The first responsibility of a CEO in my mind is to Own the Vision. I use the word vision to encompass the mission, vision, values, and overall strategy of the company. As I mentioned in my post about how CEOs can balance total responsibility with limited control, the CEO must communicate the complete vision in a compelling manner. This allows everyone to understand how their contribution is part of the corporate vision and to make decisions that support it. Whether speaking to employees, shareholders or customers, the CEO should know how to engage each audience and clearly communicate the direction of the company. Part of this is conveying to each group what’s in it for them if the vision is realized.