Getting Things Done Is a Superpower
Over the years, I have noticed a quiet skill that separates those marketing professionals who keep moving up the corporate ladder, some as high as the CEO level, from those who only rise a rung or two or not at all. This skill is the ability to get things done. “The risers” consistently complete projects, and in doing so, they stack up wins. And over time, those wins get noticed.
At this point, you may be saying to yourself, “Wait, that is not a skill and certainly not a superpower,” so let me explain.
As marketing professionals settle into their careers, they get comfortable with reviewing concepts and providing feedback. Some love it. They have their hands in everything. They see a headline that could be stronger, and suggest an alternative. They find a photo that better represents the product’s or service’s benefits. If a button would look better with rounded corners, they note it.
Don’t get me wrong – details matter. They always have. But not all details matter equally.
One of the most valuable skills a marketing leader can develop is knowing when to keep polishing and when to move the work forward. From my experience, the people who grow into bigger roles are usually not the ones who need to touch every detail. They are the ones who know when to let go.
They get more campaigns launched each year.
They get websites launched in seven months rather than 17 months.They get sales materials into the hands of the people who need them.
They get things done.
Progress Creates Momentum
Marketing is not an art project. The work is not meant to be admired and inspected. It is meant to move people.
A campaign needs to generate leads.
An email needs to get opened, read, and acted on.
A landing page needs to help someone take the next step.
A website update needs to make information easier to find.
When projects stall over small details, momentum disappears. Teams lose energy. Timelines stretch. Opportunities pass. And the organization gets less value from the time, money, and thinking already invested in the work.
That does not mean marketing professionals should accept sloppy work. Far from it. Quality still matters. Accuracy matters. Compliance matters.
But there is a big difference between improving the work and obsessing over the work.
Improving the work makes it stronger.
Obsessing over the work keeps it from seeing the light of day.
The Best Leaders Know Which Details Matter
Strong marketing leaders know their stuff. They understand strategy, brand, audience, timing, internal politics, and the realities of execution. They also understand something less glamorous but just as important: Not every decision deserves the same amount of time.
Some decisions can change the outcome of a project. These are worth careful thought. For example:
- Is the message clear?
- Is the audience right?
- Is the offer strong enough?
- Is the call to action easy to understand?
- Is the campaign aligned with the business goal?
- Is the information accurate and compliant?
- Will this help the customer, patient, member, prospect, or sales team?
Those are meaningful questions. They deserve attention.
Other decisions are usually less important. Should the headline use “start” or “begin”? Should the stock photo show a person holding a mug or standing near a window? Should a paragraph be moved slightly higher on the page?
Sometimes those details matter. Often, they do not matter enough to hold up the project.
The trick is learning the difference. That judgment is a superpower.
Think in Terms of the Overall Portfolio
Marketing success rarely comes from a handful of perfect projects. Instead, it comes from a portfolio of consistently successful projects. Think about the opportunity cost of spending too much time and budget fine-tuning details that don’t determine a project’s success or failure. That usually results in other meaningful projects not getting done.
A campaign will be pushed to next year. The white paper won’t be available at the launch of your new product. Your sales team won’t get the tool they requested six months ago. On the flip side, if you aren’t bogged down in every project, you are delivering more for your organization.
A marketing leader who launches five good projects will usually create more value than one who spends the same amount of time trying to make three projects flawless.
That may feel uncomfortable, especially for people who care deeply about the work. But perfection is expensive. It costs time, focus, budget, and morale. And after a certain point, the payoff isn’t worth it.
Be a Marketing Leader Who Rises
Here are some practical ways you can build a track record of progress:
- Ask yourself if you feel more comfortable making suggestions about the details than making the call to move forward. Are you nervous about finding out how the market will respond or how others within the organization will judge the work, so you focus on the minutiae? Remember, one of the defining characteristics of a leader is their ability to make decisions and move initiatives forward.
- When reviewing materials, perform a simple test: Ask yourself, “Will this change the outcome?” If the answer is yes, dig in. Make the change. If the answer is no, or probably not, move forward. This does not mean you ignore details. It means you put them in context. There is a difference between unclear messaging and “I might have said it differently.”
- Help create a culture where productivity matters. When every project gets picked apart, people become cautious. They stop offfering fresh ideas. They wait for direction instead of solving problems. They spend more energy avoiding criticism than creating results. Demonstrate the ability to care about quality without confusing it with perfection.
- Adopt the concept of perpetual improvement. One reason marketing leaders get stuck is that they treat every project like a permanent monument. Most marketing work is not permanent. Messaging can evolve. Emails can be tested. Websites and landing pages can be updated. Sales materials can be revised. Free yourself and your team by learning, adapting, and improving.
- Spend your energy where it will make the biggest difference. Protect the strategy. Clarify the message. Strengthen the offer. Remove friction. Make sure the work serves the audience and supports the business. Then launch it. Momentum matters. Keep your team, brand, business, and career moving forward.
Written by: Robert Parker, Partner, Lightstream Group
