What does it take to effectively manage a growing company? How can a CEO delegate responsibilities while maintaining control of their vision?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A COO might be the missing piece in your company’s leadership puzzle. The Second in Command<\/em>, a book by Cameron Herold, explores the vital partnership between CEOs and COOs<\/a>, showing how this dynamic duo can transform business operations and accelerate growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Continue reading for our overview of the book The Second in Command<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n As a CEO, it often feels impossible to manage and grow an entire company while getting the results you want. The Second in Command<\/em><\/a>, a book by Cameron Herold, says that’s because it usually is. It\u2019s unrealistic to expect a CEO to have the expertise to manage every area of their business\u2014this is why they have COOs. A COO allows the CEO to focus on the things they\u2019re best at and leave the other areas in safe hands. In his book, <\/em>Herold discusses the crucial role a COO can have in building your company and explains how to hire<\/a> and utilize one to take your business to the next level.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cameron Herold, commonly known as \u201cthe CEO whisperer,\u201d is a serial entrepreneur, business coach, and author. His career took off as the COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?<\/a> which he took from a two-million-dollar company to a company worth over 100 million dollars in roughly six years. After his time at 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, Herold began coaching CEOs and founded the COO Alliance<\/a>\u2014a community and training network for COOs\u2014and the Second in Command podcast<\/a>. Herold is also a best-selling author of books like Double Double<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Meetings Suck<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Vivid Vision<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>and Free PR<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In this overview, we\u2019ll discuss what a COO does, whether you need one, how to find one, how to implement them into your company, and how to know when it\u2019s time to let them go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Traditionally, the term COO means Chief Operating Officer. However, according to Herold, a COO doesn\u2019t necessarily need to be in charge of operations<\/em>. Instead, they should be your second-in-command who\u2019s in charge of everything that you can\u2019t be<\/strong>\u2014either because you lack the expertise, don\u2019t like it, or would be more impactful by focusing your attention elsewhere. Your COO should be your perfect puzzle piece\u2014they should thrive in all the areas that you don’t so that together, you create a complete picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Herold, there are seven main types of COOs<\/a> and six main roles that a COO performs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. The executor: <\/strong>This COO focuses on details and short-term achievements while the CEO focuses on long-term goals and the bigger vision. Their primary role is to listen to the CEO\u2019s vision and identify short-term goals, strategies, and actions to make that vision reality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. The change agent: <\/strong>This COO functions as a catalyst for change inside the organization\u2014for example, they might be in charge of enacting a major culture change or kick-starting a growth phase for the company. They\u2019re usually hired from outside the organization to bring in a fresh perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. The mentor: <\/strong>This COO is usually older and more experienced than the CEO, and their role is to serve as a teacher and help the CEO navigate new territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. The other half: <\/strong>While all COOs are puzzle pieces, the primary role of this COO is to cover the CEO\u2019s weak spots while balancing out and complementing their personality. This dynamic creates a highly intimate working and personal relationship between the COO and the CEO. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. The partner:<\/strong> This COO often functions as the CEO\u2019s counterpart in that they share equal responsibility and authority in the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6. The heir apparent: <\/strong>This COO\u2019s role is to learn all about the business while the CEO vets them with the intent of naming them CEO when they retire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. The MVP: <\/strong>This COO is an internal hire who was promoted to COO because their work was crucial to the company\u2019s continued success. Employees who are this valuable are often \u201cpoached\u201d by other companies looking for COOs. This COO can often fill one or more of the above functions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you hire a COO<\/a>, you must determine which roles you need them to take on, and, by default, which roles you\u2019ll abdicate. These are the most common roles that a COO may take on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. The COO explains the inner workings of the business <\/strong>to a CEO who focuses more on the technical side of things. For example, this COO will keep the CEO up to date on things like marketing, finance, or HR. This doesn\u2019t require the COO to be an expert<\/a> in all these areas, rather to have excellent communications skills and the ability to comprehend the basics of many different topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2.