Writing

Words that do their job.

I write articles, essays, and commentary on the language that runs organisations: the memos, mission statements and quiet phrases that shape how people think and act at work. I also write for others, giving shape and voice to speeches, books, award submissions, and the documents that simply have to land, whether that’s the pitch that wins the contract, the letter that repairs a relationship, or the business case that finally gets a yes.

Ask me to write for you

Read some interesting stuff

Brett Rutledge writing in a notebook at a desk with a laptop, books, and a coffee mug in a home office with indoor plants and bookshelves.

Speeches

Keynotes, conference addresses and speeches for the moments that matter. Written by a World Champion of Public Speaking who understands how to write for you and can coach you to make the most of it.

Books & Articles

Co-writing and ghostwriting for leaders and experts with something to say. I co-wrote The A to Z of Easy to do with speaker Peter Thurin and have written numerous thought leadership pieces for busy CEOs.

Awards Submissions

Entries that make judges see what’s special about your work. My submissions for interior design practice KHID were shortlisted for two IDEA Awards, made the finals of the Victorian Premier’s Design Awards and won its first Melbourne Design Award.

Talk to me about writing for you

Proposals & Applications

Documents and packs that have to persuade a client, a board or a funder. I helped write the Northern Land Council’s business case and funding application, which lifted its government funding from $300,000 to $1.2 million.

Latest ‘field notes’

Field Notes on Business Language | Brett Rutledge

Could Anyone Have Signed This?

Cover the signature on your last company-wide email. Could anyone tell it was yours? If not, here's why your message isn't landing, and four ways to put your voice back.

Master of Ceremonies

The first Master of the Ceremonies was hired in 1603 to stop diplomatic incidents at the English court. Four hundred years later, the job's the same: make everyone else look good. Here's how.

Hypocrite Means Actor

In ancient Greek, a hypocrite was simply an actor. English kept the word and changed the job description. Here's what that tells leaders who think they need to play a part.

The Whole Law on One Foot

A man once asked the teacher Hillel to explain the whole law while standing on one foot. Hillel managed it in one sentence. Here's why the golden rule beats the Ten Commandments as communication, and what your organisation could learn from it.

You Are Not Left-Brained

Left brain logical, right brain creative? A 2013 study of more than a thousand brain scans found no left-brained or right-brained people. Here's where the myth came from, and why labels like it do damage at work.

The Learning Styles Myth

Are you a visual learner? Probably not, because there's no good evidence that learning styles exist the way we think. Here's what the research says, and why the myth won't die.

Got something that has to land?