Chapter 27. Rumors
For Nancy, the hardest part of being a CEO was not running the company or enhancing the communication of her leaders and managers. For her, the hardest part was dealing with all the rumors and subtle negativity that where swirling around the company. There were rumors that Nancy would be replaced. There were rumors that another company would be buying Soup, Inc. In fact, every day it seemed there were new rumors of a takeover by a different company. Fueling the rumors, financial news shows ran segments speculating how long Soup, Inc., could last on its own. Nancy knew she couldn't control the media monster. It came with living in a world dominated by a 24/7 news cycle. She viewed the media as the "bible of the fearful," always focusing on doom and gloom and always highlighting the worst in people, not the best.
She knew there was no way she could control what the media said and did. There wasn't a manual to guide CEOs on navigating the specific set of circumstances she was dealing with. However, she could control her own actions and the way she ran her company. People were entitled to their opinions, and they would always be more than happy to share them. Then, after sharing them, they would move on to formulate other opinions, while Nancy and her team would focus on what they could control. She shared this message with her teams and made sure she addressed the false rumors about her company. Her communication was frequent, transparent, honest, and real. This ...
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