<\/strong> The COO questions the CEO<\/strong> and points out when things can be improved, aren\u2019t working, or could fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3.<\/strong> The COO puts systems into place<\/strong> to achieve the vision and goals the CEO puts forth. This may require them to enforce new systems of accountability, designate roles to leaders, hire new department heads or specialists, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. The COO seeks to create harmony within the company and ensures the company culture<\/a> matches the CEO\u2019s vision<\/strong>. This requires them to hire the right leaders and replace leaders who don\u2019t fit the company. This also may require them to call leadership team meetings where everyone can discuss issues or have debates so everyone\u2019s on the same page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5.<\/strong> The COO designates tasks to others and provides them with the resources they need to learn and grow. <\/strong>The COO can\u2019t specialize in every area of the business and accomplish every task that needs to get done, so knowing how to delegate<\/a> tasks and grow people is crucial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6.<\/strong> The COO serves as a model for the company culture at all times<\/strong>. They must uphold the company’s beliefs and values and behave how they want the rest of the company\u2019s employees to behave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that you know what a COO can do, you must determine what you need your<\/em> COO to do. For a company to thrive, Herold says that leaders must only focus on the tasks that they\u2019re best<\/em> at. Therefore, hiring a COO requires you to determine what you\u2019re best at and find a COO who\u2019s best at the important things you\u2019re not.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To do this, Herold recommends making a list of all the tasks you do in a month and sorting them into four categories: things you\u2019re bad at, things you\u2019re okay at, things you\u2019re good at, and things you\u2019re great at and love doing\u2014your superpowers. Immediately delegate the things you\u2019re bad and okay at\u2014assign them to other leaders or an assistant, or find a way to automate them. The things that you\u2019re good at but don\u2019t love, which also tend to be higher-stakes tasks, are the ones that you\u2019ll need a COO to manage. These high-stakes areas should be the COO\u2019s superpowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve figured out the responsibilities you need a COO to take on, determine what level of support you need<\/strong>. It\u2019s possible that you may not need someone as serious as a COO\u2014taking on a COO is a long-term commitment that will have a financial and cultural impact on your company. Herold says to consider the following factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. If the tasks you would designate to a COO aren\u2019t super high-stakes and you\u2019re more looking to free up your time, can you hire an executive assistant instead?<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Instead of a COO, can you hire department heads and designate your high-stakes tasks to them? For example, could you hire a head of finance or head of marketing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. If you don\u2019t have that many high-stakes tasks to designate, can you hire a part-time COO who also works for other companies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. If your high-stakes tasks are temporary crises that will go away once solved, can you hire a consultant to help you work through them rather than a COO?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve determined what kind of COO you need (if you need one), Herold says it\u2019s time to start the process of finding one. To find a COO, you\u2019ll need to create a clear and detailed job description<\/a>, get the word out there to potential hires, and conduct in-depth interviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To write a job description that will attract the perfect COO, you\u2019ll need to include the superpowers you want them to have, the business areas they\u2019ll manage and the responsibilities they\u2019ll have (consider the various COO types and roles), and the personality traits and values you want them to have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When considering the personality traits and values of your COO, be sure to take into account your personality and your desired company culture<\/strong>. Since the COO will have a close relationship<\/a> with you and you\u2019ll spend a lot of time together, they should be someone who you can get along well with and who shares similar values and perspectives\u2014they shouldn\u2019t have personality traits that get on your nerves, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Further, since the COO is the model of your company culture, you need to be sure they already<\/em> align with the core values<\/a> and behaviors of that culture before<\/em> they apply for the job<\/strong>. According to Herold, it\u2019s nearly impossible to change who someone is as a person, so you need to ensure they\u2019re the person you need when you hire them and not afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Second in Command<\/em> Book Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What Is a COO?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Types of COOs<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Roles of COOs<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What COO Do You Need?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Find a COO<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Create the Job Description<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n