Marketing is a challenging profession, one that requires us to be fully engaged and involved in the changes to our brand---and also in our industry. Marketers must stay up to speed on all new developments or they will quickly risk obsolescence.

That being said, plenty of marketers possess a few very scary traits that impact their brands and their effectiveness. Here are three deadly traits to avoid.

Narcissism---Let’s face it. Most of us aren’t “experts.” Most of us haven’t been published, aren’t keynote-caliber speakers, and haven’t made serious advances in our marketing niche. That doesn’t mean we aren’t good marketers; we certainly are. But lately it seems that most marketers are asserting themselves as experts---and this is a very slippery slope.

When the narcissism trait sneaks into your marketing team, you quickly lose the ability to work well with others, adapt to changes, and value outside feedback. Avoid this trait, stay humble, keep learning, and listen to the feedback of others!

Apathy---We’ve all seen it, and we all know how toxic it can be. A marketer cannot become apathetic. The drive we have as marketers to be constantly searching for innovative ideas and creative solutions is what keeps our brands performing. If you are becoming apathetic in your current role, it’s time to find another job!

Marketers need to actively seek inspiration and new ideas. That’s why you are reading the MarketingProfs blog after all, isn’t it? Also, marketers need to be sure they are constantly reflecting on the data and acting on facts, not assumptions.

Procrastination---Time management is an essential skill for marketers. With our to-do lists growing, putting tasks off is simply not an option. Setting SMART goals and developing a plan to achieve those goals can help keep your efforts on track, but beyond that, marketers need to be dedicated to the cause and eager to achieve in order to resist the urge to procrastinate.

After all, you know what they say about procrastination: It's not good. (OK, that's not really what they say, but I'll keep it clean.)

So, fellow marketers, what other deadly traits should we be avoiding?