At Nebo, we’ve been coaching executives for over two decades, and the Chief Operating Officer role stands out as the executive role “in flux” since the COVID era. In today’s VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world, we’re hearing our clients and partners, and our COO focus groups participants, describe the COO role today as “dynamic,” “transformational,” “chaotic,” and “unpredictable” as COOs manage the “kitchen sink” of rapidly changing organizational demands. COOs of mission-driven organizations experience additional layers of complexity, facing significant–and often existential–funding challenges, regulatory changes, and need for urgent, creative problem-solving in the face of a rapidly shifting landscape.
We’ve distilled six emergent demands that are reshaping COO leadership today:
- Be a generalist, a strategist, and a humble learner. COOs must drive change, co-create strategy, and get things done, while knowing when to reach for additional expertise and resources, and when to deepen their own knowledge. This requires understanding the learning edges of their skillsets and mindsets, and being humble enough to recognize that no COO has faced many of the challenges of today.
- Recognize and navigate complexity, including the polarity between stewardship of the organization and the demand for innovation. Facing the “Do more with less” environment, many COOs are reaching for elevated skills to “sell” the ROI of operational innovation, describe the arc of change, and motivate colleagues who may be change weary or skeptical, while projecting and instilling confidence.
- Drive innovation and get AI-savvy quickly. New expectations for rapid innovation are hitting the COO’s desk, positioning operations as the core of innovation and central to strategy. AI fluency, policy development, and use case development are essential, which requires dedicated time for learning. Innovation today also means the ability to reimagine, develop and pivot to new business models swiftly.
- Lead from your front foot. Daily fire fighting, especially in today’s climate, consumes disproportionate time and focus. Many COOs recognize the need to shift to future-focused thinking, sensemaking, and planning, and to get better at helicoptering up and down to different altitudes, depending on the leadership needed at that moment.
- Invest in the CEO-COO partnership. In this high stakes environment, many COOs wish for more intentional cultivation of the CEO-COO partnership. Greater role clarity, strategic alignment, communication norms, and the ability to candidly give and receive feedback, are important, as is designing the vision for a high-performance partnership.
- Scaffold with peer support. Whereas CEOs have natural opportunities for connection and peer support, COOs are less likely to organically generate a peer network through the natural course of their work. As a result, many feel a sense of isolation and seek a peer network for ideas, support, and inspiration.
In short, COOs are expected to know the answers, confidently show their expertise, and rapidly learn new fields and mindsets amidst uncharted complexity.
What happens when the knowledge and experience of the past simply isn’t enough today?
As you’re navigating rapid change, Nebo is here to deepen your leadership practice and develop your team. Nebo’s individual coaching and team coaching can help your executive leaders to navigate and lead effectively in times of complexity. The Nebo Leadership Academy also has programs available now to support your leadership transformation such as the COO Roundtable and Transformational Leadership for Complex Times.