What CEOs and Leaders Know
The CEO’s Role
The chief executive officer is the highest authority in the day-to-day
management of a corporation. This person usually has the ultimate executive
power within an organization or company. The CEO usually
reports to, and is a member of, the company’s board of directors. The
CEO may also be the chairperson of the board in small companies,
although the two roles are separated in larger organizations. Either way,
it’s a big job.
A CEO is responsible to every employee, every member of the
board, and every customer or client, as well as the community and sometimes
the industry. How can any CEO succeed without communicating
well? It’s impossible.
The title of this chapter includes the parenthetical “the ones you
really admire” because not all CEOs speak well. Some speak poorly.
The chief executive officer is the highest authority in the day-to-day
management of a corporation. This person usually has the ultimate executive
power within an organization or company. The CEO usually
reports to, and is a member of, the company’s board of directors. The
CEO may also be the chairperson of the board in small companies,
although the two roles are separated in larger organizations. Either way,
it’s a big job.
A CEO is responsible to every employee, every member of the
board, and every customer or client, as well as the community and sometimes
the industry. How can any CEO succeed without communicating
well? It’s impossible.
The title of this chapter includes the parenthetical “the ones you
really admire” because not all CEOs speak well. Some speak poorly.
Some hardly communicate. For those CEOs, there are consequences.Those who speak poorly are marginalized. Those who rarely communicate
alarm people when they do. Business is about nothing but communication.
One top CEO describes why rarely communicating is
ineffective: “It’s like blood through an artery: if you have never communicated
and then suddenly do—whatever you say will be overwhelmed by
the mere fact that you have just communicated.”
Leading is all about communicating. The leader’s job is generally
not to do; it is to communicate what is to be done. People must see, hear,
feel, and believe in the vision. They must see, hear, and believe in you.
You are the message, and the message is you.
Whenever people are asked about the most important skill of a
leader, communication is always at the top of the list. Even when CEOs
were asked (in a 2002 survey by Chief Executive magazine and Hill &
Knowlton) to state the most significant thing they could do (other than
increase financial performance) to improve the company’s reputation, the
top response was “communicating to customers.” Number two was “communicating
to employees.”
Look at the busy schedule of a CEO on an average day, and you’ll
see just how important communication is. Mike Eskew, chairman and
CEO of UPS, says the itinerary of a typical business trip looks much like
this:
■ Speak informally to drivers in the morning
■ Meet with various management people for focus groups and
town hall assemblies
■ Attend recognition events
■ Sit down with the customers and discuss their issues and
concerns
■ Sit down with the press
■ Meet with stakeholders—whether it’s business partners or
community leaders
There is nothing on CEO Mike Eskew’s busy schedule from morning
to night but talking and listening. That’s the job requirement. That’s
what CEOs do.
The CEO of a firm with four hundred employees and $430 million in
revenue confided to me, “It would be nice to be invisible once in a while.”
Unfortunately, you cannot wish the spotlight away. When you’re the
CEO, you are in it 24-7. Somebody is always watching.
“It’s not just public speaking,” the CEO explained. “It is body language,
every minute of every day. If I walk around moping, they don’t
think something is wrong with me; they think something is wrong with
the company.” He continued, “I have learned not to mope. It doesn’t
mean you’re not real with people. You have to be real. But you have to
remember it’s not just about you.”
leader, so, in 2004, we conducted a study on how bosses communicate.
The online survey of 293 professionals revealed that people were disappointed.
Most participants said their bosses didn’t communicate well,
even though they indicated that communication is one of the most important
skills a boss can have.
We asked participants to rate their bosses on ten dimensions of leadership
and to discuss their communication styles. We also asked about
authenticity and leadership. We gave them an opportunity to answer both
multiple-choice and open-ended questions.
The results show how important communication is in the workplace.
Only 29 percent of participants working in professional services
firms, corporations, and private companies said there were enough articulate
voices of leadership in their organizations. Yet, more than 90 percent
said communication is a critical dimension of leadership. There is a disconnect between the kind of leadership that organizations have and
what they need. The bottom line for bosses: it’s time to learn to communicate
more effectively. to be continued..........
alarm people when they do. Business is about nothing but communication.
One top CEO describes why rarely communicating is
ineffective: “It’s like blood through an artery: if you have never communicated
and then suddenly do—whatever you say will be overwhelmed by
the mere fact that you have just communicated.”
Leading is all about communicating. The leader’s job is generally
not to do; it is to communicate what is to be done. People must see, hear,
feel, and believe in the vision. They must see, hear, and believe in you.
You are the message, and the message is you.
Whenever people are asked about the most important skill of a
leader, communication is always at the top of the list. Even when CEOs
were asked (in a 2002 survey by Chief Executive magazine and Hill &
Knowlton) to state the most significant thing they could do (other than
increase financial performance) to improve the company’s reputation, the
top response was “communicating to customers.” Number two was “communicating
to employees.”
Look at the busy schedule of a CEO on an average day, and you’ll
see just how important communication is. Mike Eskew, chairman and
CEO of UPS, says the itinerary of a typical business trip looks much like
this:
■ Speak informally to drivers in the morning
■ Meet with various management people for focus groups and
town hall assemblies
■ Attend recognition events
■ Sit down with the customers and discuss their issues and
concerns
■ Sit down with the press
■ Meet with stakeholders—whether it’s business partners or
community leaders
There is nothing on CEO Mike Eskew’s busy schedule from morning
to night but talking and listening. That’s the job requirement. That’s
what CEOs do.
Why You Must Speak Well: The Spotlight
Is Always on YouThe CEO of a firm with four hundred employees and $430 million in
revenue confided to me, “It would be nice to be invisible once in a while.”
Unfortunately, you cannot wish the spotlight away. When you’re the
CEO, you are in it 24-7. Somebody is always watching.
“It’s not just public speaking,” the CEO explained. “It is body language,
every minute of every day. If I walk around moping, they don’t
think something is wrong with me; they think something is wrong with
the company.” He continued, “I have learned not to mope. It doesn’t
mean you’re not real with people. You have to be real. But you have to
remember it’s not just about you.”
Nationwide Survey: Leaders
and Communication
Bates Communications wanted to understand more about the authenticand Communication
leader, so, in 2004, we conducted a study on how bosses communicate.
The online survey of 293 professionals revealed that people were disappointed.
Most participants said their bosses didn’t communicate well,
even though they indicated that communication is one of the most important
skills a boss can have.
We asked participants to rate their bosses on ten dimensions of leadership
and to discuss their communication styles. We also asked about
authenticity and leadership. We gave them an opportunity to answer both
multiple-choice and open-ended questions.
The results show how important communication is in the workplace.
Only 29 percent of participants working in professional services
firms, corporations, and private companies said there were enough articulate
voices of leadership in their organizations. Yet, more than 90 percent
said communication is a critical dimension of leadership. There is a disconnect between the kind of leadership that organizations have and
what they need. The bottom line for bosses: it’s time to learn to communicate
more effectively. to be continued..........
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