Podcast Summary

Coaching Real Leaders – "How Do I Get Buy-In From My Boss?"

Host: Muriel Wilkins
Date: March 2, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, executive coach Muriel Wilkins works with "Elizabeth," a recently promoted marketing leader at a fast-growing company, to tackle a familiar leadership challenge: getting buy-in from senior leadership—specifically, her boss the CEO—for her vision of marketing as a true driver of organizational growth. The conversation dives deep into why Elizabeth feels stuck, explores her assumptions and internal narrative, and offers practical guidance to reframe her situation, move from frustration to strategic action, and build alignment at the executive level.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Elizabeth's Situation and Mindset

• Background: Elizabeth is competitive and ambitious, thrives on growth, and was drawn to her current company because of its potential for development—both for the organization and herself (01:08).
• Challenge: Despite being promoted to head of marketing, she's hit a philosophical wall. The company views marketing as a "shared service"—a support function—while she sees it as a growth engine (01:50, 02:56).
• Frustration Source: Her boss (the CEO) explicitly signaled that future revenue growth would come exclusively from sales, not marketing, conflicting with her vision and leaving her "shocked" and unsure how to proceed (03:24–04:18).

Quote:

"My philosophy around marketing is that it is not a support function, it is a growth function ... the prevailing mindset ... is that marketing is very much a support function. We take requests and we fulfill them. And that's like fundamentally not how I see marketing."
— Elizabeth (02:05)

Dissecting the Misalignment

• Underlying Assumptions:
  • Elizabeth assumed that her promotion signaled alignment with her growth-centric approach to marketing (06:13).
  • She took ongoing company investments (technology, processes) as tacit support for her roadmap (09:19).
  • She realized she never explicitly shared her vision with stakeholders beyond her own team (11:43).

Quote:

"I don't actually know ... that I've shared the entire roadmap with anyone except my team."
— Elizabeth (12:02)

• Revealed Pitfall:
  • Muriel identifies that Elizabeth's frustration is less about reality, more about her untested assumptions and lack of explicit communication.
  • The situation is a classic case of “If I build it, they will come”—she was constructing elaborate plans without looping in other executive leaders (12:18–13:52).

Turning Assumptions Into Alignment

• Muriel's Framework:
  • To achieve alignment and buy-in, a leader must clarify not just their own vision but also the decision-making and assumptions of senior leaders—and must communicate in a way that resonates with organizational realities (19:54–21:22).
  • Clarity, alignment, and agreement are different steps; Elizabeth skipped alignment and went straight from clarity (in her head) to assumed agreement (21:22).

Quote:

"There are the assumptions, there is the alignment, and then there is the agreement. And in the past, you went straight from, I think it. Therefore they will agree."
— Muriel (21:22)

Embracing Curiosity Over Competition

• Insightful Shift:
  • Muriel encourages Elizabeth to "move from a competitive posture to a curious posture" (31:40). Rather than pushing her agenda, she should seek to understand her boss’s true perspective.
  • By validating or disproving her assumptions, Elizabeth can make more informed plans, whether that's advocating for change, adapting her goals, or considering other paths (26:12–26:46, 28:54).

Quote:

"Maybe instead of taking a competitive posture, take a curious posture."
— Muriel (31:40)

Concrete Next Steps for Gaining Buy-In

• Building Relationships and Understanding:

  • Elizabeth should proactively meet with the CEO and other key executives, not just to present her plan but to ask questions:
    • What are their pressures, goals, and perceptions of marketing?
    • What does success look like for marketing in their eyes? (45:51)
  • She should focus on reframing her narrative to connect marketing’s vision to the broader organizational strategy, based on what matters to her stakeholders (41:26).

• Action Plan Suggestions (from Muriel and Elizabeth):

  • Carve out intentional "face time" with executive peers (29:03).
  • Set up regular meetings with finance to better understand company-wide financial concerns and opportunities (40:43).
  • Make the implicit explicit—check assumptions on all sides and base her "narrative" on real, up-to-date executive thinking before pushing for her grand vision (41:38–41:50, 46:39).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|--------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:05 | Elizabeth | "My philosophy around marketing is that it is not a support function, it is a growth function..." | | 12:35 | Muriel | "The mansion is lovely, but nobody knew it was coming. You sort of operated with a big reveal..." | | 21:22 | Muriel | "There are the assumptions, there is the alignment, and then there is the agreement..." | | 26:12 | Elizabeth | "At least make a plan accordingly. Right." | | 31:40 | Muriel | "Maybe instead of taking a competitive posture, take a curious posture." | | 44:31 | Muriel | "I think the understanding comes before the vision." | | 45:51 | Elizabeth | "I think, obviously reaching out proactively to executives...understanding what are the pressures that they're facing..."| | 47:04 | Muriel | "We could have come up with that narrative, but it wouldn't have been grounded in anything." | | 48:52 | Muriel | "You want to operate with all the Seven Kingdoms...what's the narrative that will support all of the Seven Kingdoms?" |

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:50 – 04:18: Elizabeth explains her philosophy and recent disagreement with her CEO
• 06:13 – 13:52: Dissecting company history, leadership assumptions, and “building the mansion” analogy
• 18:44 – 21:22: Muriel introduces alignment vs. agreement and the dangers of assumption
• 26:03 – 28:54: Exploring options if executive view of marketing differs from Elizabeth’s; embracing reality
• 31:40 – 32:42: Shift from competition to curiosity
• 40:31 – 46:39: Outlining concrete actions and reframing “success” through stakeholder conversations
• 47:04 – 48:52: Reflection on the importance of “looking under the rug” and grounding narratives in reality

Episode Takeaways

• Assumptions can be dangerous traps for leaders; alignment and agreement require explicit, ongoing communication.
• Vision must follow understanding: get clarity on your stakeholders’ perspectives before crafting your narrative.
• Proactive relationship building and curiosity are essential tools for C-suite influence and buy-in.
• Deal with reality, not just your ideal; it’s better to know—even if you’ll be disappointed—so you can respond wisely and strategically.

Elizabeth’s New Action List

1. Schedule meetings with CEO and other executives to explore their metrics for marketing success and broader strategic priorities (45:51).
2. Proactively ask for feedback and clarification rather than working in her own silo (“corner of the kingdom”).
3. Set regular check-ins with finance and other departments to align marketing’s goals and contributions to company-wide objectives.
4. Prepare to adjust her vision and roadmap based on newfound understanding—even if the outcome isn’t what she hoped.
5. Move forward rooted in dialogue, not assumption.

In Muriel’s words:

"Understanding has to come before vision, that you can’t start until you know what your starting point is."
— Muriel Wilkins (49:19)