First time on an ELT? Advice for go-to-market leaders joining the executive leadership team

It’s a challenging transition.

Any functional leader asked to sit on an executive leadership team (ELT) for the first time will be entering unfamiliar territory that will likely seem daunting. They will have to show broad understanding of the business’s strategy, offerings, financial picture, and functional areas well beyond their own; be comfortable engaging with and presenting to the board; and optimize for the whole of the business, not just their domain. In short, a new ELT member must think enterprise-wide—requiring capabilities that don’t just magically appear for most. “It can be a tough transition, even for someone who has been with the business 30 years or more,” says Teraesa Vinson, a partner at Heidrick & Struggles.

This can be an especially critical transition for a chief revenue officer (CRO), chief customer officer, or other go-to-market leader moving from the senior leadership team to their first ELT. Yet we live in an increasingly go-to-market world, so more CROs are stepping up. 

Given that trend and the paucity of information out there to help leaders make the transition, we decided to explore what works. This article is based on our work with a wide range of clients in technology and other sectors and interviews with a range of CROs, chief customer officers, and others who’ve served on one or more ELTs, including those who made the eventual transition to CEO or board roles.

Understand the big picture 

Any ELT member must know their own functional area cold, but also understand the bigger picture of the business.

CROs, for example, will understandably be expected to show up with a clear sense of their numbers. Lara Caimi, president of Samsara, says, “CROs are expected to have detailed plans for how to achieve the growth rates: making sure the math of capacity, productivity, and pipeline ladders up to not only hit the current and next quarter—which is what your sales leaders are thinking about every day—but how to hit the next year and the year after that.”

Similarly, go-to-market leaders should know the people part of their organization inside-out. “Assessing your organization is key,” says Dennis Woodside, CEO of Freshworks. “Who’s a star, whom to invest in, who’s not a fit for the business. Get that right early on.” 

But success on the ELT requires going well beyond that sales focus. Chief customer officer of Klaviyo Emily McEvilly, for example, describes how early in her ELT tenure she “got to know the product organization and how we built products, then knew how to take what was learned in field from customers and ask for things in that organization. I also worked to understand the financials of the business and align with the CFO on productivity and other measures—the relationship with finance is key.” 

“You shift from ‘I’m leading’ to ‘I’m participating while this person [CEO] is solving for the enterprise,’” says Rob Giglio, chief customer officer of Canva. “Preparation is key to move from short-term to longer-term thinking, without getting down in the weeds of sales. Early in my time on the ELT, I wrote out structured scripts for myself about updates, current dynamics affecting us, divided by segment, product—now the team has built dashboards for me to do the same.” 

Beyond that kind of thoroughness, a conceptual focus helps. Samsara’s Caimi says, “Know you’re serving the shareholder, and that the shareholder wins if the customer wins. You’re responsible for the company’s holistic health now. So you have to know the position it’s in strategically and financially—is it growth-focused or profitability-focused or in turnaround. Think about what ‘great’ looks like across different functions and inspire every team to think about the customer.” 

Taking a broader view of the business may be especially challenging for top sales executives, given what has worked for them in the past. Freshworks’ Woodside says, “Sales leaders on the ELT may tend to fall back on what made them great—customer relationships, selling, making deals, focusing on the numbers. But you can hire someone else to do that now. You need domain expertise, but the job is to create overarching systems and processes so the team can succeed—moving from general contractor to architect. That’s a significant mind-shift for most senior sellers.” 

In line with this, Bruce Chizen, former CEO of Adobe and current Oracle board member, recalls his early days on the ELT: “It was a lot easier to just be the sales guy. All you had to worry about was making targets. But Bill Campbell [CEO] forced me to think about the business holistically. I was learning on the job, from people with a much more strategic view: how the product got made, understanding of P&L, how to hit not just the top line but the bottom line. It was about understanding the impacts of short-term decisions on customer acquisition costs and lifetime value.” He believes formal training—such as an MBA or executive MBA—can help an executive see the big picture in this way. 

Go-to-market leaders who struggle with that transition can be pigeonholed as sales executives even while on the ELT, as Oracle’s Chizen notes: “The individual may not have the skills to think in a long-term, strategic way. Only about 10% of sales leaders I’ve seen can find their way past that pigeonholing and ask and answer strategic questions and back them up with data.” 

Promote positive team dynamics

Heidrick & Struggles’ Vinson describes another hurdle: “You have to understand that when you join the ELT, you don’t really have a boss anymore. You’re not an order-taker, but part of a group. It’s like swimming in a different pool with different water and waves than your functional role.” 

What does that mean for sales leaders? Rob Enslin, former CEO of UiPath, says, “Do your part to make the team win and make everyone better, including the CEO. Teach yourself how to add value without being the expert, and understand what other leaders are dealing with.” Vinson adds, “It’s much more about influence, EQ, and gravitas. Like making people believe ideas are the product of everyone’s effort, not just yours.”

