CEO Blog of the Day: Williard Marriott

CEO’s can blog too. Even CEO’s of large multi-national corporations with global name brand recognition and revenue comparable to small nations. And in many ways blogging is a lot more effective when the person at the top of the organization starts to engage people on the web. Not only will there be a positive impact among customers, but there should be a profoundly positive change throughout the organization. As an example, I personally, would be interested in reading CEO blogs of companies such as MicroSoft, ExxonMobile, CitiGroup etc.wouldn’t you? To hear the inner thoughts of the the guy charging $4.00 a gallon for gas? That would be great reading every morning.

Don’t despair though. Things may be changing and it comes form the travel industry, Williard Marriott’s blog. Mr. Marriott is the President and CEO of the hotel chain, Marriott, which also bears his name. I found by way of Barry Hurd at 123 Social Media and I mention that becuase Barry has some very thoughtful insights on his blog and also regarding CEO blogging in general. Particularly when he talks about executives needing to lead by example.

Going back to Bill’s blog I particularly like how he weaves in business topics, customer stories, and his personal life into the blog. This combination makes for a very human picture and creates a more powerful brand image. All round powerful in my humble opinion. For example, consider his thoughts on man’s best friend:

I’ve learned that impetuous actions are not always the best way to go. Murphy has acquired wisdom through the years – he no longer chases the ducks he can’t catch. And I hope that, like Murphy, I’ve gained a little wisdom too.

A reminder that even the CEO of Marriott has things in perspective when it comes to this journey called life.

Bill’s blog was recently featured on a MSNBC segment discussing the popularity of blogs:

Another notable CEO or high level exec blog is GM’s Fast Lane where high level execs like Bob Lutz are active contributers

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