• by Mat Zucker , August 7, 2025

The CMO’s job is fast, relentless, and rewarding—but more than ever, it demands managing two opposing truths at once: paradoxes, tensions, two sides of the same coin. As marketing accelerates and complexity deepens, this duality isn’t a quirk; it’s the job.

Now and later. We have to operate at two speeds: what’s urgent and what’s important. On any given day, we’re increasing inbound leads, finalizing a campaign, or responding to finance. But we’re also building for the future: developing the marketing plan for the second half of the year, redesigning the team structure, shaping a new persona framework. The trick is not to let one speed crowd out the other.

Demand a lot—and forgive a little. Set the bar high with your team. Share bold ideas and encourage theirs. Expect more even with the same constraints. Most people rise to the occasion, and they appreciate being treated like someone with high potential. But also leave room for missteps. Deadlines get missed. People stretch too far. Things break. Holding space for both pressure and grace is how teams grow.

Serve internally—and look externally. As you do a listening tour—across the executive team or with key internal partners—go outside, too. Talk to peers at other firms, clients, and industry contacts. What does success look like for them? How do they measure events and sponsorships? How do they present to their board? What’s worked for them? Share it all back. That triangulation—internal and external—builds credibility fast.

Please the many—and disappoint a few. In corporate marketing, your peers are often your clients. Collaboration matters, but not every request is possible—or wise. Say no with empathy, explain the rationale, and still find ways to delight. Sometimes that means nominating a colleague for an award they didn’t expect, or engaging them with a question about how to market their practice area. Or turning a framework they created into something bigger, amplified in the market. Surprise is a powerful tool.

Direct—and stay hands-on. If you’re a leader who stays sharp and grounded by being in the work, not just on top of it, you can move deals and programs along faster. Create a custom GPT for a workflow. Take the first pass at the editorial calendar.

But this only works if you can give your team speed, too. Coach, offer input, make an introduction, then step back and watch them make it their own. Leadership isn’t about control—it’s about momentum.

Marketing leadership isn’t clean or linear. It’s a series of tradeoffs, tensions, and tiny decisions. You constantly need to step out front for your company while always having your team’s back. That duality isn’t going away. It’s what makes the job hard, and what makes it matter.