CEOs need to go public: smart ways to address the issues.

At a time when America seems adrift with a lack of vision or direction on major issues, most CEOs of powerful multinational corporations remain silent and are virtually unknown to the vast bulk of the American people. With few exceptions, such as Bill Gates of Microsoft, Steve Jobs of Apple, and Bill Ford of Ford Motor, most Americans would be hard-pressed to name the leader of a Fortune 500 company.

Many of today's CEOs have more potential power at their disposal than most foreign heads of states and virtually any American public official except the President, a few top cabinet members, a handful of congressional leaders and governors of the two or three largest states.

Yet these corporate leaders say little or nothing in public to address matters of grave importance to America's future--our shrinking industrial base, the skyrocketing cost of health care and pensions, inequitable trade policies, record federal budget and international trade deficits, global warming, lack of a forward-looking energy policy and mounting anti-American sentiment worldwide.

This is not a call for CEOs to enter the political arena or run for public office. Instead, it is a call for CEOs to speak out and act on issues that are of vital concern. They can do this in dozens of ways, none of which creates risk for them.

Sophomoric advisers will suggest the CEO give interviews and deliver speeches. This may be all right to a point, but there are other often better ways for CEOs to deliver their message.

Start by remembering some basic, but often overlooked, guidelines: a) keep it simple, b) repeat it again and again in many different ways, and c) find as many ways as possible to have the message endorsed by others who are respected. Try two or three messages at the most and use compelling, not self-serving, language to frame those messages. Remember, you need to tell your story seven or eight times to have it sink in. Once is not enough.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

So what do you do once you have your message in hand? Here are four simple ideas:

* Motivate your top managers to get out and give talks and interviews on your points. Ask the general counsel to reach out to legal publications and your chief financial officer to give a talk to an accounting organization.

* Deputize your top managers to make all your employees ambassadors for your message. Encourage them to write to their congressmen, appear at local service clubs and become active on message boards on the issues.

* Use "new media." Have your public relations department create a blog to deliver your message; it's not crazy to even explore creating a video game to reach young people so they will support your ideas.

* Ask your suppliers to help in carrying the word in their publications, their visits to companies, and to their employees.

These are simple but often overlooked steps aimed at creating a wave of support for your issues. You should also personally speak out forcefully from time to time. Your agenda requires your personal support, managed judiciously.

The time is ripe for corporate CEOs to speak out frankly about what ails us and propose action. Such a campaign would not only benefit the country, but Corporate America as well. To quote from a bold corporate leader of the past, and I'm sure Charlie Wilson wouldn't object: "What's good for the country is good for General Motors and vice versa."

The bunker mentality so common in Corporate America today might help account for the fact that through the end of May this year, 561 CEOs from companies large and small have been replaced, according to the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Perhaps boards understand what many CEOs are missing: This is a time for bold, imaginative and courageous leadership, not just for sticking to the status quo.

Robert L. Dilenschneider is president of The Dilenschneider Group, a New York-based strategic communications firm, and author most recently of A Time For Heroes (Phoenix Books).