Best Bits: The Executive Communication Skill Most Leaders Miss (Being Right Isn't Enough)

In this Best Bits episode of Making Revenue Tick, Richard Washington sits down with Dustin Clinard, CEO of Ignis AI, former CRO of Gatekeeper, and a revenue leader who has spent more than 20 years helping companies scale across North America and Europe. The topic? Executive communication. More specifically, why being right isn't enough. Drawing on experience as a CEO, CRO, board member, and growth-stage operator, Dustin shares the communication principles that help leaders create alignment, build trust, and gain buy-in from teams, boards, and customers. In this episode: ✅ Why the best leaders don't just provide answers — they create belief ✅ The communication mistake that causes great ideas to fail ✅ How to build alignment with boards and executive teams ✅ Why showing your work creates stronger buy-in ✅ The difference between solving a problem and getting people behind the solution ✅ How AI can accelerate decision-making but cannot replace leadership ✅ Why recruiting and selling are the same process About Dustin Clinard: Dustin is the CEO of Ignis AI, an AI-driven platform focused on developing critical human power skills including communication, leadership, collaboration, creativity, and AI fluency. Previously, Dustin served as CRO at Gatekeeper, VP of Strategic Partnerships at Betterworks, CRO and Managing Director at Risk Ident, Head of Revenue Americas at Universum, and held leadership roles at Mind Gym, Corporate Executive Board, and BASF. Across his career he has led commercial teams, advised boards, scaled international revenue organisations, and helped businesses navigate the challenges of growth from startup through enterprise scale. 👉 Watch the full episode here:    • E.108 - Deconstructing Revenue: The $3M to...   🎙️ Guest: Dustin Clinard — CEO, Ignis AI 🔗 Connect with Dustin:   / dustinclinard   🎙️ Host: Richard Washington — Founder, Tick Talent 🔗 Connect with Rich:   / richwash   🌐 Tick Talent: https://www.tick-talent.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with founders, CROs, GTM leaders, and operators sharing the lessons that make revenue tick. #executivecommunication #leadership #revenueleadership #salesleadership #CRO #startupLeadership #scaleup #B2BSaaS #AI #makingreveneutick #whatmakesyoutick #ticktalent #richwashington #dustinclinard #ignisai #boardcommunication #alignment #buyIn #challengersale #GTM Chapters: 00:51 – Why executive communication is harder than being right 01:17 – The board and CEO alignment trap that catches most CROs 03:17 – Why inaction is the worst thing a CRO can be seen doing 04:00 – How to cut through board noise and focus on what actually matters 05:08 – What boards actually care about: leadership, TAM capture, and customer health 07:18 – What happens when a new CRO walks into more problems than they were sold 09:44 – How to make an ambitious growth target believable, not hopeful 11:05 – Why the same problem can have multiple right answers and how to get alignment 13:32 – Why recruiting and selling are the same process 16:05 – How AI can help candidates and sellers go in with a hypothesis instead of questions 17:45 – Curiosity and dynamic intelligence: the two traits that matter most in sales and hiring 19:25 – Challenger Sale, teach-tailor-take control, and expanding the buyer's window