Who's “plugged in”? Personal ties are important. A CFO may be only one of several senior managers, but his personal working relationship with the CEO may give him more influence than his peers. In the same way, being part of a key network imparts influence. The head of the West European division wields influence, in spite of flat sales in her market, because she sits on the company's management committee and has daily contact with other senior managers. This is one reason serving on task forces can be useful.
