Lead with Fire in Your Eyes!

More than 70% of marketers think they have a huge impact on business, while only 44% of them see a great future in their career. 

That is one of the key findings in a recent survey that comprises more than 68,000 assessments by 1,232 senior marketers and 7,429 executives. 

The survey was designed and run by Thomas Barta, marketing leadership pioneer and author of The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader. I had the pleasure of meeting this inspirational keynote speaker in Singapore last month, during the SAP Marketing Kick-off Meeting. Here is the nugget of what I have learned from him.

Two Things We Get Wrong

Most marketers believe that doing great marketing will give us great influence. Actually, it is the opposite. Great influence leads to great marketing. If you want to be a marketing leader with influence, start learning the skills to get yourself more influential in your organization. 

Another thing that marketers get wrong is to think that they would be more influential if only they were in another company. Success is in your hand. You need to learn to build your success in your organization by learning how to become more powerful—here and now. 

During the research for his book, Thomas found the key success factors to business impact for a marketing leader. It is not a matter of B2B or B2C, gender, personality, functional skills, or company. What explains a marketing leader’s business impact turns out to be leadership skills. 

Three Important Gaps, or Why Life Is Difficult

As a marketing leader, you lead your team. You also need to lead yourself, your boss, and your peers. Most marketing leaders, however, focus mostly on leading their teams. This will lead to three important gaps in influential leadership: trust gap, power gap, and skills gap. 

Trust Gap

How much of your work is about the future? Marketers are heavily into the future. Our messaging, for instance, is about making a brand promise and giving our prospects the proof to show that it really works. Trouble is, nobody knows the future for sure. Which makes you less reliable. 

Power Gap

You say, “Everything is great.” How many people will join in to make it happen? “Almost everybody,” you say. Really? How many of them are reporting to marketing? You need to gain power to make a change that you want to see. 

Skills Gap

Let’s face it. You don’t know everything. There are more than 3,800 marketing technology solutions in the market today. There will be even more in the coming years. Which will take your confidence away. You need to stay curious and keep learning and improving. 

Five Powers of a Marketing Leader

Out of the twelve powers that he has uncovered during his research for the book, Thomas kindly shared five power tips for the marketers from across the Asia Pacific Japan region. 

Tip #1. Tackle Big Issues

Power comes from creating and delivering values to your organization. In order to create values, you need to tackle big issues about customer needs and company needs. Pick top three issues for each of the needs. For instance, you can determine the top three issues facing most senior leaders in your company. Find the V-Zone wherein lies the common issues and which is where marketing can create values and gain power. 

Tip #2. Side with the Revenue Camp

Business leaders have four things in mind: revenue, cost, growth, and strategy. When you do not generate revenue, you will be seen as a cost in your CEO’s mind. So, stand for revenue! Calculate the impact of your work. Estimate how much worthwhile your work is. Team up with Finance to calculate your contribution. And talk in lines of revenue. 

Tip #3. Hit the Head and the Heart

This is the most sought-after skill in this time and age of sophisticated technology and automation. Tell a story. What’s your compelling change story? Telling a compelling story is a very human thing to do. Win the heart of your audience to win their head and their hands. Take Ford for instance. Their catchphrase for reinvigorating themselves was, “Make it a symbol of pride. Again.” 

Tip #4. Start a Movement

How do you feel on the dance floor? Fairly awkward, especially when you’re the first and only one up there, right? If you want to start a movement, go get up there first and start to dance. Show some evidence. Show that your idea is actually working. For instance, show video clips of ten customer testimonials. 

Find the first followers. Find someone who will say, “Let’s give it a try.” When the dance floor is filling up, nobody wants to miss out. 

Tip #5. Be One

You, as a marketing team, has to speak in one voice. Consider this. When each doctor says different things to you, you could not care less. You have to be clear on what you are trying to say. Get clear on top priorities. 

Are you spending enough time to get clear on top priorities, and explaining them? And, remember this: Forgiveness, not permission. Take a risk and move on. Otherwise, you are still working in your comfort zone. Step out, and try new things. Which is more likely to lead to innovations. 

“Build your own dreams, or someone will hire you to help build theirs.”

Fire in Your Eyes

Last, but not least: Can people see the fire in your eyes? If you inspire people, you have a bigger chance that people will follow you. As Tony Gaskins once said, “Build your own dreams, or someone will hire you to help build theirs.” 

With the fire in your eye and in your heart, you will be able to begin your journey to becoming an influential marketing leader. Success is in your hands. Build your own dreams. And lead the change.

Thank you for reading this post. I owe a great deal to Thomas Barta. All the great insights are his; all mistakes, if any, are totally mine and mine alone. Cheers! 

If you want to know more about Thomas Barta's research, visit his website at https://www.marketingleader.org to take a leadership quiz or a three-dimensional leadership profile test.