Below, you will see the guest post from Philip Murphy, communications chief of a Fortune 100 company.  I don’t know Mr. Murphy, and I am not sure I remember which company employs him, but I heartily endorse what he has to say.

Writing well requires clarity of thought.  Expressing thoughts clearly, working through their implications — as every accomplished writer must — is an essential precursor to effective action.  All the contributors to this blog learned that lesson early in their careers.

The American presidents for whom they worked — both Republican and Democrat – had learned it, too.  I know some on each side of the aisle will find crediting a president of the other side with intelligence and clarity as wrongheaded, but I’ve seen enough of all these men close up to say with confidence that it is so.

Effective writing requires other qualities, too, including a now suddenly controversial term, empathy.  You may or may not feel empathy is essential in a Supreme Court justice, whose principal job is the impartial application of the Constitution.  But it is clearly central for the rest of us, particularly those in politics and business.  Communications involves two parties, the listener as well as the speaker.  And if the speaker doesn’t keep the listener in mind, he or she will be speaking to no one.

In any event, bravo to Mr. Murphy.  I hope we see other guest posts from him in the months to come.