The importance of the person leading a brand was powerfully illustrated by the return of Michael Dell at the helm of troubled PC company Dell last week. The share price jumped 5% on the news, although it has since fallen back.
Dell is an example of a "Brand CEO" who leads the brand through his actions and behaviour, not through words alone. He is the living, breathing manifestation of the brand that shares his name. Makes it hard to find someone else with the same charisma and influence of course. This is why Dell is not alone in coming back to re-take the lead. Steve Jobbs did the same thing at Apple, for example.