“Culture is extremely important,” Klaviyo’s McEvilly says. “It’s about being a leader who can make tough decisions but also bring the team along and get the whole company involved in winning. Make people want to help, and ask for favors only when you need them. Understand other people’s context and challenges.” Trust, as multiple interviewees note, is paramount. 

Simple things go a long way toward an effective group dynamic. “A good ELT is one that can make process comments, like ‘When I said this, you responded with XYZ, and I’m wondering what that’s about,’” Vinson says. “Or, ‘I just want to make sure I understand what you’re saying.’” 

A healthy ELT dynamic is one with real dialogue and debate. “You need to have a back-and-forth to get to solutions,” Enslin says. “Not just shots across the bow. Don’t be afraid to have a discussion, and to recognize that diversity makes for more complete thought. I don’t hire people who look like me but those who can challenge me.” 

The goal of dialogue is to get to mutual understanding and objectives, “where the team is truly motivated by the same things and wants to win together,” Canva’s Giglio says. “That’s much better than the CEO picking people apart with lots of tension. Any team can get political even when things are going well.” 

Sometimes it’s simply about being willing to stop talking and learn. “Do a lot of listening and ask a lot of questions,” Samsara’s Caimi says. Enslin adds, “Some people have too many answers all the time, with no grounding in facts. The worst is people trying to convince others of something without doing the legwork. You have to know when to shut up and listen, so you can give others space and ask thoughtful questions. If you care only about your own success, you’re more likely to fail.” Freshworks’ Woodside says, “Read the room. Know when you may be talking too much.”

At the same time, CROs may be particularly well-equipped to bring positivity to the ELT, as Caimi notes: “You have to know your numbers, but winning hearts and minds is at least as important: communicating vision, being optimistic, understanding people. It’s not just head but heart, and sales often has more of that duality than other functions. 

Positivity is especially important in challenging or unexpected situations. “It’s not about pointing fingers but coming together to solve problems,” Caimi says. “Investing in relationships and not throwing the person you succeeded under the bus is important.” 

Partner with the CEO—and know their preferences

The CEO is the pivotal member of the ELT, the one who sets the agenda, direction, and tone, and is the primary liaison with the board. ELT members should be thinking from the CEO’s perspective wherever possible, and get to know their preferred way of doing things. “Put your strategy hat on and think about competitive dynamics, product strategy, and technology changes,” Freshworks’ Woodside says.

The CEO, in turn, must work to develop a positive culture of ownership and accountability. “The boss’s job is to get people working together well,” says Woodside, a CEO himself. In his case, that has included taking the ELT to offsites “to figure out what we want to accomplish and how best to work together.” For example, they emerge from such meetings with a code and norms they revisit regularly.

To orient and align the ELT, he writes a document with an assessment of each member’s organization: “It includes what I think is going well and not going well, my assessment of the people in the org and my expectations, in line with the company’s broader priorities. I share it with everyone coming into the ELT and they seem to find it helpful.” 

Woodside also uses a coach to facilitate ELT offsites and other interactions: “They make sure everyone’s functional and accountable. There needs to be trust without constant worry about what others think. Performance as an executive is absolute—you either meet the standard or you don’t—but the mental side is also really important.” 

There will of course be variation in how the CEO manages the team. “Some CEOs set a careful agenda for each meeting,” Klaviyo’s McEvilly says. “Others, like founder-CEOs may be more organic, using meetings to float trial balloons or spitball their ideas or the team’s.” Canva’s Giglio says, “Some CEOs poke more than others.”

Work effectively with the board 

However, ELT members must also frequently interact with the board. “Remember,” Samsara’s Caimi says, “the board drives the conversation but they don’t run the company and they are busy. That means educating them on the strategy, direction, customer dynamics, operational execution, and asking thoughtful questions—not to get a gold star from them but to leverage them.”

Indeed, preparation at the individual and group levels matters. “Young companies often don’t do a great job of prepping leaders for board meetings,” Klaviyo’s McEvilly says. “Any ELT should construct a narrative for the board based on what they think the board will care about and script and rehearse it, rather than just dialing in for an open Q&A. What’s our three-year plan, key message, outcome desired, what advice can the board provide? In many ways it’s like the sales process.” And though that dynamic is something CROs are very good at, at the same time, it’s important that the interaction doesn’t sound rehearsed.

Freshworks’ Woodside says, “Set expectations around the part everyone is going to play with the board. Be positive and carry the message of the company, making sure you’re aligned on direction even if your point-of-view on a specific matter differs.” He notes that he brings his ELT to every board meeting, but not everyone presents each time: “It’s a privilege to present and forces you to tell the story of what you’re trying to accomplish, concisely in 10 minutes rather than hours.” 

