6 Leadership Lessons Every CMO Should Know
CMO Times
6 Leadership Lessons Every CMO Should Know
In the fast-paced world of marketing, Chief Marketing Officers face unique challenges that demand exceptional leadership skills. This article delves into crucial leadership lessons that can transform a CMO's effectiveness, drawing from the wisdom of industry experts. From navigating high-pressure situations to fostering clear communication, these insights offer a roadmap for CMOs to excel in their pivotal roles.
- Take Ownership in High-Pressure Situations
- Market Yourself Within the Organization
- Prioritize Clarity Over Charisma
- Listen Deeply to Customer Language
- Over-Communicate in a Hybrid Environment
- Gather Feedback Before Setting Direction
Take Ownership in High-Pressure Situations
One of the most impactful leadership lessons I've learned as a CMO is the importance of taking full responsibility and handling every problem—no matter how complex or stressful—with calm, persistence, and accountability. This approach has significantly shaped the way I lead and how my team perceives leadership under pressure.
A specific example that really cemented this lesson was during a campaign involving an SMS sending platform. Due to a technical and communication mishap, a campaign was mistakenly sent out that wasn't supposed to go live. This error put the company at risk of a regulatory fine of up to $10,000. The initial reaction across the team was panic—understandably so—but I knew this was one of those defining moments where leadership is tested not by success, but by how you respond to potential failure.
Instead of shifting blame or reacting emotionally, I immediately stepped in to assess the situation. I contacted every stakeholder involved, both internal and external, and ensured we had a clear and accurate understanding of what happened. I worked closely with legal and compliance teams to prepare a detailed, well-documented report outlining the timeline, technical causes, internal communication gaps, and—most importantly—the corrective actions we had taken. I also proactively engaged the SMS platform provider to explain the error and aligned our mutual responses to minimize impact.
In the end, thanks to this structured and transparent approach, the situation was resolved without the company paying any fine. More importantly, this experience became a leadership benchmark within the team. They saw firsthand that even high-risk, high-pressure issues could be solved effectively when you take ownership, communicate clearly, and follow through until the very end.
Since then, I've emphasized this mindset in our culture. It's not just about celebrating wins—it's about showing up when things go wrong. Leading by example in crisis moments builds trust, shows resilience, and inspires the team to adopt the same calm and committed approach.
Market Yourself Within the Organization
I'm Lars Nyman, founder of Nyman Media, and a fractional CMO who's spent the last 15 years helping companies (from scrappy startups to multi-billion-dollar tech behemoths) untangle the spaghetti mess of modern marketing.
The biggest leadership lesson is that you have to market yourself inside the organization before you can expect anyone to buy into your vision for the external brand.
Most CMOs waltz in thinking their mandate gives them influence. It doesn't. Influence is earned the same way trust is earned in any high-stakes environment, and that is through consistency, clarity, and a little bit of charisma. I learned (the hard way) that if sales sees you as "just the brand guy," and finance thinks you're the department that spends money on vibes, you're dead in the water. No integrated strategy survives interdepartmental apathy. You have to lead, and lead beyond just the immediate marketing team.
I made it my mission to turn internal alignment into an art form. Weekly one-on-ones with sales and product. Monthly war-room style reviews with finance. I showed up armed with data, but spoke in plain language. You have to make marketing their problem too -- or better yet, their advantage.
Leadership is NOT about giving inspiring TED Talks in company all-hands. It's about creating conviction. People don't follow titles, but they do follow clarity and results.
This shift in mindset transformed how I lead. I now treat every leadership role like a dual campaign: one external, for customers; one internal, for hearts and minds. If the company doesn't believe in the brand, the market never will.
Happy to refine for tone or cut for length -- or elaborate.
Best,
Lars Nyman, CMO
www.nyman.media
Prioritize Clarity Over Charisma
One leadership lesson that completely reshaped my style as a CMO was: clarity beats charisma every time.
Early on, I thought inspiring my team meant being super energetic and motivating. However, I realized that no amount of energy could make up for vague direction. If people aren't crystal clear on what success looks like, they get frustrated, spin their wheels, or lose confidence.
Now, I obsess over setting extremely clear goals, priorities, and expectations—and then giving my team the freedom to own how they achieve them. I lead with clarity first, inspiration second.
How it shaped me:
I spend more time on upfront communication and aligning everyone early, which actually frees me up to be a better coach and supporter later. It's not about firing people up with speeches—it's about giving them a real path to success, and then celebrating them when they achieve it.
Listen Deeply to Customer Language
One leadership lesson that has deeply influenced my style as a CMO is the importance of listening—truly listening—to customers. Not just through surveys or sales calls, but by immersing myself in the language they use across forums, events, peer discussions, and support channels. Over time, I've learned that the most impactful campaigns aren't those built solely on creative flair or internal assumptions—they're the ones that echo the real concerns, vocabulary, and mindset of the customer.
By designing our campaigns using the exact words and phrases our customers use, we not only align with their needs—we speak directly to their world. It's a simple yet powerful shift: from "messaging at" to "conversing with." This approach makes our content more relatable, reduces resistance in sales conversations, and accelerates trust-building. In cybersecurity especially, this matters even more. Decision-makers in this space are highly aware that there is no silver bullet solution. They've seen enough vendor hype to recognize when something sounds too good to be true.
When our messaging reflects the complexity and reality of their challenges—acknowledging trade-offs, risks, and the layered nature of defense—it signals that we understand their world. It positions us not as a vendor pushing product, but as a partner grounded in real-world outcomes.
Equally important is our discipline to continuously measure the impact of these campaigns—not just in terms of engagement or conversions, but through actual customer feedback. What are they resonating with? Where are they hesitating? Which words spark clarity, and which ones create friction? We use this feedback to fine-tune our messaging and approach, closing the loop between strategy and execution.
This leadership lesson—listen deeply, design around the customer, and adapt continually—has shaped how I guide my team. It has created a culture of humility, curiosity, and accountability. Instead of pushing campaigns out into the market and hoping they land, we co-create with our audience. And that shift has made our marketing more human, more trusted, and ultimately, more effective.
Over-Communicate in a Hybrid Environment
I started a global branding and digital marketing firm 23 years ago. Before that, I was CMO at three successful startups, all of which had positive exits. As a leader, I always try to set the tone upfront with one rule: when in doubt, over-communicate. Especially now that everyone is working in a hybrid environment, it is key to set up regular emails, video calls, and conference calls.
At the beginning of a project, do not make assumptions about what people from different groups want or know; just ask or send an email. It will save you a lot of time, money, and frustration down the road. Trust me. This comes from experience. Be a good listener and make sure you hear others, their hopes, frustrations, and intentions. If the lines of communication are open and everyone makes an effort to listen and be heard, then collaboration will happen naturally and information will flow.
When you over-communicate and put employees first, a well-informed employee can steer brand perception in a positive direction despite an uncertain future. Putting your people first is not just for large companies; small businesses have the ability to reach out to their employees and make a real difference too. Effective leadership communication is not just about the message, but the method in which you communicate matters. A simple email may not suffice for a very large announcement. When communicating right now, it is not just about giving updates (good or bad); leaders need to listen too for best results. In my experience, great ideas can come from anywhere in the organization, and engagement improves when people feel heard and involved.
Gather Feedback Before Setting Direction
The most important lesson is to listen first and decide second. Early on, I rushed decisions without enough input and missed key insights from the team. Now, I prioritize gathering feedback before setting direction, which builds trust and leads to better outcomes. Strong leadership isn't about having all the answers — it's about making space for the best ideas to surface.
