Conscious leadership for marketing leaders
Conscious leadership could sound a little 'woke' or 'snowflakey' but the reality of the situation is that the twenty-first century needs forward-thinking and empathetic marketing leadership.
What is conscious leadership?
Conscious leadership is about leading beyond the immediate tasks, projects or objectives. It’s about taking initiative to consider the ‘hidden’ that is all around us: our employee’s emotional health, our working environment, our local community, the environment, our planet, and protecting its future with our present actions.
In short, being a conscious leader is about bringing more humanity and humility into the workspace.
Why do marketing leaders need to become conscious leaders?
We all know the global economy isn't working in its current form, the signs are clear, covid-19 is one example of how mankind has encroached on our finely balanced natural ecosystem. Around the world, democratic governments are disappointing their people. Resources are being depleted. Forests are being destroyed to make space for intensive farming. Fact is, we all have a responsibility to make changes for our collective future.
As individuals, we are being begged to do our part by younger generations who have a much keener sense of the economic and environmental damage, seemingly being left for them, to fix. Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai are just a couple of the conscious leaders the world requires, however, they require the rest of our society to act on the messages they promote.
Many business leaders are realising that they have a part to play in the global change that is required yet so many more are ignoring the signs and assume that ‘things will get better on their own’. Positive impact, strong values and conscious leadership are all core elements that many younger employees want from their employer and customers are becoming more eco-savvy toward the purchases they are making. So in short, driving conscious and ethical change is a commercial decision that will see many businesses lagging behind in coming months and years.
As marketing leaders, we’re the natural change-makers within an organisation, we have influence internally and externally, with both competitors and collaborators. So why aren't more marketing leaders standing up and taking responsibility for their stake in this much-needed global change?
It’s too easy to surf the status quo…
Marketing leaders are often caught between a rock and a hard place, with the 'powers that be' demanding hard figures and smashed targets, the audience, seemingly, being fickle with their wants, needs and desires and media outlets scorning ‘green-washing’ or being critical of progress. With our time constraints, endless deadlines and award-winning juggling skills, we marketing leaders often become burdened with the day-to-day tasks, rather than taking a step back in order to wayfind our future location. It’s a tough gig.
Many organisations have a top-down approach where strategy is fed from the C-suite down - often their objectives are financially driven, thinking of the bottom line before people or the planet. The real cost of this short-sightedness is a snowballing negative impact to our environment, inhabitants and ultimately the economy.
Creating positive impact is a long-term strategy, one that requires incremental adaptation, bloody-mindedness and powers of influence to promote change in all directions. These are skills a conscious leader in marketing possesses.
How can marketing leaders balance this juxtaposition of quarterly targets with making positive change?
Think of your marketing leadership as a sustainable business practice. It’s no longer about profit margins alone but how your organisation can meet future expectations for our planet and our people.
Any change initiative starts with 'the self' and by practicing and displaying the behaviours and output you wish to see in others, you'll be one step ahead of the competition, so lead by example and inspire your team.
As marketing leaders it’s our duty to be the eyes and the ears of the organisation. Take time to listen, watch and feel your way through the environmental and economic issues being discussed by others in your industry and organisation. What are their challenges and how might this relate to your objectives? What are they doing well and how could this be improved upon?
Prioritise your organisations’ positive impact. Outsource and delegate the day-to-day tasks whilst steering on the big picture strategy. Ask questions such as: How can your marketing strategy pivot to incorporate sustainable development goals? Or, What impact do we currently have on our immediate community and how can we create more positive impact for the inhabitants?
Work with social enterprises (such as Hoxby). Through our sustainable business practices, innovative thinking, positive impact work and brand new charitable foundation we can help you become a conscious leader and deliver positive impact through your business objectives. Could an external supplier provide the positive impact you desire to help fast-track your conscious leadership?
Is it time to look at things differently? We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch at cath@ipsaconsulting.co.uk.