We applaud brave CMOs. They check boxes, run tests, optimize processes, and execute competently. But the CMOs we truly love to work with? Those are the bold ones.

The bold CMO walks in and isn't afraid to rip out everything that isn't working—not recklessly, but with clarity of vision. They say what everyone else thinks but won't say out loud. They call bullshit when they see it. And they're willing to do the hard, unpopular things because they know those things will drive real revenue impact.

The Pens and Mugs Problem

One of the biggest areas where we see bullshit is this: companies treat marketing like the "pens and mugs department."

They don't say it out loud, but that's how they behave. Marketing is a cost center. Marketing is supporting sales. Marketing is order-taking. Marketing is not a business unit responsible for revenue.

The bold CMO walks in and fundamentally challenges that narrative. They say: "This stops today. I am running a business unit. I do make a business impact. And here's how it's going to happen."

Then they re-engineer marketing from the bottom up, from the top down, and from left to right.

What Bold Actually Looks Like

Being bold doesn't mean chaos. It doesn't mean ripping the tablecloth off without a plan. Bold CMOs are disciplined. They have a clear vision, and they execute methodically—but they move with urgency.

We've seen bold CMOs:

  • Make tough people decisions. They inherit talented, well-meaning teams that lack the skills the future demands. They let those people go with kindness, but they do it anyway. Because marketing organizations are built on the right talent for the work that needs to be done.

  • Turn down money. We know a bold CMO who said no to over $1 million to replace components of their MarTech stack. Why? Because they knew it wouldn't make them better. It would make them worse. Who turns down a million dollars? Someone with conviction.

  • Challenge the playbook. They question why you need to modernize the tech stack. They ask: What's not working now? Why do we need to replace this if we're not using what we have? They refuse to be another victim of MarTech madness—stacking applications on top of applications until nothing works.

  • Change organizational structure. They redesign reporting lines, create new roles, eliminate outdated functions. They ask: "Does this org structure support the vision I have for marketing?" If the answer is no, they change it.

The CMO Tenure Problem

Here's the harsh truth: CMOs have about 18 months to prove what they're doing. That's not a lot of runway.

Compare that to a college football coach who gets 4-5 years and millions in investment. Yet those coaches are getting fired after 2-3 seasons if they don't deliver. Now imagine a CMO with even less political capital and less runway than that. How can you not be bold?

The alternative—playing it safe, checking boxes, avoiding upset—is a guaranteed path to failure. You'll spend 18 months optimizing a broken system instead of transforming it.

The Characteristics of a Bold CMO

Based on what we've seen over 15+ years of working with transformation leaders, bold CMOs share these traits:

1. They're change agents.
That's why they were hired. They know how to affect change, and they have a track record of doing it.

2. Their teams bring ideas, not just obedience.
If only the CMO is coming up with ideas for change, the team isn't working. Bold CMOs surround themselves with people who challenge them and contribute ideas. The best ones create a culture where that's encouraged.

3. They're willing to be unpopular.
They do things that make business sense even if they don't make people happy. That's leadership.

4. They're extraordinary communicators.
This might be the most underrated trait. Transformation doesn't happen because a CMO has a brilliant strategy. It happens because that CMO repeats the message—hundreds, even thousands of times—to different audiences in ways that resonate with each of them.

We've even written "stump speeches" for CMOs: political-style talking points that they repeat in every meeting, to every level, adapted for each audience. The message stays consistent. The delivery doesn't.

5. They make a nine-minute plan, not a 90-day plan.
On day one of a new role, you can't interview everyone, review the budget, and come back after 90 days with your vision like Moses descending from the mountaintop. That doesn't work anymore.

Instead, bold CMOs ask: "What am I doing today? This week? What's the first win I can deliver?" They break transformation into smaller pieces and move immediately.

6. They're extraordinarily curious.
They ask "why" and "why not." They look over the horizon. They understand not just next-quarter technology trends, but where customers are going. And they create organizations agile enough to move with that change.

Agility Is the Hallmark

Here's what we know: The world we live in right now demands agility. It demands the ability to change quickly and effectively. If you don't have an agile organization, you will struggle.

That's the bold CMO's superpower. They don't just have a future vision—they bring it into the now. They move.

The Real Question

The market today requires the bold CMO. The comfortable, optimizing, box-checking CMO will be left behind.

So the question isn't whether being brave or bold matters. It's whether you—or the CMO on your team—are willing to be bold.

Are you going to challenge the status quo? Make hard decisions? Communicate relentlessly? Move with urgency?

Or are you going to optimize your way into irrelevance?

The answer to that question will define whether marketing becomes a genuine revenue partner in your organization or remains the pens and mugs department.

This post is based on an episode of Revenue Marketing Raw with Jeff Pedowitz and Dr. Debbie Qaqish. Tune in to Revenue Marketing Raw for weekly conversations on revenue marketing strategy, transformation, and leadership.