Marketing’s Leadership Gap

Here’s an uncomfortable truth: Many marketers have never seen a full P&L.

Not because they’re not smart. But because they’ve been siloed … focused on their channel, their function, their dashboard.

But when a “digital marketing manager” gets promoted to marketing director, and suddenly needs to align strategy with margin, revenue mix, and customer profitability - they are often not ready.

This isn’t about capability. It’s about exposure.

And it’s creating a leadership gap.

Great marketing leaders understand:

• How to ask for capital, and back it with a business case

• Where marketing fits into the broader operating model

• How brand and demand drive not just activity, but value

Want to bridge the gap?

Expose your team to the real numbers. Share the business goals. Invite them into budget reviews. Talk about how customer acquisition cost affects the bottom line. Encourage marketers to spend a week with Sales or Ops.

Because the next generation of marketing leadership won’t come from the dashboard. It will come from the P&L.

→ For a deeper dive, read our full Perspective: Marketing and the P&L: Why Strategic Marketers Need to Think Like Capital Allocators

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