Why your people want a CEO who communicates like a CMO

There was a time when CEOs could get away with being invisible. They made the decisions, the comms team polished the message and employees, investors and customers received the final line in neat corporate copy. Those days are gone.

Today, silence is read as weakness. Over-complex messaging is dismissed as spin. And a lack of visibility creates a vacuum that gets filled by speculation, rumour and doubt.

Employees want clarity from the top. Investors want confidence in plain language. Customers expect leaders to have a voice. In other words, the skill CEOs once dismissed as a nice to have communication, is now a business essential.

Why communication is leadership

We’ve seen it in boardrooms and across client campaigns; when a CEO communicates well, trust accelerates. When they don’t, it stalls.

Clear, consistent, human communication builds three things leaders can’t buy elsewhere: confidence, alignment and resilience. Staff understand the direction. Investors believe in the story. Customers trust the brand.

The opposite is equally true. Complex language creates confusion. Mixed messages cause drift. Silence fuels doubt. And there’s a cost to all three. 

What CEOs can learn from CMOs

This doesn’t mean CEOs need to become marketers. But it does mean they need to borrow three habits every great CMO already knows.

First, keep it simple. Jargon might sound impressive, but it doesn’t inspire confidence. People want clarity, not complexity.

Second, stick to the narrative. Every message is an opportunity to reinforce strategy. Say it the same way, consistently, until it sticks.

Third, be visible. That doesn’t mean chasing headlines or daily LinkedIn posts. It means being present at the right moments. In front of employees when change is coming. In front of investors when pressure is high. In the market when reputation is at stake.

Why this matters now

The pressures facing CEOs today from market disruption and AI to ESG scrutiny and talent shortages are matched by heightened expectations. Everyone wants faster, clearer answers. If you can’t provide them, someone else will fill the space.

The difference between a trusted leader and a questioned one isn’t strategy. It’s communication.

The point

The missing skill in many boardrooms isn’t financial acumen or operational experience. It’s communication.

Modern leaders need to think like communicators. Not to protect their image, but to protect their business. Because clarity from the top isn’t soft leadership. It’s good leadership.

At Strand, we help leaders close the gap, making communication as strong a lever for growth as finance, operations or product.

Because when a CEO communicates like a CMO, everyone listens. And when they don’t, everyone notices.