Lessons, Resilience, and Radical Cando(u)r

Thank you HotTopics for today's Marketing Studio event at the prestigious BAFTA🎬 venue. As always, great content, discussion and a masterclass in professional growth and marketing leadership. I came away with three thoughts:

1️⃣ Success Is Not a Straight Line

From the “fail fast” mantra of GenAI innovation to CMO insights on embracing feedback, the message was clear: failure is a stepping stone, not a roadblock. Chris Blaik, David Keene, and Sally Croft reminded us to treat setbacks as teachable moments. Success isn’t about perfection—it’s about resilience and the ability to adapt.

2️⃣ Self-Awareness Fuels Great Leadership

Kim Scott’s Radical Cando(u)r provided a lens to understand how directive coaching and self-reflection are interconnected. Whether it’s holding up the metaphorical mirror or nurturing team wellbeing, self-awareness is the bedrock of authentic leadership. “Don’t take feedback personally” might be a tough pill to swallow for many of us, but it’s essential for growth!

3️⃣ Marketing Is Evolving—Are We?

The panel on next-gen marketing unveiled a shifting landscape where creativity meets data-driven insights. Faith Wheller, Carrie Heath, Emma Acton and then Mika Yamamoto highlighted that the focus shouldn't be on tools but on outcomes. Be customer-first, be super clear on talent acquisition, and adapt your style to generational expectations. We need to ask: are we evolving quickly enough?

Anyway, great to see so many familiar faces (Helen Gillbe, Andy Grant, Faith Wheller and more) and well done Philip Randerson, Peter Stojanovic and team!

#Leadership #CMOLessons #NextGenMarketing