November 4, 2026

It's a big week here in the U.S., and we're all watching the election results unfold from yesterday.

One of the questions I keep getting from our clients (whether they work in public policy or not) is: should our CEO comment on the election results?

It's a decision that should not be taken lightly, as it can have an enormous impact on funding, public perception, trust, and many other factors.

If you lead a 501(c)(3) organization, follow the IRS rules and check with your attorney before making any statements on behalf of, or in opposition to, a candidate for public office. You'll likely need to do so in your own personal capacity, not as a representative of the organization.

To help leaders arrive at a decision that feels right for them and their organization, I developed a quick decision map to think this through strategically.

First, remember that you don’t owe the feed a reaction to every outcome. For many leaders, the results matter personally but don’t touch their work directly, and choosing not to comment in public can be a sound, strategic decision.

For others, the results land squarely on their industry, their people, or the issues they’re known for, and that’s where the relevance scale below can help. Relevance decides whether you speak, and your values decide how.

When you do speak, a hedged statement written to avoid ruffling feathers usually lands on deaf ears. Before posting, rate the issue on a 1–5 scale based on its relevance to your core work, expertise, and responsibility.

1. Where does this land on the Relevance Scale?

• Levels 1–2 (Peripheral Noise or Contextually Adjacent): The outcome matters to you as a citizen, but it doesn’t touch your work. Stay out of it publicly, or keep it brief and human.
• Level 3 (Audience-Impacting): The results affect your employees, clients, or partners, even though you aren’t the expert on the policy itself. Speak as a leader about what this means for your people and how you’re supporting them. Go to Step 2.
• Levels 4–5 (Mission-Critical or Core Authority): The outcome directly shapes your industry, your market, or the issues people already come to you for. Staying quiet here comes across as confusion or avoidance, not neutrality. Go to Step 2.

2. Do you know what you stand for on this issue?

• Yes: Say it boldly, and tie the results to the values and work you’ve been talking about all along.
• No: Get clear on that before you post. Sit down with your leadership team and settle your position before you write a word.

3. Is this about your values or your emotions in the moment?

• Values-led: Go to Step 4.
• Emotion-led: Draft privately and revisit it tomorrow. Strong feelings deserve space, and public posts deserve intention.

4. Are you writing to inform or to placate?

If you catch yourself softening every sentence so no one could object, stop and start over. Statements built to please everyone accomplish nothing, and your audience can tell. Name what you believe, acknowledge the complexity honestly, and accept that not everyone will agree. People who share your values will trust you more, and people who don’t will at least know where you stand.

5. Have you weighed the real risks against the imagined ones?

• Regulated, public, mid-deal, or holding government contracts: Bring in legal or comms to help with timing and wording.
• Worried about losing a few followers or a prospect: Being risk-aware doesn’t mean being risk-averse. It's ok to lose followers who don't align with your values.

6. Is LinkedIn the right place for this message?

• Yes: At Levels 4 and 5, a public post is often the right call. Keep it grounded, specific, and human.
• No: At Level 3, a note to your team or an email to clients and partners may serve people better than a post in the feed.

A few grounding principles:

1. Lead with conviction and care. Being clear about where you stand and being kind in how you say it work together.
2. Anchor to your lane. Connect the moment to the work and expertise people already associate with you.
3. Resist the pressure to be first. A thoughtful post on Thursday can have more impact than a reactive one on Wednesday morning.
4. Say less, but mean it. A few clear sentences build more trust than a manifesto, and far more than three paragraphs of hedging.

One last thing to keep in mind is that a post from the CEO's personal account is personal by design. Their own perspective and point of view are what make the response feel genuine rather than like a press release.

If your CEO can’t speak from that place on this issue, you still have good options. The organization can publish a public statement on its company page, and the CEO can repost it with a line or two of their own. They can also repost a leader whose perspective they respect and add a sentence on why their take resonates.

For the full guide, including more examples and a framework to save for commenting on any current event, download the Commenting on Current Events Guide here.

I hope this helps relieve some pressure and decision fatigue for you this week!

Brynne

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