CMOs Must Worry Less About Being Fired, Worry More About Being a Good Leader

Founder and CEO of The Marketing Academy, Sherilyn Shackell, has a clear message for current and aspiring CMOs: the role is changing, and those looking to become the CMOs of the future need to be “a business leader who happens to know marketing.”

“I've often said that it doesn't matter how crap you are as a marketer, if you are an exceptional leader, you can do brilliant things,” Sherilyn told the room at AANA’s RESET conference on Thursday in Sydney. 

Ultimately, Sherilyn argued, “CMOs are best candidates for CEO roles.”

“They are uniquely positioned to drive growth through their deep understanding of customers, their ability to align strategies for the business objectives, and their exceptional leadership skills,” she said. 

“I really believe that marketers, at their best, are the best leaders in the world, because marketing as an industry, as a sector, as a function, is the only real function in any business that can influence every single human being on the planet.”

But she warned against falling victim to ‘tall poppy syndrome’, using the example of two applications to The Marketing Academy. One question asks applicants to outline any external items that speak to their reputation – like personal awards and keynote features. One American applicant provided multiple pages of content.

By comparison, an applicant from the UK – which Sherilyn said shared similarities with Australian applicants – wrote they were “not very good” at putting themselves out there and hoped The Marketing Academy course would help with that.

“It’s called ‘tall poppy syndrome,’” said Sherilyn. “What the fuck is that? Do you know what you're doing? You're medicalising really bad behaviour.

“It is not okay to rip people down. It is okay to celebrate and promote really good shit, and it is okay to be out there on the public stage being a cheerleader for your brand and your company.

“Your culture is defined by the worst behavior you tolerate. So stop tolerating it, start getting behind people and stop being fearful of what others think.”

However, she dug into just how pervasive CMOs’ fear is. Sherilyn referenced a poll she had taken, asking current CMOs what was keeping them up at night.

The most overwhelming concern was “will I be fired?”. Other responses included AI implications, relationships with the CEO, the macroeconomic environment, and erosion of marketing budgets – but Sherilyn returned to the “will I be fired?” question with the advice, “You have to be prepared to be fired.”

“I do realise the cost of property down here, and that as soon as you get that really big CMO job, your mortgage goes up proportionally. Then you get terrified that you're going to lose your job, and you're going to lose your house,” Sherilyn semi-joked.

“I understand that, but if you are not prepared to be fired for the thing that you are trying to get that board to elect you for, then I'm sorry that you do not deserve that role, and you certainly will not deserve to become a CEO – because they risk being fired every single day.”

She added, “you will never not work. You may not have the job you want, you may not like the culture of the company, and it may be a smaller salary. But if you choose this, you'll never be out of work. 

“You can do some consulting, do some things in the interim, but you'll never not work. So let the fear go.”

Sherilyn advised marketers who are recruiting to remember “it’s better to have a hole than an asshole,” and observed being a true leader means ultimately being empathetic.

A CMO needs ”really good support around you that you curate.” This comes in the form of four main supports: “You need informative mentors who can give you advice. You need a coach who asks you the right questions to come up with solutions yourself. You need a supporter, that's the person whose shoulder you cry on. And you need a champion to talk about you positively while you're not in the room.”

Borrowing from the phrase ‘to walk a mile in someone’s shoes’, Sherilyn told the room it’s crucial for an aspiring or current CMO to do what they can to experience the lives of others they work with – both upwards and downwards on the chain of command. She also advised marketers to think about what they can give, and inspire people where possible. 

“You should think about how to align what you do to help people,” said Sherilyn.

“We're all very hard to get. How do I get my CFO to give me more budget? How do I get my CEO to listen to me? How do I get my customers to give more? How do I screen my agencies?

“But what we should do as leaders is think about what we can give. What can I give to our CFO to make their life easier? What can I give to my CEO to support them more? What can I give to my clients and my customers to make their lives easier? What can I give?”