You know I agree with you on this.  Some builds on some of your seven points:

   1. Make managing and growing your talent a top priority.  This means making it one of the top three items in every staff meeting and every strategy discussion.
 - Makes sense on a tactical basis.  Also important to have a long-term talent strategy that links with your long-terms strategic plan.  It's not just about dealing with existing talent and help develop, but also anticipating future talent gaps and planning to fill them.

   2. Communicate openly about the importance – and the benefit to everyone in the company – of having positions aligned with the vision and strategies of the company, and of having the right people in those positions.
 - This is definitely one of those areas where actions speak louder than words.  Yes communicate it openly, and then act.

   3. At the same time, be committed to finding roles for the current employees that best align with their strengths, and thus “set them up” for success.
 - Yes.  And some of those roles may end up being with other organizations.

   4. Be open about your willingness to work with employees who may be in positions that are not a great fit – to help them via coaching or mentoring – so that both they and the company are better off because of the process.
 - If the position is not a fit, the most important thing is to move them into a position that is a good fit - far more valuable than trying to sand off the edges so they fit better where they shouldn't fit at all.

   5. Make sure that talent decisions align with the values of the company.  Top performers that disrespect others and play by their own rules – and may have been allowed to do so under previous leadership – must be dealt with because of their impact on the organization’s culture.
 - Values are one of the components of a BRAVE organization, along with Behaviors, Relationships, Attitudes, Values, and Environment.  More on that in my recent article on Forbes: http://blogs.forbes.com/georgebradt/

   6. Remember that everything communicates.  Not addressing talent issues of non-performance speaks volumes.
 - One of those CEOs at one of the CEO Connection's CEO Boot Camps said, when he finally did address talent issues, people asked "What took you so long?"

   7. And remember the power you have to communicate, through words and actions, a genuine desire to see everyone succeed – and to mean it.
 - Yes, but succeed as they define success, not as you define success.