Why Board Communication Makes or Breaks Your CRO Career
Here’s a sobering statistic: the average CRO tenure is just 18 months, and it’s getting shorter. But here’s the twist: most sales leaders don’t lose their jobs because they missed their number. They lose them because of poor communication with the board about that number.
Think about it. Nearly every sales organisation will miss their targets at some point. Markets shift, deals slip, competition intensifies. The difference between a CRO who survives these challenges and one who doesn’t often comes down to a single factor: did they bring the board along for the journey, or did they try to hide behind optimism until it was too late?
As operating partner JD Miller puts it brilliantly, “It’s okay if it’s raining, we expect it to be difficult, but you need to tell us ahead of time, get your umbrella out. And here’s how long I need to have my umbrella out there.”
The challenge is that this transparency doesn’t come naturally to most sales professionals. We’ve spent our careers being rewarded for saying “I’ll hit my number, trust me” and then figuring it out somehow. Individual contributors thrive on that confidence. But when you move into the C-suite, the rules change entirely. Boards aren’t looking for blind optimism. They’re looking for someone who understands the business deeply and can communicate about it clearly.
The solution? Create a rhythm of consistent communication. A weekly email that covers the same key metrics every single time removes emotion from the equation. When the news is good, everyone sees it. When it’s challenging, nobody feels blindsided. Board members sit on six to eight different boards on average, so that consistency helps them context-switch and remember your business.
Remember, private equity boards aren’t expecting perfection. They’ve bought a house with good bones but a dated kitchen. They know renovation is needed. What they want is a leader who can spot the leaky pipes early, explain the problem clearly, and present a credible plan to fix them.
The message is simple: transparency builds trust, and trust extends tenure. Stop trying to be the hero who saves the day at the last minute. Start being the strategic partner who brings your board along for the entire ride.
Watch JD Miller on our Rev-n-u Unplugged podcast here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WpTGKxhgTs&t=163s
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