5 Flocking Awesome Lessons from the CMO Super Huddle

On November 8th, over 100 marketing leaders gathered in Palo Alto to rethink the B2B marketing playbook. The energy in the room was electric (see here), the challenges were real, and the solutions? Practical and inspiring. Below are five critical lessons I took away from this incredible day of collaboration and insight.

1. Lead Like a Business Leader, Not “Just a Marketer”

The CMO role remains the most bespoke in the C-Suite. Some have vast portfolios and should call themselves “Chief Market Officers,” noted executive recruiting legend Kate Bullis. Most don’t. About half report to the CEO. A few “own” ecommerce and a P&L. Most don’t. Some own marketing and comms. Some have enlightened CEOs who understand that marketing is a growth lever. Most don’t!

Part of this comes down to perfecting your leadership and communication. Here's what we learned at Liz Wiseman's fireside chat on Impact Players:?

• Look in the Mirror: Understand the forms of the "accidental diminisher" (i.e. Idea Fountain, Perfectionist, Rapid Responder, Pacesetter, Optimist, Protector, Always On, Strategist) and learn how to adjust
• Ask better questions: Keep a set of strategic questions to encourage collaboration and clarity.
• Manage up effectively: Recognize (and adapt to) your CEO’s tendencies—particularly if they unintentionally diminish your efforts.
• Hire for impact: Look for candidates who thrive in ambiguity and uncertainty.

2. Focused Creativity Wins

• In a world of short attention spans and competitive noise, sharp creative thinking is essential. CMOs who succeed:
• Own something unique: On our Brilliant B2B panel, Jason Ing shared how Gusto differentiated with its pig mascot, and Chandar Pattabhiram explained how Coupa made itself about money to stand out from Ariba's focus on network and vendors.?
• Avoid buzzwords: Words like “best-in-class” and “AI-driven” are more clutter than clarity. Learn more about how to fix your home page by following Spiralyze's CRO Crimes game show on LinkedIn.?
• PR Outreach: Our session on PR with Bospar and VentureBeat made it clear: You better be ready to answer why the reported should give a sh*t! Pro Tip: Even in B2B, emotions drive decisions.?

3. Collaboration is Key

The best marketing teams work seamlessly across departments. How?

We heard from a well-rounded panel with Randy Wootton (CEO, Maxio), Marni Puente (CMO, SAIC), Tammy Aguillon (Revenue leader, Google Cloud), and Nat Natarajan (Chief Product & Strategy Officer, G-P).??

• Earn trust over time: Through empathy and consistent follow-through.
• Align around shared goals and data: A single source of truth avoids unnecessary disputes.
• Admit vulnerability: A simple “I was wrong before, I’m smarter now” can build respect and open doors. Likewise, the blame game is a lose-lose for collaborators.?

There was also conversation around educating the C-Suite on marketing—that it isn't a simple input/output function, and that MQLs and SQLs are meaningless if deals don't get closed. As such, challenges like “pipeline progression,” “sales enablement,” and “improving close rates” are CMOs' top priorities. While these aren’t easily solved issues, marketers are finding meaningful ways to support their sales counterparts from discovery through acquisition and retention.?

4. Measure What Matters

Few CMOs believe they have sufficient resources to hit their goals. Several highly skilled CMOs quit in 2024 in the face of relentless magical thinking by PE firms. Others describe their 2025 challenge as “dedicating sufficient resources (people + budget) to meet increasingly high goals,” “so many priorities, so few resources,” or simply “doing more with less.”

To make this visceral, one CMO asked, “How can I scale demand and awareness with a budget of only $20,000/month?”?

• With limited budgets and big expectations, the right metrics are crucial. Here's what our Future of Metrics panelists had to say:?
• Focus on leading indicators: Metrics that predict outcomes, not just lagging results.
• Include retention and upsell trends: Marketing isn’t only about net new customers; growth from existing ones matters too.
• Use anecdotes strategically: Stories can add powerful context to your numbers.

5. Get into GenAI Without Getting Overwhelmed

The potential of GenAI is vast, but savvy marketers are focusing on strategy over novelty. Key places to explore:

• Speed positioning: Use GenAI for messaging and targeting tests.
• Build useful tools: GenAI is a game-changer for creating business solutions like workflow optimizers.
• Audit your stack: Ensure your MarTech tools integrate GenAI strategically—not just for show.

These lessons are just the beginning. For detailed recaps, video insights, and bonus tips, keep an eye out for upcoming releases—or join the conversation at CMO Huddles.

P.S. Save the date for next year’s CMO Super Huddle: November 6-7, 2025. You won’t want to miss it! Here a just a few of the kind words we received:

• “The Goldilocks event — just the right amount of everything you need to feel energized, solve problems, and network with the best of them. Drew and crew did a phenomenal job. Will recommend often and be back!”
• “Just wrapped up an incredible experience at the CMO Huddles’ 1st CMO Super Huddle at el PRADO Palo Alto on Friday! It was a powerhouse of insights, ideas, and inspiration. Connecting with so many forward-thinking marketers and discussing the evolving landscape of marketing, content, AI, and innovation left me with actionable takeaways and ideas.”
• "The only people who know what you’re going through as a CMO are other CMOs. Peer experience is invaluable, and the CMO Super Huddle facilitated it in a way that was empathetic, candid and actionable."
• “The CMO Super Huddle was invaluable. It brought together successful B2B brands that have weathered the storms and the talented CMOs leading them. Connecting with peers facing similar pressures encouraged authenticity, vulnerability, and genuine exchange. ”