4 Questions Modern Day CMOs Need To Answer About Leadership

I remember reading somewhere that the best CMOs are like Swiss army knives. They are incredibly versatile as technologists, HR-saavy, digital strategists, data translators, content developers, and more. This varied proficiency helps CMOs become smart business leaders who know how to build productive teams and carry out a clear vision for their brand. 

Nowadays, modern CMOs are expected to run their teams like CEOs. As such, they need to hone their leadership skills on top of their technical marketing skills. But how can CMOs sharpen this particular blade of their Swiss army knife? 

Over the course of my career, I’ve seen a wide variety of leadership styles and skills, some of which I’ve embraced and others which didn’t work as well. In today’s ever-changing environment it may be helpful to answer these three questions to further refine your approach as a leader:

1.   How can I best communicate my thoughts and values as a leader?

I think one of the best ways to articulate your leadership ideals is by investing in your personal brand. Clearly communicating your point of view and showcasing your knowledge can not only help you become an established thought leader in your space, but it can provide helpful advice and information that others will appreciate. Regularly sharing your thoughts and values via social media and other platforms helps you enhance your own credibility as well as that of your organization’s. This is particularly important given that 82% of people are more likely to trust a company when their senior executives are active on social media. The trick to doing this well is making sure what you share is reflective of who you are as a person and a leader.

2.   How should I adapt my leadership style to meet the demands of new working environments?

As organizations think about the future of work, it will be necessary to re-examine leadership practices. According to Deloitte’s 2021 Global Human Capital Trends, 61% of executives surveyed said they plan to focus on reimagining work, compared to just 29% the previous year. Even before the pandemic, CFA Institute has always championed a healthy work-life balance. Over the past year the lines between work and home have become increasingly blurred, but we’ve learned a great deal about the role that collaboration and technology can play in yielding positive outcomes. As we ponder what the future of work will look like, it will be up to leaders to fill in that picture with new rules and procedures that will help employees do their best work regardless of whether they’re physically in the workplace or still working from home.

3.   How should I model the best leadership qualities of past and current CEOs I work for?

I’ve been incredibly lucky to have worked for a number of dynamic CEOs focused on leading and coaching for high performance. I benefited greatly by modeling their styles and philosophies and, over the years, have taken what worked best for me and combined it with other key habits and principles I’ve seen CEOs use along my career journey. My current CEO Marg Franklin and I carve out time on some of our 1:1 updates to talk about leadership, coaching and how we best unleash the talent inside my team and other teams. I’ve had other CEOs from whom I picked up leadership nuggets by listening to their career stories. And, finally, I’ve definitely made a mental note of past CEO habits I do not want to model. I view getting time with the CEOs for whom I work as an ongoing leadership training course and I try to learn as much as I can.

4.   How can I best mobilize my team to create engagement and boost productivity?

To build a winning marketing team, today’s CMOs must be a leader of leaders. Being a great leader that keeps your team aligned and working together requires both transparency and significant investment in the well-being of your team members. I believe in a hands-on approach where my door (or computer screen window or mobile phone text messaging) is always open so that I can provide guidance and counsel when it’s most needed. I think I often surprise people by giving out my cell phone number so freely, but I strongly believe that I’m only as effective as the people surrounding me. In my case, I work hard to figure out what each of my team members need from me to be most successful— and how to deliver it in the most impactful way. 

As CMOs take on increasing levels of leadership responsibilities, they can play a defining role in shaping the direction of the organizations they represent. By spending time reflecting on leadership style, the future of work and the most effective ways to mobilize teams, I think all CMOs can become even sharper and more versatile in their approach, just like the best Swiss army knives.