In December workers at Mercedes's Sindelfingen factory near Stuttgart went on strike after the company said it would shift production of its C-Class cars to Alabama, so Mercedes promised to maintain employment at the plant until 2020.

ECONOMIST: How Germany weathered the recession

This requires a significant shift in mindsets at the C-suite level.

FORBES: B2B Marketers: It's Time to Become a Growth Engine

In many cases such a fundamental shift for a firm may be better lead by the CEO with the support of the entire C-Suite.

FORBES: Why You Shouldn't Rush Out And Hire A Chief Digital Officer