As his example suggests, the CEO plays a particularly important role in preparing the ELT to meet with the board. “How the ELT performs in front of the board reflects on the CEO,” Canva’s Giglio says. So the top executive should help think through the “right level of strategic detail, how formal versus casual to present, whether it’s about showmanship versus a straight-down-the-middle ‘here are the facts.’” (See more on the CEO’s role with the ELT below.)

Note that the board may cut a new CRO ELT member some slack. “They won’t assume a CRO will have the same knowledge of daily operations as others do,” Oracle’s Chizen says. “But you have to provide a strategic summary upfront with the details to back it up. Not just tactical—here’s the quarter, pipeline, and so on—but unique color including about what’s happening with the competition.”

Know yourself—and your strengths

Rob Enslin believes part of what made him successful on ELTs was his self-awareness, focus, and motivation: “I never searched for the limelight. I didn’t care. I’d rather be in a deep discussion where I’m viewed as an expert versus seen as an all-around superstar. You simply won’t be good at everything, whether it’s going on CNBC, talking to engineers intelligently, or giving a speech to 25,000 people. That’s okay, but know your strengths and interests.”

“It’s something in the DNA of certain people,” he continues. “You get on the ELT and don’t view it as a job or career-stepping move. It’s more about the opportunity in front of you—showing up to move the needle, with a growth mindset.” 

Samsara’s Caimi agrees: “You have to know what’s on the back of your t-shirt, what you stand for, what you are good at, what assumptions others have about you. Address your perceived weaknesses; hire to help fill them. Show up as an enterprise leader, not just a functional leader.”

Knowing yourself well will help you navigate ELT dynamics, find the right place and role for you within the group, and ensure others see the value you can add. Imposter syndrome will be inevitable for many first-time ELT members, as Heidrick & Struggles’ Vinson says: “You have to acknowledge that and get past it. Fake it ‘til you make it. Remind yourself you belong there.”

Navigating your early tenure: Tips for any situation

Beyond that specific advice, interviewees offer new ELT members broad tips to keep in mind as they navigate their early tenures.

Ask for advice

“Good leaders come in and ask for advice and help,” Freshworks’ Woodside says. “Not just with their boss—the CEO—but with their peers. That might mean presenting three things you’re trying to get done in the next three months, to make sure those are the right priorities and that you have alignment from people around you before just sprinting in a given direction.”

In general, training and mentorship can go a long way toward success on the ELT. “A lot of CROs may be missing the financial underpinnings and strategic lens,” Oracle’s Chizen says. “That’s what can differentiate. The CEO would raise topics and I’d grab people to help me understand them, to be more strategic. Some go-to-market leaders can’t cross that bridge.” He also suggests asking the CEO for insights in one-on-ones. 

Heidrick & Struggles’ Vinson urges new ELT members to identify mentors and supporters quickly: “Find your buddy and start bouncing things off them. Ask the questions you need to ask—‘Explain it to me like I’m a fifth-grader.’ Better to ask upfront than not know something important when it matters.”

Get to the nuts and bolts of the whole enterprise

A strategic perspective is important on the ELT, as we noted, and especially so for CROs seeking to rise to CEO. “You need to understand all aspects of the business,” Woodside says. “If you don’t do that you may get to CEO and fail. That’s where you can’t fake it anymore.” That’s especially true in the current market environment, where the focus has shifted from growth at all costs to efficiency and profitability.

In tech, CROs face an even larger challenge rising to the top executive role, as Enslin suggests: “They worry the CRO may not understand engineering—‘A good GTM leader, but do they know engineering?’ If you’re aspiring to be CEO, make sure you become a more complete leader by getting all the information you can.” 

Watch and learn—and take your time

Early on, observation is your best friend. “The ELT you join may go slow the first week, but from the second it’s all on,” Canva’s Giglio says. “Learn by watching. Observe the power people on the team to see how they do it—usually they’re thoughtful about what they share, and come with a firm, well-articulated opinion with a framework, never rambling on.”

It can be tempting to rush into contributing, but aim for quality over quantity. “You don’t need all the answers right away,” Vinson says. “You may be asked to weigh in on product features or competition. Answer from what you know and share how you can gain more knowledge in these areas. Jump in strategically on areas where you have expertise and can ask good questions.”

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CROs are increasingly called up to the ELT to help set overall strategy and direction in a fast-changing environment. The ideas here, based on our experience and on conversations with a diverse group of successful top executives and ELT members, can help first-timers not just survive their ELT tenure but thrive, optimizing for the business and their own career trajectories.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the following executives for sharing their insights: Lara Caimi, president, Samsara; Bruce Chizen, former CEO, Adobe, current board member, Oracle; Rob Enslin, former CEO, UiPath; Rob Giglio, chief customer officer, Canva; Emily McEvilly, chief customer officer, Klaviyo; Teraesa Vinson, partner, Heidrick & Struggles; and Dennis Woodside, CEO of Freshworks. Their views are personal and do not necessarily represent those of the companies they are affiliated with.