
GUIDES
Great communicators don’t necessarily make great leaders, but brilliant leaders are always superb communicators. That business leaders today must prioritize communication as a critical skillset is beyond debate. We know it from our own worklife experiences and from having witnessed the critical role CEO communication played during the pandemic, in addition to numerous research papers.
Last year, the global consulting firm McKinsey, published the results of extensive interviews with top CEOs around the world: CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest—and according to co-author Carolyn Dewar, communication skill is the thread that runs through everything that the best of the best excels at.
Leaders need to be able to clearly communicate the ambition, vision, and direction of the company; be able to align the organization; mobilize teams through leaders; engage the board; and connect with stakeholders, especially employees—the people who ultimately will deliver on company goals.
None of this can be accomplished without a prioritized focus on communication. Indeed, recent years have seen the emergence of increased employee expectations of highly visible and engaged leadership communication.
And in these times of rapid and unrelenting change, the need for an organization’s top executives to be visible and to communicate clearly and constantly at every stage of the change process is more critical than ever before—if they want people to change their behaviors and buy into the program.
This guide explores how IC professionals can not only help their CEOs and leadership teams become better communicators, but in doing so, become key trusted advisors for their engagement and relationship with employees.

Tim Vaughan
Editorial Director, Poppulo
When Hollywood Casino Greektown—part of PENN Entertainment—set out to modernize its digital signage network, the goal wasn’t simply to add new screens. The team wanted flexibility and scalability without added cost or IT complexity. With more than 800 screens operating across properties in Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois, AV/IT lead Jason Oziem needed a way to grow the network quickly and affordably. The Amazon Signage Stick, paired with Poppulo, proved to be exactly that solution. Read our latest case study to learn how these casinos expanded their digital signage networks faster and more affordably by pairing Poppulo with the Amazon Signage Stick—without adding IT complexity.
In an environment where timely communication can make or break the student experience, traditional methods like bulletin boards and email often fall short. Digital signage fills this gap by delivering messages instantly and visually, ensuring critical information reaches the right audience at the right time. It’s not just about convenience—it’s about creating a connected, informed campus community. The benefits speak for themselves. Digital signage enhances safety with rapid emergency notifications, boosts engagement through interactive and eye-catching content, and strengthens university culture by showcasing achievements and campus events. To help you plan and execute a successful digital signage rollout, we’ve created a comprehensive guide, complete with practical templates. You’ll find resources for defining objectives, assessing campus needs, selecting the right technology, building a content strategy, managing launch and training, and measuring success. Use this framework to ensure your digital signage implementation is organized, strategic, and impactful.
Internal comms is heading into 2026 with more uncertainty about its role than at any point in recent memory. AI is changing the work at speed. Trust is slipping. Managers are stretched thin. Employees are tuning out. And the expectations placed on IC keep widening into work that falls well beyond its traditional scope—often without the structure or support to match. The familiar models aren’t holding, and the function is being pulled into a new order that still isn’t fully defined. 2026 will ask big questions of IC: what it stands for, where it fits, and how it leads through a year marked by uncertainty and shifting expectations. To understand what this means in practice, we’re bringing together four leaders who are working at the sharp end of these changes: Stephanie Cornell, Head of People Communications & Marketing, WPP Annabelle Gordon, Director of Employee Communications, Super Regine Nelson, Director of Internal Communications, Couchbase Stacie Barrett, Former Director of Internal Communications, Domino’s Moderated by Joss Mathieson of Change Oasis, this 60-minute session, including time for your questions, will get into the real pressures facing IC in 2026 and how teams can work through them. Expect to Explore: The shifting identity of internal comms and what it means to play a deeper role in shaping the employee experience Where AI is genuinely changing the work of internal comms, and the risks that emerge when speed increases but understanding doesn’t How IC can work alongside leaders and other functions when old command-and-control habits no longer hold up How IC can rebuild trust and strengthen resilience by creating communication that feels human, transparent, and genuinely meaningful in a year defined by ambiguity The emotional and practical load on IC practitioners, and how to stay steady when you’re communicating through the same uncertainty as everyone else