Short answer
An executive summary is not a shortened copy of every section. It tells a reader why the report matters, what it found and what decision follows.
What you need
- The report purpose
- The central findings
- Risks, uncertainty and the decision needed
Step by step
- State purpose and scope in one paragraph.
- Rank the three to five most important findings.
- End with risks, open questions and the proposed next step.
Common mistakes
- Adding new data
- Dragging every detail into the summary
- Hiding uncertainty
Safety and verification
Keep the limitations and conflicts of the source report visible.