Sleep Number’s Linda Findley on her rise from communicator to CEO

At the recent Page Spring Seminar 2026 in New York City, Linda Findley, CEO of Sleep Number, shared her journey from communications practitioner to the top of the C-suite, challenging the traditional view of communications as a mere support function. In her presentation, Findley argued that effective leadership and communications are intrinsically linked, with clarity, focus, and shared understanding being the cornerstones of successful leadership.

Findley began by highlighting the inherent complexity of communication in any organization. “As long as you have more than one person in the room, someone’s going to misunderstand something,” she said. This insight underscores the critical role of communication in ensuring that all stakeholders are aligned and informed. “Communications and good leadership are about clarity, focus, and everyone knowing what page they’re on,” she emphasized.

She further contended that communications is not an adjacent function to leadership but is, in fact, leadership itself. “I’m still a communications person, because one of your most important jobs as a leader is anticipating the next question,” Findley explained. “Being able to answer the next question as an executive is just as important as it is in communications. But instead of just saying, ‘Here’s what we need to say,’ that becomes, ‘What are people thinking? What are people wondering?’”

In a conversation with Phil Wahba of Fortune, Findley delved into the details of her rise through the ranks of the communications field. Trained as a journalist, she started her career in the comms function at Alibaba in Hong Kong. She shared that one of the most important lessons she learned in her comms roles was the need to know the small details of the operation to communicate credibly to both employees and customers. “Early in your comms career, you do a lot of the basics,” she told the audience. “You do a lot of the hard work, and I actually think that level of detail helps you be better than anything else you do. Whenever I join a company, I get very, very in the weeds.”

Findley added that getting in the weeds sometimes means rolling up your sleeves and doing work that goes beyond putting messaging together. “At Blue Apron, I would pack boxes every quart,” she recalled. This hands-on approach not only deepened her understanding of the business but also fostered empathy and trust among employees.

Her journey from communicator to CEO illustrates the transformative power of communication and the importance of understanding its role in driving organizational success. Findley’s story challenges the notion that communications is a secondary function, instead highlighting its essential nature in enabling effective leadership and fostering a culture of clarity and collaboration. As she continues to lead Sleep Number, her background in communications undoubtedly informs her approach to navigating the complexities of modern leadership.