As a revenue marketing leader, you're not just a marketer. You're someone who sees opportunities where others see challenges, and who inspires your team to reach new heights. But how do you take your team from good to great? How do you foster a culture of growth, innovation, and collaboration?
The answer is as complicated as it’s simple: Put your people first.
Being a people-first leader isn't what corporate taglines make it sound like. Putting your people first isn't (just) about offering good benefits or even competitive pay, though those things matter more than you'd think.
To focus your efforts and priorities, aim to be:
Human and real
Lead by example when it comes to making space for emotions and real life. Respect that your team isn’t always going to want or be able to put work first and encourage them to take all their time off.
Find opportunities for the team to get to know each other as people instead of only ever talking about work and share resources/information that help them understand your approach to not just work, but life in general.
Inclusive and welcoming
Continue to learn and challenge the status quo. There’s so much still to do when it comes to a truly inclusive workplace where everyone can feel safe being themselves.
Follow thought leaders who know much more about this work and share their knowledge. Keep educating yourself on inclusion and diversity efforts, and champion the voices of marginalized groups that are still not being heard.
Supportive and understanding
Always look for better ways to listen, and never think you know better just because you’re “the boss.” Continue to find better ways to be respectful of your team’s time by keeping meetings on time and efficient, and only scheduling them when needed.
Share information downward whenever possible and give your team space to share their expertise without always peeking over their shoulder.
Hannah Wesson
Inquisitive and open
Don’t get complacent. There’s always more to learn and everyone has a perspective worth sharing. Work to create a team environment where everyone feels heard, valued, and respected.
Support not only your own learning but also opportunities for your team to keep learning more about the things they care about most so that they can keep bringing their unique perspective to the team.
Clear and decisive
Be as honest and open as possible when it comes to what you know, and never hesitate to ask the right questions.
Work on really believing in your own confidence as a leader by trusting your own leadership and hang onto that confidence to maintain your clarity and ability for decisive action.
It’s no small task to take on the building and maintenance of tomorrow’s most successful revenue marketing teams. Let's explore some strategies that can help you lead and maintain a team of marketers who are ready for what comes next.
How to grow a future-ready team
1) Embrace a learner’s mindset
The most successful marketing teams are constantly learning and evolving. They’re adaptable, innovative, and always on the lookout for new ways to reach customers.
To foster this kind of culture, set annual and quarterly goals that are focused on experimentation and learning. But remember – it's not just about reaching those goals. It's about the journey. It's about embracing a learner’s mindset and seeing every challenge as an opportunity to grow.
It’s also about making sure you’re sharing priorities and monitoring bandwidth to give your people the time they need to learn. Which leads right into the second strategy.
2) Make room for creativity
Creativity thrives when there's room to breathe. As a leader, it's your job to ensure your team has that space.
Aim to keep your team at 80% capacity as often as possible. This will give them the time and energy they need to think creatively and come up with innovative solutions.
Then make sure they understand that failure isn’t a problem but an opportunity to learn something new about what to try next. Creativity only happens in spaces where your team feels valued, trusted, and supported to fail fast and try out what could be new and next.
This is how you lay the groundwork for our third strategy.
Hannah Wesson
3) Foster the right culture
The right culture can make all the difference. Ensure your team has the support they need, whether it's training, the right tools, or simply the space to think big.
Creating a culture of empathy, honesty, and a people-first approach can empower your team to take risks and keep learning. This will not only improve their performance but also help them stay connected.
Teams that support each other, understand their role in the organization, and are armed with the right tools and support to get the job done well are the ones that drive real marketing growth and, in the end, make the fourth strategy possible.
4) Give marketing a voice
Marketing should have not just a seat but a voice at the decision-making table. This gives your highest-level leaders the chance to understand and value the unique perspective that marketing brings to your organization.
It means ensuring your team is not just present, but actively involved in key discussions and decisions. Think of your internal stakeholders as clients. Pitch to them with the same expertise and confidence you would an external client and remember that marketing drives the sales your organization depends on.
This also means making sure you’re tightly aligned with sales, product, communications, and any other teams that support or are supported by your marketing efforts. Everyone driving toward shared goals cuts down on double work and ultimately leads to business growth.
Strategies for smarter team leadership and growth: Closing thoughts
Leading and growing a marketing team isn't easy. But with the right strategies, you can transform your team from good to great.
You can create a team that's not just ready for the future, but actively shaping it. It all comes down to leveraging the skills you already have as a part of your revenue marketing team. Essential revenue marketing skills – including analytical thinking, curiosity, humility, empathy, reflection, communication, motivation, and creativity – can all be leveraged to help you enhance your team’s strengths and grow your team with new members ready to fill existing gaps and improve the team’s overall value.
The journey from a good to a great revenue marketing team begins with you, the leader. A leader who is real, inclusive, supportive, open, and decisive can foster a work environment rooted in trust, creativity, respect, and continuous growth.
Embrace a learner's mindset and encourage your team to do the same. Provide your team with the room to innovate, create, and occasionally fail – because that's where real growth occurs.
Remember, the right culture, where each individual feels valued and supported, can ignite unprecedented levels of success. Include marketing's unique voice in decision-making processes, ensuring your team's input is heard, valued, and impactful.
With these strategies, you can evolve your team from good to great, setting the stage for unparalleled success and growth.
The future of revenue marketing is bright, and it's in your hands. Make the right strategic moves today and create a team that has unlocked its full potential – which is, ultimately, the pathway to your organization's exponential growth. It's time to lead, nurture, and inspire your revenue marketing team on the journey from good to great.
About the author
Heather Hurd (she/her) is an inclusive senior marketing leader with more than a decade of experience in both agency and in-house marketing. Skilled at enhancing the content marketing process from start to finish, Heather is currently CMO at Dusk Marketing; helping reconnect your audiences to what really makes you special.
Heather is experienced in creating engaging, insightful marketing experiences in B2B and B2C markets, focusing on developing brand identities and deliverables that engage, inform, and delight audiences. Heather is an American living with her family in Delft, Netherlands. In her spare time, she loves to read and explore her adopted home.
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