Sustaining Creative Motivation in High-Pressure Roles

I’ve seen the “unprecedented times” before (𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺). A couple of bad quarters. A major leadership shake-up. Budget slashes from the top. Or today—an unpredictable mix of economic pressure, political noise, and public fatigue. The ripple effect is real. Even the most energetic, collaborative teams start to feel cautious. Uncertain. Quiet. So how do you keep your marketing team grounded—and inspired—when everything outside your four walls feels unstable? Here’s what’s worked for me: 𝟭. 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀 When the big picture feels overwhelming, focus on the progress you can see. Did a campaign outperform its benchmarks? Did a team member solve a tricky problem? Highlight it. Momentum is built one small win at a time. 𝟮. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 It’s easy to lose sight of the “why” when the “what” feels heavy. Clarity is power. Remind your team how their work impacts the business—and more importantly, the customers. Marketing has the power to make people’s lives better. Tap into that purpose. 𝟯. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 Pressure can stifle creativity, so carve out moments for your team to think outside the box. Encourage a “what if?” mindset. Host brainstorms without strict objectives or encourage them to experiment with new ideas—even if they don’t have an immediate business case. Creativity thrives in safe spaces. 𝟰. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆  People work best when they feel seen and supported. Take the time to check in with your team—not just on projects but on how they’re feeling. Show up for them as humans, not just employees. When they know you’re in their corner, they’ll bring their best to the table. Tough times will come for all of us sooner or later, and their an opportunity to learn what you’re really made of. The way you lead your team through times like these is what will stick in their memory. How have you kept your team inspired during challenging seasons? Let’s swap ideas. #leadership #marketing #cmo

Minimal resources, tight timelines, high expectations. We've all been there. Here’s how I deliver big projects in tough times as a VP of Engineering: ▪️ Prioritize with Purpose -When you can’t do everything, focus on the right things. Ruthlessly align efforts with goals that deliver the most value. ▪️Foster Creativity Through Constraints - Limitations can force you to think outside the box. Invite your team to find clever, simple solutions that might never have been considered with a big budget. ▪️Communicate Relentlessly - When resources are tight, the margin for error shrinks. Make sure every team member understands the plan, their role, and the "why" behind each decision. ▪️Build Team Resilience- Celebrate wins--big and small. When your team feels appreciated and focused, they’re more likely to rally together and innovate under pressure. One of my most vivid memories as a technical executive was doing exactly this- leading a high-visibility initiative where the budget felt more like a suggestion than a reality. There’s nothing quite like delivering a big project on a shoestring budget. I remember sitting in a room with my team, staring at a list of features and a budget that made us all laugh nervously. But instead of despairing, we got creative. We started by ruthlessly prioritizing: “What’s the one thing that will deliver the most value?” We questioned everything--every line of code, every resource allocation, every timeline--to ensure it was necessary and impactful. The result? A launch that exceeded expectations. We didn’t have everything we wanted, but we focused on delivering what mattered most. Looking back, I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. It taught me that innovation isn’t about having all the resources--it’s about making the best of what you’ve got. Have you ever had to deliver something when resources were tight? How did you approach it? and what did you learn along the way? Drop your story in the comments--I’d love to hear how you thrived under pressure!

𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬? Last week, during an Executive Presence retreat, I asked senior business leaders a simple question: 𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ-𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠? Their responses were both insightful and practical. Here are the top five creative strategies they shared: 𝟏. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤 One leader shared how he kicks off meetings with a fun question or a quick anecdote. It sets a positive tone and encourages open conversations. “When the room starts with joy,” he said, “we operate with more ease and confidence.” 𝟐. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 Another leader, managing a high-pressure team, introduced short ‘breather breaks’—just five minutes to step away from screens. “Without these pauses, stress builds up and erodes composure. Now, my team comes back sharper and more engaged.” 𝟑. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦 One CXO spoke about turning brainstorming into a game. “Instead of asking for solutions in a rigid format, I invite ridiculous ideas first. It removes fear, and surprisingly, the best solutions emerge from the most outrageous suggestions.” 𝟒. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞—𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 A senior leader reflected on how his internal mindset affects the team. “If they see me rushing from call to call, constantly stressed, they’ll mirror it. So I started blocking time for deep work and personal rejuvenation—and my team followed.” 𝟓. 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 One business head shared how she acknowledges team members who bring presence and energy to the workplace. “A simple ‘Well done’ or a quick note of appreciation creates a culture of joy and motivation.” The biggest takeaway? Playfulness isn’t just about fun—it’s a leadership tool that enhances clarity, composure, and decision-making. When leaders embrace it, teams thrive. Which of these ideas resonates with you? Share your thoughts! #ExecutivePresence #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture #DecisionMaking #MindfulLeadership #LeadershipGrowth #PeakPerformance #StrategicThinking #CXOInsights #BusinessSuccess