Last week I wrote a blog post on The new pressures facing revenue leadership. This was one of the most popular posts I have ever written, with numerous people emailing me to tell me that I was “spot on” and many people sharing the post with others.
It is clear to me that the role of revenue leadership has changed and as we close out 2023 and look to the year ahead, it is an opportune time to take stock of your current organization and consider if you have the right leadership team, and the right organizational design, to drive maximum growth in 2024.
Assessing your leadership team:
One of the greatest mistakes CEOs make is not regularly assessing their leadership team. As years go by, trust and relationships are built, making it difficult to understand if the market, the product, or the people are the problem when it comes to stalled growth. We never want to think that the challenge stems from our leadership not adapting, but oftentimes, fresh thinking infused into an organization can jumpstart growth and reshape the business for the future.
When assessing current leadership, it is important to understand the personality traits of your leader and how they impact their behaviors, which, in turn, affect your business. Intimately understanding the character traits that make up your leader will help you assess if they have the capability to adapt to the changing needs of the marketplace. The person who led revenue for the past few years, and the playbook they deployed, may not have the skills to adapt as the business evolves and changes. A change in leadership can be the smartest decision a CEO can make, and when done in the right way, it often opens new doors for all parties.
Optimizing organizational design:
As the line between sales and marketing becomes more blurred, organizational design must be addressed. By not thinking holistically about the revenue driving ecosystem, and realigning your organization to optimize for effectiveness, you can be losing new growth opportunities as well incurring unnecessary costs. Outdated and dysfunctional operating systems can hinder an executive’s ability to make impact and can leave leaders frustrated as they navigate through ambiguity, seeking accountability against the dependencies that drive their success.
As 2024 approaches, take a moment to step back, reflect, and look ahead. The engine for revenue growth is massively shifting, as are the roles and leadership needs associated with it. Consider if you have the right leadership in place to tackle 2024 and design an organization that will not only meet the moment but will optimize your business for what’s to come.
