6 Valuable Lessons Learned During My First Year as a COO
Stepping into the role of a Chief Operating Officer (COO) can be a challenging yet rewarding experience. This article delves into the valuable lessons learned during a COO's first year, offering insights that can benefit both aspiring and seasoned executives. Drawing from expert knowledge and real-world experiences, these lessons cover essential aspects of leadership, from setting clear expectations to fostering effective communication across all levels of an organization.
- Set Clear Expectations and Invest in Onboarding
- Embrace Adaptability in Strategy and Leadership
- Balance Vision with Execution and Empowerment
- Save for Tough Times to Ensure Stability
- Prioritize Alignment Over Speed in Projects
- Foster Clear Communication Across All Levels
Set Clear Expectations and Invest in Onboarding
Set a COO Agenda and Invest in Onboarding
Set expectations for what you will - and as importantly - won't focus on during your first 90, 120, and 180 days. Newly promoted to my first COO role, I was determined to show my value on day one. I set out to "fix" the bottlenecks I'd experienced firsthand in my previous role. I fielded dozens of coffee requests from staff, hearing every idea, challenge, and wish. Before long, I found myself reacting to the incoming volume without shaping and communicating my COO agenda - or even learning the contours of the role first.
There is an almost irresistible pressure on new leaders to demonstrate results quickly. The organization has just placed a big bet on their new hire, and there is a lot on the line - for the CEO, the organization, and for the new leader. Yet, without a clear onboarding agenda, new leaders face uncalibrated expectations that can derail their progress and hinder their effectiveness long-term. At Nebo, we've learned from coaching hundreds of new executives that fully onboarding to a new executive role can take a year to 18 months.
In the era of uncharted complexity, the COO role requires not just skills and experience, but new leadership mindsets. This requires that a COO understand when to use their experience and when to reach for additional expertise; how to steward the organization while promoting innovation; how to align the organization and culture for results, and more. New COOs must work with their CEOs to gain clarity on their roles and responsibilities and co-create a learning agenda for each three-month increment. Coaching is essential for new executives to accelerate their learning and development, enabling them to have the strategic sounding boards and confidential support to integrate what they are seeing and learning, and drive their own development.
While 18 months may sound like an eternity, intentional onboarding presents a foundational "set-up" period that maximizes the chances of a leader's success, retention, and ability to sustain the demands of the job longer term.
Embrace Adaptability in Strategy and Leadership
The most valuable lesson I learned during my first year as COO is that strategy is never static. Each year brings a new mix of team dynamics, cash flow realities, client needs, and external factors like the economy and politics. Learning to anticipate and adapt to these shifts has been critical in keeping our company resilient and moving forward.
For me, this lesson has shaped my leadership style by reinforcing the importance of adaptability and communication. I've realized that as a leader, it's less about having one fixed "playbook" and more about creating a culture where the team feels informed, supported, and ready to pivot when circumstances change. It taught me that consistency in values matters more than rigidity in tactics, and that's how we've been able to grow year after year.
Balance Vision with Execution and Empowerment
"Leadership is not about having all the answers, but creating an environment where the best answers can emerge."
The most valuable lesson I learned during my first year as a COO was the importance of balancing vision with execution. It's easy to get caught up in strategy, but real leadership is about translating ideas into measurable results while empowering your team to own their part of the journey. That experience taught me that listening deeply, fostering trust, and providing clarity are far more powerful than micromanaging. It shaped my leadership style to be both decisive and empathetic, driving results while ensuring the team feels valued and motivated.
Save for Tough Times to Ensure Stability
I don't have a "COO," and the most valuable lesson I learned during my first year as a business owner wasn't a corporate one. It was simple: you have to save for the tough days. I was overly optimistic about the business, and I thought the jobs would just keep coming. I wasn't saving enough money for a slow season or a rainy week, and it almost put me out of business.
The lesson came the hard way. The weather turned against us, and many jobs were delayed. The money wasn't coming in fast enough, and I was in a tough spot. I had to go to the bank to get a line of credit just to make payroll and buy materials. It was a stressful time, and it taught me a lot about the reality of running a business.
Since then, I've completely changed how I run my business. I now have a simple rule: a certain amount of every single paycheck goes into a savings account that is just for a slow season. I don't touch it. It's a way of protecting my crew and my business from a financial crisis.
This simple lesson has completely shaped my leadership style. My employees know that I'm not a person who is going to take a lot of risks with the business. They know that in a tough situation, I'm going to have their backs. My advice to other business owners is to be a little more pessimistic than optimistic. The most valuable lesson you can learn is to save for the tough days. It's the only way to build a business that will last.
Prioritize Alignment Over Speed in Projects
The most valuable lesson I learned was that alignment matters more than speed. In my first year, I pushed projects forward quickly but realized that misalignment created rework and frustration. Since then, I've focused on ensuring everyone understands the goal before execution. This experience has shaped my leadership style to prioritize clarity and shared ownership over simply moving fast.
Foster Clear Communication Across All Levels
The most valuable lesson I learned during my first year as a COO was the importance of clear and consistent communication across all levels of the organization. Early on, I underestimated how much communication gaps—whether between departments, teams, or leadership—could impact decision-making, morale, and overall efficiency.
I realized that as a leader, it's not just about having the right vision or strategy; it's about ensuring that everyone is aligned, understands their roles, and is aware of the larger goals. One key insight was that over-communication often prevents misunderstandings and helps everyone stay on the same page. Regular updates, clear expectations, and a transparent flow of information made a huge difference in building trust and a strong team dynamic.
This experience has shaped my leadership style by making me prioritize communication as a foundational element of successful leadership. I now place a high value on listening, providing clear directives, and creating an environment where feedback is encouraged at all levels. I also learned that frequent communication isn't just for addressing issues—it's equally important for celebrating successes, reinforcing goals, and keeping morale high. This insight has made me a more proactive and approachable leader, ensuring that the team feels informed, engaged, and empowered.
