The Marketing Rodman: Why I’m Happy Being the Glue, Not the Spotlight

There’s a perception that marketers are always chasing the spotlight. That we’re extroverts, always on, always jumping into conversations with big ideas and bigger personalities.

But if you know me, you know that couldn’t be further from the truth.

When I read "The Rodman Paradox" by Dan Bigman on Chief Executive, it stopped me in my tracks. The article explores how the most “indispensable” employee isn’t always the most celebrated one—and how Dennis Rodman, the unconventional, defensive powerhouse, was actually a core driver of the Bulls’ success.

“Rodman’s rebounding prowess was a statistical outlier of historic proportions… It was the basketball equivalent of a car getting 600 mpg in a world where most get 30.”

That quote hit me. Because honestly, that’s how my work often feels.

What Being the Rodman Looks Like in Marketing

I pride myself on building authentic relationships with my colleagues. I earn trust through consistency, not charisma. I join conversations when I have something meaningful to add, not to hear myself speak.

I’m the first one online. The last one to log off. I’m creating KPIs, building dashboards, tracking attribution models, and reporting on what’s working so my team can shine in the execution.

I do the boring stuff. The unglamorous work. The hard conversations. I absorb feedback from every angle: “We’re not doing enough in X.” “Why haven’t we launched Y?” “What’s going on with Z?”

“Rodmans are the glue. The ones who hold teams together, even when they’re not leading them.”

That’s me. I don’t need to be the face of the company. I’m happy being the engine under the hood. I make sure things run, people are aligned, and the work is grounded in strategy, not just noise.

The Cost of Overlooking the Rodmans

The article points out that “Rodmans tend to get overlooked, underpaid and, ultimately, burned out. Yet, when they leave, the impact is obvious; everything starts to fall apart.”

That’s the danger. Because while Rodmans don’t chase credit, they carry a disproportionate load. And when they walk, it’s not the flash that disappears, it’s the structure.

So if you have someone like that on your team, take care of them. Recognize them. Protect them.

What Leadership Really Looks Like

Leadership isn’t loud. It’s not always visible. It doesn’t need a stage.

For me, it looks like helping others rise. Creating calm in chaos. Making sure the team is protected, prioritized, and seen. It looks like moving things forward, even when no one’s watching.

I don’t want to be Jordan. I want to be the person who makes it possible for Jordan to win.

And that, for me, is exactly where I want to be.