What does it really take to become a Chief Revenue Officer? In our conversation, ‘Leading at Speed: Curiosity, Decisions & Growth’ with Helen Sutton, we delve right into this.
From the outside, the role can look straightforward: own the revenue number, drive growth, and deliver results. But as Helen Sutton explains on this episode of the Get Amplified Podcast, the reality is far more complex.
As a CRO in high-growth, private equity-backed technology businesses, Helen sits at the intersection of strategy, execution, leadership, and commercial accountability. One moment she’s helping shape company direction and influencing product strategy. The next she’s deep in negotiations, assessing deal risk, reviewing contract terms, and helping teams navigate complex commercial decisions.
It’s a role that demands both big-picture thinking and attention to detail, often within the same hour.
There is no perfect career path
One of the most compelling parts of Helen’s story is how she got there. Before leading revenue organisations, Helen began her career as an electrical engineer. From there, she moved into IT and eventually into commercial and leadership roles. Her journey reinforces an important lesson that many professionals need to hear: successful careers rarely follow a straight line.
Instead, they evolve through curiosity, learning, and being willing to take opportunities that don’t necessarily fit a carefully constructed career plan. Helen describes careers as “squiggly”, and it’s a theme that runs throughout the conversation. The experiences that feel sideways at the time often become the experiences that make you a stronger leader later.
The challenge of leading former peers
Many leaders can remember their first management role. For Helen, one of the biggest learning curves came when she moved from being part of the team to leading people she had previously worked alongside.
The promotion might change your title overnight, but relationships take longer to adjust. One of the key lessons she shares is that leadership isn’t about getting everyone to do things exactly as you do. Different people achieve success in different ways, and great leaders create the conditions for others to succeed rather than trying to create copies of themselves.
That shift from directing to coaching becomes increasingly important as teams grow and businesses scale.
Earning respect, not demanding it
Helen also reflects on her experiences working in industries that have traditionally been male-dominated. Rather than focusing on fitting a particular stereotype of leadership, she talks about the importance of authenticity, credibility, and building strong relationships.
Respect isn’t something that comes automatically with a job title. It’s earned through consistency, competence, and the way you show up for people over time. It’s a great reminder that leadership influence often comes less from authority and more from trust.
Why leadership can feel lonely
As careers progress, leadership can become surprisingly isolating. This is something we talk about a lot in general.
Senior leaders carry responsibility for people, performance, investors, customers, and business outcomes. While teams often look to leaders for certainty, leaders themselves are still working through challenges and decisions behind the scenes. Helen speaks openly about the value of coaching and having a trusted space where you can think through complex situations, challenge your assumptions, and gain perspective.
For her, coaching isn’t about finding someone with all the answers. It’s about having a safe environment to process decisions and show up as the best version of yourself for your team.
The power of decisive leadership
Decision-making becomes the thread that connects much of the conversation. In fast-moving businesses, waiting for perfect information can be more damaging than making a decision and learning from it.
Helen explores the difference between consensus and commitment. While leaders should seek input and diverse perspectives, there comes a point where a decision needs to be made and people need to align behind it.
The concept of “disagree and commit” comes up as a practical way to keep organisations moving forward without becoming paralysed by the pursuit of universal agreement. It’s a simple idea, but one that becomes increasingly important as businesses grow and complexity increases.
AI is changing the speed of business
The conversation also touches on artificial intelligence and its impact on leadership and decision-making. Helen shares how tools such as Claude are accelerating analysis, reducing research time, and helping organisations move faster than ever before. What once took months can now take weeks.
However, speed alone isn’t enough. Leaders still need to bring people with them. One of the emerging risks is making decisions within an “AI bubble” where logic and analysis happen quickly but teams aren’t included in the journey.
The challenge for modern leaders is balancing technological acceleration with human engagement.
Helen’s three career tips
Before wrapping up, Helen shares three simple but impactful pieces of career advice:
- Don’t change your job and your company at the same time if you can avoid it. Reducing variables increases your chance of success.
- Build a squiggly career. Don’t be afraid of moves that broaden your experience and stretch your skills.
- Stay curious. Keep learning, keep reading, and keep exploring new technologies and ideas.
Final thoughts
Helen Sutton brings a refreshingly honest perspective to leadership, career growth, and revenue accountability. Whether discussing the realities of the CRO role, the challenges of leading at scale, the value of coaching, or the importance of decisive action, one theme stands out throughout the conversation: great leadership isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about staying curious, making thoughtful decisions, learning continuously, and having the confidence to keep moving forward even when the path ahead isn’t completely clear.
Recommended reading
The Chimp Paradox by Professor Steve Peters
