your leadership style and ways of working.

Chemistry is the biggest point of failure I see in these partnerships. While trust takes time to build, you’ll usually feel a disconnect quickly. Give it six months, if the fit isn’t there by then, it’s likely not going to happen. And because this person will work lockstep with your executive assistant and chief of staff, include them in the hiring process from the start. If the chemistry doesn’t work for them, it won’t work for you.

A common question is where this role should sit within the organization. I’ve seen Executive Communicators report to public affairs, HR, strategy, marketing and more—and all can work. What matters less is the line and more is proximity: your communicator must have direct access to you, even if that’s a dotted line.

If they don’t report to you directly, establish clear role expectations upfront. Budget ownership typically sits with whichever function houses the role, but the key is ensuring your communicator has the resources and autonomy to operate at your pace, not get lost in departmental workflow. Equally important: provide regular performance feedback. Even if they don’t report directly to you, invest in their development and rewards as you would for any extension of your leadership.

What does success look like once the right person is in place? I once had an executive tell me: “I honestly didn’t know how I would work with an executive communicator; now, I’m not sure my team or I could ever be successful without one.” That level of integration is the goal. If the role feels optional, something’s wrong—either you don’t need it, or you haven’t found the right partner.

What About AI?

Everyone’s talking about AI, what will be automated versus augmented, and how work will change. AI is highly beneficial in content creation. You can generate messages quickly, test different versions and refine language. The best executive communicators will use it exactly that way: as a tool for speed and scale.

But it’s not replacing them. The stakes are too high at the executive level to rely solely on AI. Executive communicators bring human judgment that AI can’t. They ensure accuracy, cultural nuance, emotional intelligence, ethical judgment and strategic alignment that AI cannot replicate. They understand when to amplify a message, when to stay silent and how to navigate all the human messiness that comes with leadership.