Your job title doesn’t define your work

Something I live by in my role: departmental success means nothing unless the entire company is making progress toward its goals.

That thinking changes everything about how I approach my job—from the metrics I care about to the conversations I have with the CEO and leadership team.

I’ve moved beyond operating within the confines of a title or a narrowly defined scope. The lines between departments should be artificial, and what truly matters is taking ownership of the company’s success.

Historically, the chief marketing officer (CMO) position was often confined to brand management, campaigns, and lead generation. Critical drivers like revenue, customer retention, and renewals were the responsibility of other departments. In my role, I am responsible for aspects of the entire customer journey, from initial awareness to purchase, adoption, expansion, and renewal.

This evolution—from thinking in terms of departments to embracing company-wide accountability—is exactly where leadership needs to be. The most effective leaders don’t operate in silos, they take responsibility for outcomes across the entire customer journey and the entire organization.

DO YOU THINK LIKE A CEO?

The evolving business environment—driven by shifting customer expectations, rapid market changes, and advances in AI—demands leaders who can connect insights across functions and anticipate customer needs. Even if becoming a CEO isn’t your ultimate goal, adopting that mindset will drive you to reach even greater heights.

If you aspire to become CEO, the conventional route to that role is evolving. Today, executives who possess deep customer insight, demonstrate strategic vision, and excel at rallying cross-functional teams around a shared purpose are more valuable than ever at the highest levels of leadership. By embodying these qualities, you position yourself much closer to top leadership than you may realize.

For instance, the CMO-to-CEO path used to feel like a long shot in most industries. The typical route ran through finance or operations. But consider what is happening right now. Customer expectations shift constantly. AI is reshaping how companies communicate, sell, and serve. Markets evolve faster than annual planning cycles can keep up with. Today, advantage is defined by adaptability. The executives closest to customers, data, and the core narrative are increasingly the ones best equipped to run the company.

LEAD BEYOND BOUNDARIES

When leaders move beyond departmental boundaries they gain a holistic view of the business. This broader perspective uncovers patterns and opportunities that would otherwise remain hidden. It enables proactive identification of friction points, ensures messaging aligns with customer experiences, and leverages data from every interaction to deliver more relevant solutions.

AI makes this even more powerful. Every interaction generates data. Every touchpoint creates insight. With access to the full lifecycle, I can use that data to anticipate what customers need before they ask for it.

This approach isn’t about expanding territory or seeking power; it’s about fostering collaboration and aligning the organization around what matters most to customers and the business. It’s about recognizing that customers don’t care where one function ends and another begins—they care about seamless experiences and having their needs met.

POSITIVE CHANGE AND COLLABORATION ACROSS TEAMS

My current and former CEOs have been instrumental in helping me expand my role and think more broadly about business impact. They helped me realize I needed to stop thinking about staying in my lane and start thinking about how every decision affects company-wide outcomes from revenue to retention and customer lifetime value. That support made all the difference and has prompted me to advocate for a mindset shift that benefits both the organization and its leaders.

When I adopted that perspective, I started having different conversations with my peers. I brought different insights into leadership meetings and made different decisions about where to invest time and resources.

That shift made me better at my current job. Whether it leads to a CEO role someday is beside the point.

READY TO THINK THIS WAY?

Look at your goals. Are they department goals or company goals? If there’s a gap, close it—or at least make sure you can articulate clearly how your goals support and align with the company goals.

Look at your accountability. Do you own outcomes or activities? Measuring campaigns is excellent; however, you should ensure it’s measured in terms of revenue.

Look at your relationships with the rest of the C-suite. Are you seen as a peer, a service provider, a partner, an antagonist, manager, or stranger? The answer matters more than most CMOs realize. If you are seen as a peer and strategic partner by the rest of the C-suite it ensures alignment and credibility. The seat you occupy at the table determines whether the CMO helps set the agenda or simply executes it.

I’ve found that thinking like a CEO—regardless of title—changes how I show up. It’s made me more effective and more valuable to my current company. And yes, it’s probably made me a stronger candidate for broader roles if I ever want them. Don’t just get better for the next role. Get better for this one.

Melissa Puls is the chief marketing officer and senior vice president of customer success and renewals at Ivanti.

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