4. Strong communication skills. Are they strong at communication across the company? Can they consistently get other executives, and the CEO or founders, on board with team changes, promotions, road maps, goals, etc.? (Exec-to-founder communication may be its own magical art, depending on how introverted or opinionated the founder is.) Are they able to understand underlying issues and communicate them within their teams? Are they able to communicate to the board, external partners or customers, and other major stakeholders? Do they have “cross-functional empathy” that allows them to work with,
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