Madhur Aggarwal

Leaders know loneliness. When I was a CEO, I sought insight and comfort from like-minded leaders, and I speak at length about personal boards of directors in my book. But I also read books. I recently worked with Shepherd.com - Discover Amazing Books on my top 5 books for leaders feeling lonely. These books helped when things were tough. Check them out here: https://lnkd.in/gJWTHeiY Which books helped you? 👇

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More Than Just the 'ING': Redefining CMO Impact in the AI Era With only 41 marketers on Fortune 1000 boards and less than 3% of board members having marketing experience, CMOs face a critical perception challenge. We're often seen as masters of the 'ING' (doing) rather than the 'MARKET' (insights informing strategic thinking). The ING is in service of the MARKET, not the other way around. The AI era offers a unique opportunity to show this and change the narrative. I love the thought of changing the Chief Marketing Officer title to Chief Market Officer. It's an appealing idea, but let's be clear: a title change alone won't solve our perception problem. We need to earn that title through real, strategic impact. This perception issue extends beyond CMOs to the entire marketing organization. To elevate our position, we must showcase the strategic impact of every marketing role. Our credibility as leaders depends on demonstrating our team's business value. In my previous post (https://lnkd.in/g7nUMZ9N), I explored how various marketing functions, from Product Marketing to Marketing Ops, contribute far beyond common perceptions. As CMOs, we must amplify these high-level contributions. AI presents a transformative opportunity to accelerate this shift from 'ING' to 'MARKET' thinking. By automating tactical tasks, AI frees us to focus on strategic market analysis and decision-making. Imagine AI deepening our market understanding and improving customer engagement. This isn't just about speed; it's about positioning marketing at the core of business growth. McKinsey reports that AI in marketing could generate $1.4 to $2.6 trillion in business value. To capitalize on this, CMOs must: ► Invest in AI skills across teams ► Align AI initiatives with C-suite and business goals ► Use AI to demonstrate each marketing function's strategic impact ► Lead in AI ethics and responsible use In my Marketing Profs article last year (see link in the comments, https://lnkd.in/gY6nNy9b), I noted that embracing AI responsibly allows CMOs to overcome outdated perceptions, becoming strategic growth drivers and catalysts for organizational change. I also discussed how to do this showcasing six distinct AI use cases. The time to act is now. Let's reset expectations, upskill our teams, and amplify marketing's strategic value. As we transform our team's perception and demonstrate our market-driven approach, we'll naturally evolve the CMO role. Only then will we truly earn the title of Chief Market Officer – not just in name, but in function and respect. How are you leveraging AI to enhance your marketing team's strategic relevance? Share below. #ChiefMarketOfficer #CMO #AIinMarketing #StrategicMarketing #ResponsibleAI GrowthPath Partners

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