Chief executive and author Kathy Bloomgarden says to succeed companies must make it clear they have corporate responsibility
Winston Churchill said, 'The price of greatness is responsibility.' Kathy Bloomgarden, chief executive of Rudder Finn, a worldwide independent public relations firm, believes the simplicity of the quote is something modern day leaders should take to heart.
With more than 25 years of experience in public relations and advising clients including The New York Times, Novartis, BP, Volvo, Microsoft and McKinsey, the New York native has a unique insight into what makes a great leader in the 21st century.
She recently published the book Trust: The Secret Weapon of Effective Business Leaders outlining the importance of trust-based relationships between chief executives and their investors, employees and clients.
Transparency and corporate responsibility to the community are not just catchphrases, but real issues where tough decisions have to be made.
'Leaders need to be viewed as being committed to individuals in the community,' said Dr Bloomgarden, who has a PhD in political science.
'Multinational companies have global problems of uncertainty and unease from the public. In China it has been reported that 79 per cent of people would not buy things from companies that have bad corporate behaviour - 69 per cent would tell friends. China, in particular, is very sensitive to this. No matter what region you are in it is important to build trust in all aspects.'
