If you're a hard-charging CEO with lots of vision and business acumen, you've undoubtedly wondered if you should blog. Before you take the plunge, though, Todd Defren has some advice:

Learn what it means to be a successful blogger. "Too many would-be CEO bloggers treat their new toy as little more than a weekly newsletter," says Defren, "a way to broadcast their thoughts, rather than a way to create a dialogue." Doing it right takes time, commitment and realistic expectations.

If you decide to blog, wait a month before you begin. "[S]pend that time finding other blogs in your industry," says Defren. "Read them. Comment judiciously. Leave your 'agenda' on the coat rack. Just get to know a few folks. Introduce yourself." Defren links to a number of CEO blogs that get it right, and notes they all have something in common. "Each of these CEOs comes across as a humble soul," he notes. "That seems to run contrary to our collective version of a hard-charging CEO, but you get the sense that these are 'nice guys.'"

Remember you're the newbie. Defren compares the blogging experience to a block party where you're meeting the neighbors for the first time. "Giving freely of your attention in the form of commenting and linking liberally to your peers' blogs is the equivalent of handing out your BBQ goodies," he says.

The Po!nt: "Up for it?" says Defren. "Awesome. Cover up the keyboard, lay aside your ambitions, start reading, and join the fun."

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