John Burt’s Post

This insight from Cristina Scocchia about the role of the CEO really resonated: “Being a CEO is not playing the violin, but it is really about making the orchestra play together,” she said. “Once you have chosen the tune to play, you still need to put together the best band in the world. You need to bring together your star players so they are in a team, one where no one wants to be the prima donna and they instead want to be a musketeer; ‘one for all and all for one’.” This is true of business leadership at various levels as you progress in your career. For years, I have led many professionals whose job I could not perform (at least not well). The job of the leader is to make the team better, ask questions, reduce barriers and bad friction, and stay humble focusing on the customer! Thanks for the share of this Spencer Stuart analysis and your thought leadership, Greg Welch. #leadership #marketing #talent #teamwork #strategy #culture

As a CMO who had prior P&L responsibility before coming to the c-suite, I totally agree with this. IMO, marketers often excel at creativity but pay far less attention to the numbers CEOs care about. Running a business through the lens of creative carries negative implications for CAPEX, balance sheets, investor relations, et. al. Why? Because numbers-oriented people will demand numbers accountability. If your brain is not formed around that, you will fail. Marketing pros would do well to ask for P&L responsibility. Run a product line, a division, or a business unit for a few years. Then think about whether you really want the CEO job, because it's a tough one.

In today's rapidly changing business environment, the role of the CEO is evolving, and marketing expertise is becoming increasingly crucial. According to Spencer Stuart, future CEOs will need to leverage deep marketing insights to stay competitive. This shift emphasizes the importance of understanding consumer behavior, market trends, and brand strategy. Marketing skills enable leaders to foster strong customer relationships, drive innovation, and enhance the overall customer experience, which are essential for sustaining growth and relevance in the market. I would like to invite you to explore how marketing skills can shape the next generation of CEOs and drive organizational success. Thank you Gülven Aytekin for sharing this valuable article. #Leadership #Marketing #CEO #BusinessTransformation #FutureOfWork

It is an interesting proposition. What I took away from this is the art of story telling. As you have seen from some of my previous articles, many CEOs have some work to do in articulating their mission, vision and value proposition. Do I think this points to a wholesale change in today’s succession planning? No. But I do believe with the complexities of today, tomorrow’s CEOs will certainly need to tell a better story that creates trust and demand.

I mean, I may be biased — I’m a CMO who became a CEO — but Spencer Stuart nailed it. There are natural gifts that marketers can bring to the top role, like painting a vision that inspires and mobilizes, a proclivity for capturing multiple points of view to inform decisions rather than being top down, and, of course, creativity. Love to see perspective like this article that creates more opportunity for so many. Long story short: When you’re building that succession plan, don’t write off your marketing leader.

Why don’t more marketing leaders become CEOs? Although they are often perceived to have a lack of P&L or operational experience, we believe that the best CMOs possess an array of skills and traits which make them strong CEO candidates. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gP6bpvVG

Interesting article spotlighting the capabilities required for the CEO of the future and how CMO's often possess an interesting array of skills and experiences which could make them strong succession candidates.

As a Chief Marketing Officer, I've had the privilege of witnessing how a partnership with marketing can truly transform the leadership landscape within a company. But, let's have a candid conversation about why marketing is not typically given the same respect and authority that other parts of the business are. Marketing is vital to your business! Its impact can be everywhere. 🚀 Strategic Imperative: Marketing isn't just about catchy ads; it's a strategic powerhouse that fuels growth, revenue, and profitability. It's the secret ingredient in our recipe for success. 🤝 Executive Leadership: Marketing data and insights are the keys to informed decisions at the top. From market trends to consumer behavior, this information shapes how we lead and steer our organizations. 📊 Metrics and ROI: For my fellow number-crunchers, marketing isn't a black hole. It's measurable, and we can show how it impacts the bottom line, one ROI at a time. 🎯 Alignment with Business Goals: It's not marketing for marketing's sake. It's about aligning our marketing efforts with the bigger picture, ensuring we're all rowing in the same direction. 📚 Empowering through Education: In this fast-paced world, knowledge is power. I'm committed to sharing the latest trends and strategies, so we're all armed with the insights needed to lead effectively. How can we help leadership teams build marketing into the decision-making process as a vital piece of the company's strategy every step of the way? Share your thoughts! 🔥 #marketingstrategy #executiveleadership #businessinsights #marketingroi #leadershipculture

Wondering how to reach new heights in your business without it consuming your life? Embrace the power of a Fractional CMO! Follow these 4 steps, and watch your company grow. Step 1: Delegate Level 1 tasks. Let an Executive Assistant manage your inbox/calendar to provide you with more time to focus on more pressing matters. Step 2: Begin working on Level 2. This involves delegating skilled tasks such as Customer Success, Marketing, Sales, Product, and HR. Step 3: Step up to Level 3 tasks. These include management tasks. Promote from within or hire top-notch managers. Ensure they are held accountable to specific metrics. And finally, Step 4: Progress to Level 4 tasks that involve executive leadership, vision, and direction. Identify future leaders who can take over these if you're ever considering exiting the company. A Fractional CMO can guide you through this process, taking your business to levels you've never imagined. You're not just building a business, you're creating a legacy. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gda6Mdkc #FractionsOfLeadership #BusinessMastery #AchieveWithEase

Spoke with a marketing manager and she was telling me about how difficult it was to get her boss's approval (week or months without a reply). This is a widespread problem amongst marketing teams - decision making belongs to someone who doesn't necessarily have the bandwidth to make decisions, or perhaps new initiatives aren't their priority at the moment (why fix something when it's not broken mentality). This is frustrating for marketing teams because without these major decisions being made, they are quite literally just sitting ducks. So how do we get about this? I believe that it requires deep structural change. But the easiest way to start is by giving more autonomy for marketing teams to plan and launch campaigns, and make major decisions without involving leadership. Gradually, you can implement policies and best practices regarding decision making. Over time, you'll see that teams will take on a life of their own. And innovation & creativity will come back to the table. #marketing #management