First of all, the level everyone understands is that an executive is the person who is responsible for policy and direction of a departmental function. I call this the functional silo. They are in charge and lead the Sales and Marketing effort, the Manufacturing Division, the R&D efforts, the financial function or various other areas. Each has the primary responsibility for establishing policy and direction within their department making certain that BOTH support the overall corporate direction. Their efforts and decisions in this functional silo are not based on the slickness or sexiness of...

First of all, the level everyone understands is that an executive is the person who is responsible for policy and direction of a departmental function. I call this the functional silo. They are in charge and lead the Sales and Marketing effort, the Manufacturing Division, the R&D efforts, the financial function or various other areas. Each has the primary responsibility for establishing policy and direction within their department making certain that BOTH support the overall corporate direction. Their efforts and decisions in this functional silo are not based on the slickness or sexiness of...