The news cycle never sleeps. And for CMOs, that means balancing the need to stay ahead of the conversation without constantly playing catch-up. I penned a recent Forbes article that lays out a smarter way to navigate this fast-moving landscape. Read on for some highlights that will help you lead conversations instead of scrambling to keep up.

The first key? An 80/20 strategy—80% proactive, 20% reactive. That way, your brand has a strong foundation but still has room to jump into relevant trends.

Up next, recognizing that high-performing marketing and communications need these three things:

• A clearly defined, human point of view
• Decision-making autonomy
• A proactive media mindset

Finally, a quick checklist list of ways to start, and stay, ahead:

• Audit your current balance of proactive versus reactive strategies
• Empower your team with decision-making autonomy
• Clarify your brand’s unique point of view
• Adopt an always-on media approach
• Use AI wisely

You can dive deeper into how to lead a conversation in a rapidly changing news cycle in Forbes: How CMOs Can Win In A Rapidly Changing News Cycle.