The Board Report
Leading with Impact: Recognizing Q1 Chief Influencers
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Each quarter, we recognize leaders who are shaping influence through clarity, consistency, and measurable impact—not visibility alone.
This past quarter’s Chief Influencer® honorees include CEOs and senior leaders across sectors who are redefining what effective leadership communication looks like in practice. Their work reinforces a core leadership principle: influence is not a title or platform, instead, it is the result of sustained alignment between message, action, and outcomes.
Explore our latest Chief Influencer® award winners
Chief Influencer® is a program sponsored by The Communications Board that was created in 2023. It is designed to recognize senior leaders whose influence extends beyond title or role and is demonstrated through sustained impact, credibility, and strategic communication.
Resources & Ways to Connect
Explore more from The Communications Board:
Upcoming workshops and live sessions
Ongoing insights on executive communication
Chief Influencer® episodes and honorees
Follow along and stay connected with The Communications Board:
Making Pay-to-Play Memberships, Partnerships & Speaking Work for Your CEO
Photo by Evangeline Shaw / Unsplash
May 8 | Live Workshop
Many organizations invest in memberships, councils, and industry platforms with the expectation that visibility and influence will follow. In reality, these environments only create the potential for positive outcomes. They need strategic activation.
This session focuses on how to operationalize these “pay-to-play” environments so they actually build executive presence, strengthen positioning, and support strategic objectives.
Industry Highlights
CEO Thought Leadership Can Drive $367M in Value
Independent of earnings announcements or major news, research from Cardinal40 finds that high-quality CEO thought leadership can generate an average of $367 million in shareholder value in a single week.
Implication: This new research illustrates a shift we see happening: CEO communication is not just expression, it is value creation. But performance is being proven to come from structured, repeatable thinking that aligns with the needs of each market.
BCG: Communications Teams Are Falling Behind on AI
New research from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) finds that while some organizations are advancing quickly, many chief communications officers and corporate communications functions are still in early stages of AI adoption.
Implication: A capability gap is forming. Teams that integrate AI into executive communication workflows will gain a structural advantage.
Overconfident CEOs Are Less Likely to Delegate
A new university study finds overconfident CEOs are less likely to delegate responsibilities to underlings, particularly in settings that involve complex transactions—such as hammering out the details of high-stakes deals.
Implication: Stakeholders increasingly evaluate whether leadership messaging reflects ownership of decisions, not just outcomes. Therefore, communication must reinforce accountability.
Thank you for reading this month’s The Board Report. Forward to a colleague, share feedback, and stay tuned for next month’s research roundup.
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