The literature on successful companies is clear: success depends on the ability of the CEO to create a clear vision of the enterprise and communicate it effectively to internal and external audiences.

The CEO embodies the values of the organization and projects them to employees and customers alike. Legendary CEOs like Jack Welch, Lee Iaccoca and Herb Kelleher have become as well known as the organizations they lead. In the process, their icon status helped shape the company's brand.

At Kaiser Permanente, we parlayed CEO David Lawrence's participation on the Institute of Medicine's landmark study on hospital patient safety into national prominence for him and his ideas on the restructuring of American medicine. By the time he retired from Kaiser Permanente in 2002, Dr. Lawrence had published a book and was speaking from podiums throughout the world. Perhaps more critically, he had shaped the thinking of the far-flung employees and physicians of his own organization, and created a laser-like focus on the importance of practices that reduce medical errors. As any CEO knows, it's sometimes more difficult to create change within your own organization than outside it.

The strategies for creating visibility for a CEO are many and varied.

• Developing a message platform to shape the CEOs internal and external communications.
• Developing both written communications and speeches through which the CEO can communicate key messages to internal and external audiences.
• Seeking news coverage that reflects the CEO's key messages.
• Arranging public speaking opportunities for the CEO.
• Writing and placing by-lined articles for the consumer and/or trade media.
• Identifying memberships in service and charitable organizations, civic commissions and boards that will enhance the CEO's visibility and reputation

Contact me for a free one-hour consultation to see if this approach will work for your CEO.