In an LLM world, does being able to write well still matter?

Hold on to all those blank notebooks!

On a Chief of Staff panel last month, I made the case that it does. As artificial intelligence reshapes how we communicate and create content, the question of whether traditional writing skills remain relevant has become increasingly urgent. The answer, I believe, is a resounding yes—and the science backs this up.

The cognitive cost of outsourcing our thinking

Recent research from MIT's Media Lab provides compelling evidence for why we should resist the temptation to hand over our writing entirely to AI. In a groundbreaking study, researchers found that participants who used ChatGPT for essay writing showed reduced alpha and beta connectivity in their brains, indicating under-engagement, and consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioural levels.

The study, which monitored brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG), revealed something striking: participants who wrote essays using ChatGPT had the lowest brain engagement and consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioural levels. Even more concerning, by their third essay, many of the writers simply gave the prompt to ChatGPT and had it do almost all of the work.

This isn't just about academic performance. The researchers describe this phenomenon as "cognitive debt" - a condition in which repeated reliance on external systems like LLMs replaces the effortful cognitive processes required for independent thinking. When we consistently outsource our thinking to machines, we risk diminishing our own capacity for critical analysis and creative problem-solving.

Why writing well signals thinking well

For Chiefs of Staff, this research hits particularly close to home. In a role where there's no standard playbook, your ability to think clearly and communicate effectively sets you apart from the crowd. A Chief of Staff must possess exceptional communication skills, but this goes beyond simply being able to convey information effectively to a variety of stakeholders.

Writing well serves as a powerful indicator of cognitive function. The laborious process of tracing out our thoughts, letter by letter, forces you to process the information, writing key words or phrases and using drawing or arrows to work through ideas. This deliberate pace isn't a limitation - it's a feature that strengthens our thinking.

Consider the neurological evidence: handwriting leads to widespread brain connectivity, with brain areas involved in motor and visual information processing syncing up with areas crucial to memory formation, firing at frequencies associated with learning. The physical act of writing engages our brains in ways that typing simply cannot match.

The skills we don't practise, we lose

There's a well-documented principle in neuroscience: use it or lose it. Chiefs of Staff must adeptly manage expectations, communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders, and maintain a balance between differing interests. These communication skills require constant practice and refinement.

Think of it like returning to a sport you once excelled at. Without regular practice, the muscle memory fades, reflexes slow, and techniques that once felt natural become awkward. The same principle applies to writing. When we write letters by hand, it leads to higher levels of electrical activity in our brain in regions responsible for movement, vision, sensory processing, and memory.

For Chiefs of Staff, who serve as critical communication bridges within organisations, maintaining sharp writing skills isn't optional - it's essential. A Chief of Staff must have an ability to listen and seek understanding in an unbiased way and effectively convey information, both verbally and in writing, to various stakeholders within the organisation.

The unique demands of the Chief of Staff role

The Chief of Staff role presents particular communication challenges that make writing skills indispensable. According to one CoS, the role encompasses being an air traffic controller for the leader and the senior team, an integrator connecting work streams that would otherwise remain siloed, a communicator linking the leadership team and the broader organisation.

This multifaceted responsibility requires exceptional clarity of thought and expression. A CoS must be a master communicator, adept at conveying complex ideas in simple terms, building rapport with diverse stakeholders, and adapting their communication style to fit different audiences and situations.

When complex strategic initiatives need to be distilled into actionable insights, when cross-functional teams need alignment, when senior executives require clear briefings—these moments demand the cognitive discipline that comes from practised writing skills.

Making the complex simple

Perhaps nowhere is the value of strong writing skills more evident than in a Chief of Staff's core responsibility: making the complex simple. This isn't just about summarising information; it's about synthesising diverse inputs, identifying key insights, and presenting them in a way that enables decision-making.

If you take notes by hand, you can't write everything down. The relative slowness of the medium forces you to process the information, writing key words or phrases and using drawing or arrows to work through ideas. This processing - this active engagement with information - is precisely what distinguishes effective Chiefs of Staff.

The cognitive benefits extend beyond immediate comprehension. Writing enhances our ability to focus and concentrate. In our increasingly distracted world, the act of sitting down to write can be a form of mindfulness practice, training our brains to stay focused on a single task for extended periods.

Practical steps for keeping your writing muscle strong

So how do we maintain these critical skills in an AI-dominated world? Here are some practical approaches:

Read. The more we write, the more adept we become at expressing our thoughts clearly and effectively. But good writing starts with good reading. Expose yourself to excellent prose across different domains and styles.

Cull words from your writing. Every word should earn its place. This discipline forces you to think more precisely about what you're really trying to communicate.

Lead with your main point. Don't make your reader hunt through paragraphs to find your central message. Start with the conclusion, then provide the supporting evidence.

Practise handwriting regularly. Handwriting can have a range of benefits for the brain, including a calming effect, coordination of the left and right brain, boosting cognitive skills, inspiring creativity, sharpening ageing minds, and improving memory.

Write first, then edit with AI. If you must use AI tools, write your first draft yourself, then use AI for refinement and editing. This preserves the cognitive benefits of original thinking while leveraging AI's strengths.

The long-term stakes

The implications extend beyond individual performance. As the educational impact of LLM use only begins to settle with the general population, we demonstrate the pressing matter of exploring a possible decrease in learning skills. If we allow our writing abilities to atrophy, we risk diminishing our capacity for the kind of deep, original thinking that drives innovation and leadership.

Regular writing practice can have profound long-term effects on brain health. By keeping our minds active and engaged through writing, we may be able to maintain our cognitive abilities for longer. For senior professionals, this isn't just about career success - it's about cognitive longevity.

The bottom line

In a world where AI can generate polished prose in seconds, the temptation to outsource our writing is understandable. But for Chiefs of Staff and other senior leaders, maintaining strong writing skills isn't just about communication - it's about preserving our capacity for clear thinking, strategic analysis, and creative problem-solving.

The old-fashioned, analogue practice of putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard with deliberate intent) remains one of our most powerful tools for cognitive development. Every time you have to put together an essay by researching, organising and writing, your brain is getting a full-body workout. You are strengthening the neural pathways you already have - and creating new ones.

The skills that make us effective as Chiefs of Staff - synthesising complex information, communicating across diverse stakeholders, distilling strategic insights - all depend on the cognitive discipline that comes from practised writing. In preserving these skills, we preserve not just our professional effectiveness, but our capacity for the kind of deep, independent thinking that technology cannot replicate.

As we navigate this new landscape, the question isn't whether AI will change how we work - it's whether we'll maintain the human capabilities that make us irreplaceable. Writing well, it turns out, remains one of our most important competitive advantages.

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