Building extraordinary is an ongoing process that requires commitment and a clear vision. Leaders must focus on cultivating a culture of excellence, empowerment, and transparency to align with the company’s goals. If you’re striving for excellence with your team, learning from experienced experts is the best way to succeed. I recently had the opportunity to chat with Casey Carey, CMO of Quantive, where he shared his insights on building connected and high-performing marketing teams, developing leadership skills, and managing misalignment within groups. This interview is part of G2’s Professional Spotlight series. To receive more content like this, subscribe to G2 Tea, a monthly newsletter featuring SaaS-y news and entertainment.
Warm-up questions:
1. What is your favorite beverage and when do you enjoy it?
2. What was your first job?
3. What is your favorite software in your current tech stack?
4. What work problems make you want to throw your laptop out the window?
Deep dives with Casey Carey:
Washija Kazim: Let’s start by revisiting your professional journey. Can you give us an overview of how you entered the marketing field and became Quantive’s CMO?
Casey Carey: I have an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering. After college, I worked on designing hardware and writing software for defense systems. However, I soon realized that coding every day was monotonous and that I enjoyed the bigger picture aspects. Looking back, I can identify six major career pivots that led me to where I am today. I transitioned into program and project management and then joined a startup where my technical background allowed me to move into product management. Due to my affinity for the bigger picture, I eventually shifted into product marketing and ultimately became a CMO. My engineer friends jokingly say I’ve gone to the dark side, but it was a natural progression for me because I love data, science, psychology, creativity, and strategy. Being a CMO allows me to combine all these elements into one role, something I wouldn’t have predicted 20 years ago.
Washija Kazim: Were there any specific experiences or milestones that defined your journey towards a marketing career?
Casey Carey: Absolutely. In the mid-nineties, I worked for a company called Customer Insight Company. They were the first to introduce a marketing database on a desktop computer, which was a significant advancement from the mainframe and micro systems of the time. It was during this role that I realized there is a scientific side to marketing. Prior to that, I had considered marketing to be all fluff and a waste of time and money. However, this experience exposed me to the power of marketing and made me appreciate its impact. Additionally, my time at Google, spanning four and a half years, was influential in shaping my understanding of marketing. Working with top marketers and advertisers gave me exposure to the best in the industry and elevated my perception of marketing’s potential. I learned that marketing involves both data-driven science and creative psychology, and it’s the fusion of these elements that drives successful outcomes.
Washija Kazim: Let’s shift gears and focus on your role as a leader and how it has evolved. How would you describe your leadership style, and what qualities do you believe a successful CMO should possess?
Casey Carey: Describing my leadership style could take hours. In the early stages of my career, I predominantly worked in startups and high-growth tech companies. In such environments, leadership revolves around accomplishing tasks. There’s a constant sense of urgency, and you learn to thrive in ambiguity, make the most of limited resources, and foster collaboration and motivation. This shaped my leadership style initially. However, my perspective shifted when I joined Google and realized that a leader’s primary responsibility is taking care of their people, not just getting things done. I understood that by investing in people, the work would naturally follow. This change in mindset transformed my approach to leadership.
Google had a phase where they eliminated all their managers, deeming them unnecessary. However, they soon realized their mistake and recognized that managers were crucial to the company’s success. After extensive research, they developed the Oxygen Attributes framework, which outlines ten attributes of a good leader. Half of these attributes focus on people, while the other half emphasize task completion. The top leadership attributes include having a vision, strategy, and purpose for the team; fostering trust, respect, and a safe space for employees; providing coaching and development opportunities; empowering the team instead of micromanaging; and promoting accountability. These attributes shift the focus to hiring exceptional individuals, setting clear objectives, and enabling their success. This experience at Google was a pivotal moment in my career and greatly influenced how I lead my teams.
Washija Kazim: What sparked your interest in building connected and high-performing marketing teams? Besides your time at Google, were there any other factors that contributed to this interest?
Casey Carey: There are several factors at play. People often refer to it as culture and values, but I prefer to think of it as a mindset comprising three main components: mindset, guidance, and operation. The mindset aspect encompasses who you hire, promote, and let go of within your team. For me, it’s essential to establish a culture that values connectedness and high performance.
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