Organizational leaders are operating in a period of rapid, disruptive change, and many are struggling to keep up. COOs of mission-driven organizations are navigating this change, often working with limited resources and an ever-changing funding landscape. In 2025 and 2026, Nebo's Kate Ebner, CEO, and Nancy McGuire Choi, COO, spoke with over 40 mission-driven COOs across focus groups, leadership programs, coaching, and advisory sessions. Here are the top ten insights from those COO discussions.
1. COOs must be flexible AND focused on outcomes.
Being a COO today is dynamic, multi-dimensional, transformational, and unpredictable. Fulfilling the role effectively requires agility, versatility, and compassion. COOs must manage the “kitchen sink” of rapidly changing organizational demands. COOs must hold priorities and recognize that the path to results will likely change many times.
2.COOs must be generalists AND strategists.
COOs, especially in mission-driven organizations, oversee many functions, including IT, Human Resources, Legal, Facilities, Finance, and more. At times, COOs may need to draw on their generalist skills to get into the weeds with staff and keep initiatives moving. COOs must also be strategists who work with the CEO, the Board, and their teams in order to drive organizational transformation.
3. COOs must be confident in their experience and know when to reach for expertise.
Rapid and continual organizational change requires COOs to use their experience and judgment to know when to reach for additional expertise and resources. They must be confident and decisive, and they must use experts and resources appropriately to support organizational priorities.
4. Many COOs say they are constantly putting out fires.
Many COOs find they are the go-to leader when a crisis hits. They spend so much time reacting to situations that it can be a struggle to lift up, see the big picture, and proactively drive forward momentum.
5. COOs must demonstrate compassion, empathy, and listening skills.
Amid rapid change, COOs must continually work to manage staff expectations and needs. Taking the time to slow down and connect with staff shows that the COO, and in turn the organization, cares.
6. A high-trust, safe partnership with the CEO is essential yet not a “given."
The CEO-COO relationship is vital to achieving the organization's full potential, and falls short much of the time. In a strong CEO-COO relationship, each leader operates separately while remaining closely aligned around shifting contexts and organizational priorities. Many COOs don't see themselves as visionaries but recognize they must get better at describing, orienting, and driving progress toward the organization's vision.
7. COOs must be AI-fluent and capable of engaging others in the adoption of AI.
Most COOs see AI transformation as an opportunity to achieve more with less. COO’s must be comfortable leading AI transformation, starting with building staff fluency. They must be able to separate the ways in which AI can truly provide leverage and transform their organization from the many shiny objects. Once they identify new tools, COOs must sell the innovation internally so others are able and eager to implement the technology.
8. COOs often underestimate the work of change management.
As Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey wrote in Immunity to Change, people resist change. It is hard to change our own behavior; it is even harder to implement large-scale change across an organization. A strong partner, such as the CEO or an executive coach, can provide the support needed to push through stuck points.
9. The role of COO can be lonely.
COOs lead organizational operations. When things are going well, their work may be invisible to many. In a crisis, they are often called upon to swoop in and resolve the issue, possibly with outside experts. This may be especially true in resource-strapped, mission-driven organizations when other members of the executive team are busy with more external-facing roles. COOs should recognize this, ask the team for what they need, and build a network of peer COOs for ideas, support, and inspiration.
10. COOs of mission-driven organizations face distinct challenges.
With a constantly changing political landscape, economic uncertainty, and shifts in philanthropic foundations, grants, and nonprofit funding, many mission-driven organizations operate under greater resource constraints than ever. As budgets are cut, staff are experiencing high rates of burnout. Despite these challenges, COOs must see possibilities and offer creative solutions. Leaning on relationships with other mission-driven COOs and/or partnering with an executive coach are great ways to see new possibilities.
Do these insights resonate with you? If so, we would invite you to join other mission-driven COOs in the Nebo Leadership Academy's COO Roundtable: A Leadership Program for COOs. Develop the modern leadership competencies of effective COOs while building a peer COO network for support, inspiration, and ideas. If you have any questions about the COO Roundtable or working with an executive coach, contact us today to schedule a conversation.
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash.