Trending for 2015; CEOs are not who they used to be!

# marketing #fcmo services

Boards are reaching deeper into the companies they oversee to find executives who embrace disruptive technologies and digital media; have a proven record of innovation; are confident global citizens, able to operate in developed, emerging, and frontier markets and lead across diverse cultures; have an acute understanding of shifting demographics in their customer base; and have adaptive leadership traits, such as exceptional curiosity, open-mindedness, and the courage to act.

These attributes are some of the characteristics of a leapfrog leader. Attuned to the times, he or she has a stronger chance to uncover and release a company’s latent potential. A leapfrog leader will likely face stiff opposition in the form of vested interests and traditional practices. But he or she understands the company’s cultural norms sufficiently to ignore some of them without disrupting business continuity. 

They are still looking for chiefs with the traditional attributes of intelligence, integrity, and stamina—traits that have defined great executives for decades. But boards are now also seeking CEOs who understand signals in today’s unpredictable environment and are comfortable acting on them—abilities that directors hope will more than offset candidates’ relative inexperience.

All too often, C-level executives are overly focused on internal issues and opt to invest in familiar opportunities rather than taking bold risks.

The Slade Group can mentor you on how to best link your marketing assets for a high ROI.

All of this comes from a recent Harvard Business School faculty article in the current issue of the Harvard Business Review. It’s also important to note that the category for the article is “Succession Planning”.

Sidebar: I have some experience here too as I word for two years as the liaison and advisor from the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce’s Education & Talent Council to the Austin ISD leadership cabinet. Initially I worked behind the scenes to sharpen their focus and practices in leadership development. Then went on to help organize and present the fist Central Texas Succession Planning 2-day conference attended by 12 regional school district leaders.

It may occur to you having read this far that when disruptive succession decisions are made, they are usually made for the right reasons. They also point out, as the author does, that the new CEO will need support, vision and guidance from an active and experienced CMO.

If that vision and experience is not in place, then no matter how visionary the new CEO is, she or he will be handcuffed by their personal and professional limitations to enable marketing talent to deliver exceptional results. So what do you do?

Engage an experienced fractional chief marketing officer who can lead the new CEO’s initiatives while searching for talent and vision, not just skill sets in handling marketing automation and customer engagement functions.

This is the bridge to exceptional results. And it’s a savvy financial choice as well.

We can keep you on the B2B digital marketing effectiveness and sustainability best practices path. Or get you on it if you are not there yet. We know where you want to go. We know the right buttons to push. We get you there with a strong, measurable ROI.

Email us – info@sladegroup.com or call us – 512 799 4676. You’ll be glad you did!

Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (FCMO) Services. Concept to Content (C2C) Services. Concept to Execution (C2E) Services. Marketing Consultation Package.