Lessons learned as a COO

Originally posted on LinkedIn in Dec 2022

When I was first given the title of COO, I wasn't entirely sure what that meant. Scared I would not live up to the position, I started to read about being a COO. I quickly learned that the COO is unlike the CEO, CFO and other leadership positions. The role of a COO varies by company. I remember reading the HBR article, "The Misunderstood Role of the COO", which describes 7 different kinds of COOs. Understanding that each type is not mutually exclusive, I needed to define my own role as it best fit for the company.

The COO is typically described as the second in command to the CEO. This role is focused on the day-to-day procedures and people systems in place to ensure financial strength and operational efficiency for the company. In each organization, the CEO/COO pairing is set up differently, all dependent on the needs identified, matched with the areas of strength the person in each role brings. In the EOS World this pairing is known as the Visionary/Integrator.

Even though the job description of a COO varies by company, I have learned some lessons that any new COO should know: 

ENGINEERS CAN BE A "PEOPLE'S PERSON" 

I have always had a passion for processes and systems. As an engineer, finding solutions which involve systemizing comes naturally to me. In my early days, I wasn't comfortable managing people. It was easier to sit in front of a computer and plow through work. It wasn't until later in my career when I started books like One Minute Manager, 5 Dysfunctions of a Team, First Break all the Rules, that I gained skills to position people to do their best work to be able to execute. 

I learned to embrace the fact that I won’t always lead a team where I am the expert in their field. I've learned that high-performing teams work in an environment where a meeting of minds outweighs "the boss makes all the decisions" way of working. Accepting this as a leader is especially important since you need to realize that you don't need to have all the answers. Over time I learned that being an effective leader is about asking the right questions.

SIMPLIFY THE BUSINESS

Businesses are becoming more complex from the growing demands of customers across more industries. Consumers want personalized and on-demand services. They are more educated about the products and services they buy. Client touchpoints need to be simple and seamless. As a result, the systems companies use behind the scenes need to be automated and agile and require technology investments and company innovation. 

As COO, I learned that my role was to simplify the business. Regardless of the complexities of the business, in order to scale operations, we needed to be masters at simplifying everything. Processes, communication, tools, strategy...everything. Engraining the question, “is there a simpler way to do this?” was a great starting point. When it came to quarterly planning, it came down to embracing a less-is-more mindset. Everyone was aligned on the 1-2 important things that helped execute the vision. And finally, simplify the key metrics of the company. Each company only needs 4-7 numbers to know whether they are on track or not.

THE MORE YOU LEARN, THE MORE YOU'LL GROW

When you are in a leadership role, you quickly realize how amplified your impact on the business becomes. This takes me to the last key lesson I'd like to share which is to keep learning. This is something I've always preached to my team and have set a non-negotiable discipline for myself. It takes humility to be open to learning after a certain age or years of experience. You need to be open to challenging yourself, and bringing new ideas to your team. With that openness will come growth for yourself, your team and your business. Network with peers (I'm part of the COO Alliance), join webinars, listen to podcasts, and keep your bookshelf full with a reading goal. The possibilities are endless.