The Tenure Trap – Shift from Stuck to Scaling

The longer you're embedded in an organization, the harder it can be to spark change.

Don’t get me wrong, tenure with a company brings many advantages such as deep company knowledge, established relationships, and team trust.

But research shows that being with a company for a long time can also lead to “status quo bias,” where leadership may become less open to new approaches or ideas. How often have you confronted, “We can't do that” pushback for your recommendations?

While stability within a company can be beneficial, it can also create barriers when a marketing leader needs to innovate to support growth.

You’re good at what you do. The landscape’s changing fast. And you know it’s time to evolve. Let’s dive into what that can look like when making real changes feels like trying to steer a ship through molasses. (Hopefully that's not the case!)

Start questioning like you’re a newbie

Over time, certain practices or states can feel like unchangeable truths.

Ask yourself, “If I had just been hired to lead this team, what would I change?”

Identify outdated or inefficient practices that won’t serve the company’s future growth.

What are your must-haves? How can you get them prioritized for development?

Sometimes having an outside expert give an unbiased perspective on your department or strategy can be the antidote to inertia.

I’ve worked through frustration with clients who say, “I made that same suggestion until I was blue in the face…now you’re saying it, and my CEO and CFO are nodding in agreement. Argh!” That’s tough. And it’s okay to blow off some steam – my clients know it's a win in the bigger picture. At times my value is in corroborating. In doing so, I’m supporting the marketing leader’s vision. And elevating focus on what needs to change.

Reframe your role as a strategic innovator

To drive change, it’s essential to shift from operational oversight to strategic innovation.

Imagine a shift: rather than managing what marketing works on, focus on how it works.

What could marketing look like in three years if you had no limitations? Picture it. How can you start guiding your department in that direction?

Paint a picture of the future for your executive team, too. When they understand the vision, they’re more likely to back you up on changes that might feel a bit uncomfortable. Being aligned makes it easier to push the needle forward.

That’s why the first step in my The Big Leap framework is resetting the vision for marketing with the CEO, CFO and executive. Bring them into where you want to go and the outcomes that lie on the other side of levelling up. You have to help them break through the inertia, rethink their role, and champion the change marketing needs to support company growth.

Confront the facts

When something doesn’t work as it should for a long time, the gap can become an "assumed constraint" - everyone buys into the myth that XYZ is impossible to fix, update, or implement.

This can be a challenge, especially in midmarket companies because more than one legacy system is usually at or near its breaking point (POS, finance, website). Adding marketing tech to the list is just too daunting.

?“Our point-of-sale can’t connect to marketing data.”

“We have to pull customer mailing lists manually because…”

“We don’t have budget for a CRM update so the customer lifecycle will have to wait…”

I always question what’s true vs what’s not a priority at this time.

What's behind "we can't..." Budget? Resources? Pending acquisition?

If you've framed out the marketing need, ensure that the case study includes the opportunity cost of not making the upgrade - in the short and long term, and the bigger picture. For example, you will remain a regional player if you don't have a CRM or the martech needed to scale and support growth at a national level.

I work with VPs of Marketing in private VIP 1:1 days to lay the groundwork for their case study to level up the department. A fresh set of eyes on what IS possible can catalyze change (and make the challenging parts feel better because you're talking with someone who "gets it.")

Pressure test your playbook

Here’s a hard truth—long-term success can sometimes become a comfort zone trap.

You’ve probably developed a playbook of go-to strategies, campaigns, and metrics that served you well over the years and align with your current internal team and vendor structure and capabilities.

Take a frank look at what’s still working and what’s not. Are there channels or tactics that you lean on just because they’ve always been part of the plan?

What updates would make marketing an even more powerful strategic driver of growth within the company?

I like to start by identifying the 3 (there’s magic in 3s) changes that will make a 10X difference to the marketing program and mapping out how to get there, barriers and all.

If those changes involve the support of other departments (e.g. IT), additional budget (such as CAPEX investment), or even a radical move like burning down the existing marketing program—your experience will provide valuable context for what’s needed to build out these priority 3 areas for the future.

Being a long-term marketing leader comes with its own set of unique challenges, especially when it comes to catalyzing change. But tenure can be a superpower.

Be the example for the executive by challenging yourself (and them) to ask questions, test new ideas, and get uncomfortable with what you already know. After all, marketing’s role isn’t just to support the business but to anticipate and drive what’s next. With a thoughtful approach to change, you can position your department as a proactive force that not only meets the current needs of the company but also paves the way for future growth.

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For more ideas on getting marketing ready for the big leap from regional to national, subscribe to Elevated. I focus on 1 actionable insight per issue and how to overcome barriers to change you're facing as a marketing leader (Speaking from experience! ?? IYKYK)