One of the hardest lessons for a leader is knowing when to let go, says Anna Harry
We marketers love to create, make, write and design. There’s a satisfaction in getting something at the end that you can see, touch, read and share with others. You get into the detail of it, get your hands dirty and really understand how something works. Well I did anyway. But what I’ve found is that marketing leadership doesn’t involve marketing a lot of the time.
It’s the hardest lesson I’ve learned as a leader. It’s not just about delegation; you have to let go. I set the strategy and direction – the ‘why’ of a project. But the ‘how’ and the ‘what’, that’s what we, as leaders, have to let go of.
If we don’t, we’re not being the leader our team needs. Everyone deserves the responsibility of delivering success – at any scale. How else will you develop and grow your skills as a marketer? And if your team doesn’t grow, you won’t have marketing leaders in the future.
I’m still learning about leadership. Compared to actual marketing it’s the most intangible thing. I’ve learned that my success is reflected in my team and in the growth and development of my colleagues. I’ve found a way to take fulfillment from smoothing the path and fixing problems for my team. I’ve developed new ways of communicating collective success and making sure all the contribution is recognised.
When I take a step back and see the team around me I’m humbled by the amazing work they do, and I take satisfaction from the great marketing we create collectively. I hope I also provide a dash of inspiration on the way. But I haven’t quite got there. I’m not entirely sure I will ever give up the pleasure of delivering a successful marketing project, so I keep my fingers in a few pies, no doubt to the frustration of my team!
I would ask you to remember one thing. Although we’re leaders now, we were marketers once, and we still treasure the act of ‘doing’ marketing. Take pity on us when we want to get involved, let us remember what it is to be a marketer!
There are four key characteristics to authentic leadership – including a sense of humour, says Zoe Mol, VP global marketing and conferences, S&P Global Platts
Authenticity is hugely important in leadership. It’s an essential component to building trust and a positive working environment. Without it you won’t get support, respect or recognition – no matter how great your ideas are. For me, authenticity essentially all comes down to an awareness of emotions.
First and foremost, you need emotional intelligence. You need the ability to understand and express emotions positively, freely and appropriately. It’s essential to being an authentic leader and it’ll help you build interactions with your team.
Showing who you are as a person also helps your team understand the human behind the leader. People don’t leave businesses, they leave bad managers, so let your team recognise your faults and empathise with your efforts and it will build trust and a sense of team unity.
Connected to emotional intelligence is a sense of humour and perspective. To me, this is essential. Humour can be a great way to defuse situations and bring people together. The end result is a happier and more productive working environment, but it takes emotional intelligence to know how – and when – to hit the right note.
Of course, this all comes down to self-awareness and the ability to accept your flaws. Having a ‘constant learning’ mindset is essential to good leadership and has the additional benefit of ensuring that you’re seen as approachable.
Humility and listening are important traits to consider when you reflect on your interactions across the business. You’ve got to be willing to take accurate self-appraisal and be open to what others say and do in reaction to you. Be open to new ideas by listening intently, rather than listening so you can be armed with a sharp reply. You must understand that you alone can’t have all the answers. In fact asking powerful questions of your team, in turn empowers them.
Lastly, ask yourself whether you can be relied on to be consistent, regardless of the business climate. This is important at all levels of the business because if your actions don’t consistently support what you’re spouting, you’ll immediately seem fake.
Ever met someone who is convinced their idea is the only way forward? It’s easy to become frustrated, but they can be won over, says Looker’s CMO Jen Grant
You may have encountered a boss who’s a bit of an aggressive thinker. They truly believe in their ideas and think they’re better than yours. It doesn’t give you space to offer your ideas and what felt like a constructive conversation suddenly feels like you’re being given orders. It’s frustrating, right?
Sometimes you meet colleagues who are just as bad. It’s easy to become defensive in response to this sort of aggression, and it’s even easier to point out all of the reasons your colleague is wrong. But don’t. It doesn’t move things forward and it won’t make it better.
The aggressive thinker requires a more tactful approach. It may feel like theirs is the only voice in the room but they’re most likely shouting until they feel heard. Asking questions is a really effective way of defusing their aggressive tactics and softening the conversation.
It’s also good to give them at least a little bit of credit. Give them a chance to share their ideas and for you to understand all of the ins and outs of their suggestion. Then look for one aspect you can agree with – the ‘golden nugget’ of the story. By sharing why you think this part is great you immediately win them as an ally. They’ll feel you’ve heard them out and understood their point of view.
Once you’ve turned the conversation to the thing you agree on, you can add your own views. You’ll gain respect for listening, but also get your own ideas heard.
Sadly, being a woman in marketing – especially in the tech sector – can add to the issue. There’s a perception that women are less technical. An interviewer once told a good friend of mine, who is a CMO, they were looking for someone more technical. This is despite the fact she has a master’s degree in computer science.
The way to get over this is to support yourself with data. Make marketing seem less fluffy and more like you’re building a machine. Pair that with your new conversational skills and it should work for both parties.
Marketing leaders must adapt to the new requirements of the business and its customers, says John Kerr, director, marketing and commercial excellence at Armstrong World Industries
A great event, website visits or the number of leads just won’t cut it as a measure of success. They’re critical parts of the journey, but the destination will always be profitability. It’s what the business demands and you have to prove your part in it.
Accountability is the key to credibility, and having marketing directly responsible for segments of revenue and profitability clearly demonstrates its value to the rest of the business.
At Armstrong, marketing is divided into three key areas: research, management and communications. The three teams work collaboratively with specialists in each area. The cycle begins with market knowledge, understanding customer needs and values, moving to the creation of products and services that will grow the business.
The message to customers needs to demonstrate the relevance of what we offer to that individual as they go through the buyer journey.
The importance of understanding the customer and what they value is more important than ever before. With the range of choice buyers now have, businesses need marketing to be at the forefront. For many, this is a pronounced shift in how we do things. One of the main functions of the marketing leader is to drive that change.
The demands on a marketing leader are increasingly challenging. They’re expected to be specalists while also alternating between identifying and qualifying opportunities, sharing knowledge, and interpreting a deep understanding of the customer. They also have to stay ahead of industry dynamics, business priorities and competitors – all of which are changing at an increasingly fast pace. There’s huge disruption, but also a lot of opportunity.
Marketing leaders must stand at the forefront of this change, not only within their department but in all areas of the business. They must be a key enabler of it, armed with a clear message that demonstrates the value and impact marketing has across the company
