COO Forum Presenter Series: Riding Shotgun: Why the COO Role Has Never Been More Important—or More Difficult - Fri, Aug 14 at 10:30 am ET
Description
COOs are facing a paradox. Organizations need sophisticated operational leadership more than ever, yet COO tenure continues to decline. In a world shaped by AI, geopolitical volatility, hybrid work, and relentless disruption, the traditional image of the COO as the company's chief executor is no longer sufficient. Today's most effective COOs must orchestrate complexity, shape strategy, manage competing stakeholders, and build organizational adaptability.
Drawing on more than two decades of research and the study of hundreds of CEO–COO partnerships, this session explores how the role has evolved, why so many COO arrangements fail, and what distinguishes those that create lasting organizational value.
Audience Takeaways
Understand the evolution of the COO role from operational executor to strategic orchestrator, and why this shift is redefining expectations for operational leaders.
Learn the three paradoxes every COO must navigate—leading without ultimate authority, exercising influence without seeking visibility, and creating lasting impact in a role that is often temporary.
Identify the conditions that make CEO–COO partnerships succeed, including trust, role clarity, and effective division of responsibilities at the top of the organization.
Discover how organizations can design COO roles for competitive advantage, avoiding common failure patterns and creating stronger leadership, execution, and succession pipelines.
Bio:
Nate Bennett is a Professor and the EMBA Program Faculty Director at Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. Before coming to GSU, he served on the faculties of the Georgia Institute of Technology and Louisiana State University.
He has published in resources for managers including the Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek.com and Forbes.com. He is co-author of two business books, "Riding Shotgun: The Role of the COO" and “Your Career Game: How Game Theory Can Help You Achieve Your Professional Goals.” A third book, “The Constraints-Led Approach to Leadership Development” will be available in the summer of 2027. All three books are published by Stanford University Press. His academic research has been published in respected scholarly journals such as the Academy of Management Review, the Academy of Management Journal, Psychological Bulletin, and the Journal of Applied Psychology.
Dr. Bennett has more than 30 years of experience designing and delivering leadership training programs. Current and past clients include Berkshire Hathaway, The US Department of the Army, Schneider Electric, The Coca Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Lockheed-Martin, and General Electric.