From The Economic Times, India:
Robert Bruner… the dean of Darden School Of Business at the University of Virginia … has one of the most readable blogs I’ve seen in a long time. His posts are fairly frequent and most of them are so original, well thought out and sincere (as opposed to cynical) that they may actually be called ‘wise,’ a term that’s very seldom used in its true sense these days. Bruner’s posts come with innumerable quotes from literature and his erudition touches subjects ranging from leadership and ethics to innovation and work-life balance, often linking them to contemporary events.
… “A blog is like a huge chalkboard that everyone can read — it helps me extend the reach of my teaching well beyond the classroom,” says Bruner. “I also do it because it allows me to inform my audience, frame an agenda and shape discussion. That’s something leaders need to do.”
… A high grade blog is obviously a time consuming process and Bruner’s advice to busy executives who would be bloggers is to slow down occasionally and make time to reflect on “what it is that delights or pains them most,” when they choose their subjects. “Great writing starts from the heart,” he says. “But then, you have to educate yourself a bit on the subject before you write or else you might express an opinion that has no basis. Finally, when you write, it’s best to pretend you’re speaking to a friend or a sympathetic acquaintance.”
Though he’s been blogging for years now, Bruner never uploads the first draft of his posts — he still takes care to re-work and edit his writing before sending it into the blogosphere. It takes time, but it’s obviously worth it.
“Intellectuals love to blog,” he says. “The blogs of the famous intellectuals constantly refer to each another and contain very stimulating debate. Take Paul Krugman or Gregory Mankiw, economists at two ends of the spectrum. Their arguments are at a level of detail that average readers won’t find interesting, but they do it anyway.”
Academics like Bruner find themselves pulled into the blogosphere in part because their net-savvy students demand it of them. “Once these students graduate into the outside world, they will expect the same thing from the leadership there,” says the dean…