CEO advisory: what expertise should an executive adviser offer?

Define the mandate before looking for a style

Taking office, a transformation, an acquisition or a controversy do not require the same support. Start by identifying the decisions, audiences, and tensions the leader must address. A convincing speech remains fragile when operational responses are not available or commitments are contradictory.

The scope must specify the link with the communications department, the manager's office, human resources and legal advice. The advisor does not replace either the governance bodies or the responsibilities of the company. Its usefulness is to make communication decisions more explicit and better prepared.

Examine five concrete skills

Ask for an anonymized example of a preparatory note and how the team distinguishes between an opinion, a fact and a promise. An excellent pen is not automatically good decision-making advice. Conversely, solid reasoning must be able to become clear, personal and understandable words.

Building operational confidentiality

Discretion translates into verifiable practices: authorized persons, sharing channels, retention period, subcontractors and rules for using AI tools. Determine what information can be included in a speech and who authorizes its publication. A “confidential” label is not enough to organize these responsibilities.

Also specify the management of conflicts of interest and the limits of the personal mandate. Advising the manager on a company decision does not give carte blanche to intervene in his private life or defend any behavior. The IPRA’s ethical benchmarks can feed into this framework without constituting a contractual guarantee of confidentiality.

Prepare the floor based on a decision file

In a fictional scenario, a technology sector executive prepares a transformation that is still partially defined. The board should help it distinguish the decisions taken, the consultations to be conducted and the unknowns. An honest answer explains the process and next steps; it does not fill the gaps with artificial assurance.

Useful deliverables include an issue brief, audience mapping, fact base, Q&A, and simulation. The number of speeches produced is secondary. The decisive work is often to identify a contradiction before it becomes public and to have it resolved by the right people.

Evaluate support without just measuring visibility

After a sequence, examine the coherence of the remarks, the preparation for objections, the understanding of the recipients and the respect of commitments. The number of appearances or subscribers alone does not demonstrate the quality of the advice. Also document changes in recommendations when the facts evolve.

To begin, gather the deadlines, recent speeches, expected decisions and the subjects on which the manager agrees to be challenged. Choose a limited first sequence, with an explicit assessment. Trust is built in the quality of work and the possibility of disagreement, not in a promise of availability without precise organization.