Be VERY Afraid . . . NOT!

June's Fast Company magazine just published another chapter in the "CMOs-are-doomed" horror-genre of stories.  This one is called "The Most Dangerous Job in Business."  Of course, according to Fast Company, citing a survey by respected executive search firm SpencerStuart, it's the Chief Marketing Officer. 

The piece breathlessly stokes fear with comments like "the new reality is that CMO jobs are incredibly perilous," and "Maybe the CMO post should be acknowledged simply as the "fall guy" job in the C-suite."

Frankly, I am not seeing this amount of turnover in the CMO position for professional and B2B service firms.  Sure, there is movement in the role, and it does appear to have  linkage with the advent of new firm leadership.  But I simply don't see the point about this "be very afraid" tone.  Many of my clients have served in their roles for more than five years. 

A nugget that I did find rang true follows: "So what's it going to take to get the CMO off the endangered-species list?  Perhaps a clearer definition of the position and what's expected..."  To this I say a big "WELL, HELLLooooooo."

Everyone knows I heartily endorse better "expectation-setting" in the professional and B2B service arena.  And that it's the responsibility of both the CMO-wanna be and his or her potential C-suite colleagues to improve on this.

But I reject the notion that CMOs are sitting ducks, stupidly subject to the cruelties of a capricious senior management, with simply no idea when the axe will fall.  Or if there's an axe at all.  Please.