Taking career risks - and what it has taught me about leadership

Leadership, particularly in marketing, is about leaning into those uncomfortable moments. Joanne Smith, chief brand, innovation and communications officer at Blackmores Group and ADMA Advisory Committee member, shares how navigating high-stakes decisions has taught her the value of preparation and resilience.

When I was in my twenties, I had the opportunity to move to New York for a new job. It had all the makings of being the career move of a lifetime, I couldn’t have been more excited. In the first two months, I wasn’t sure I would survive my two year contract.

It was so much harder than I had expected - navigating a new country, being completely alone in a huge city with no contacts or friends and missing the support of family and friends back home. The next two years felt like a very long time and I really questioned whether I would make it. But I fell in love with New York city - I loved everything about it.

It is still my favorite city in the world. My love for the city made me determined to succeed in my new role so I could stay and experience everything it had to offer. I found people I connected with at work and built my network of friends - spreading the unique Aussie sense of humor along the way - and I worked on proving myself in a highly competitive and, at times, very tough environment.

Over time I earned trust and built strong relationships - so a two year contract became a life changing eight year stint in New York.

It’s a story that came up for me recently when I joined a panel discussion for ADMA on the highs and lows of the career path to becoming a CMO. It struck me that while I could easily have come back after six months - sticking it out taught me something far more valuable: resilience, grit and determination.

Listening to my peers on this panel (Uber’s Lucinda Barlow, TBWA\Australia’s Lucio Ribeiro and Kennards Hire’s Manelle Merhi) it became very clear that every leader has those moments - near career-ending setbacks that, once you push through them, become the strongest sources of growth and confidence you’ll ever have.

They can be terrifying at the time but they’re also defining. Leadership, particularly in marketing, is about leaning into those uncomfortable moments, building resilience and learning how to navigate the tricky situations that inevitably arise.

The importance of preparation

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is the importance of rigorous preparation. Senior marketing leaders are often in situations where they have to negotiate for anything from their budgets to supporting an entire function.

There is immense value in being prepared with evidence and data. With these tools, your chances of changing the perspective of the decision makers is so much stronger. It’s also important not to underestimate the softer skills of understanding the personalities, priorities and pressures of others.

The temptation can be to focus on what we want to say - our pitch, our updates, our requests - rather than what others need to hear. True influence comes from empathy and context: understanding how to meet people where they are.

That’s where influence is built, resisting the temptation to dominate the discussion and showing you understand the problem, can anticipate the questions and are prepared with solutions. Whether you’re negotiating for budget, aligning on priorities or managing a cross-functional challenge, preparation transforms a meeting into an opportunity to lead.

Mindset matters

The ability to manage mindset is one of the most powerful leadership tools you can develop. For me, mindset is about perspective. If something feels overwhelming, that discomfort is often a sign of growth.

The moments that feel the hardest are usually the ones that teach you the most. If you can reframe challenges as opportunities to learn or lead differently, you take control of the narrative - and your confidence grows in the process. In times of high stress, we often push through instead of pausing.

It’s important to have the conversation early. Speak to your manager or your team about capacity before it becomes critical. Set boundaries, not as a weakness, but as a way to protect your effectiveness and your team’s wellbeing.

And if imposter syndrome creeps in, as Manelle Merhi shared, lean on preparation, reflection and evidence.

Document your wins. Revisit moments where you’ve succeeded under pressure. Remind yourself that courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s moving forward despite it.

The ability to navigate uncertainty, lean into uncomfortable situations and learn from moments of near failure is what separates leaders who survive from those who thrive.

Every challenge, every setback, every moment of doubt is an opportunity to build the muscle you’ll need for the future. That’s where the real growth happens.