3.2. The CEO Is the Communication Champion

An organization can claim to believe in the value of people, but unless its CEO, the chairman, owner, or ultimate leader is passionate about linking people and what they do to the business goals and strategy, the dots won't connect. The top dog can't will it or fob it off on a function or individual. The ultimate leader has got to passionately drive the effort. Otherwise, the effort isn't sustainable over the long term.

Again, Jerre Stead of Ingram Micro serves as a good model. When I met with Stead in his Santa Ana, California, office, he had just come back from speaking to a group of new Ingram Micro employees at their orientation. Much earlier that day, around 5 a.m., ("The guy never sleeps," one ...

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