Stims, spreadsheets and shredz

Thoughts on the COO role.

A COO can do anything, be anything.

The role can serve the company, serve himself or serve the CEO.

I have zero interest in being CEO.

I don’t mind being the mastermind or pulling the strings, or even raising cash. But morale and motivation and being the figurehead and public face – not interested in the slightest.

This is something I am navigating right now.

I don’t even mind getting in the weeds when I am appreciated and it makes a difference. When I have autonomy and trust.

My coach thinks that I am talking myself down and saying that there is no role for me at the company. I know there is a role. I can make a role. My role is to put myself out of a role and then keep going but that requires me to have autonomy and trust.

I actually don’t even mind doing sales ops and data. I think the issue has been that it’s been a black box for me. And with the current director, it remains a blackbox. Communication is poor. Visibility is poor. Trust is poor.

So, I KNOW that there is a role for me. I just don’t know if I want it.

I think that given the flexibility of the COO role there is a risk that it is abused. And if I cannot hold my boundaries (or be trusted to operate) then it is no longer interesting or fun for me. The CEO does not know what a COO does and he wants me in the weeds/operating as his assistant/helping him directly where he actually needs to leave me be to serve the company in the best way that I can.

Under what circumstances would I stay?

If I could run the show. I’ll run the exec meetings. I’ll delegate. I’ll be detached. My only reports are the exec team. That could work. We continue as we are. I need some authority – realistically I have none.

So, they need a CEO role while the CEO helps sales. THey are also trying to get me to stay. These are 2 separate issues.

I don’t want to stay as COO because:

1. The CEO does not understand how a COO operates and I refuse to do it his way. I need autonomy and trust
2. My main role was mediator and conduit and I no longer want to do that.
3. I have countless opportunity.

Now, as CEO, I am open to it but:

1. I have zero real authority.
2. I have zero trust to run it how I want.
3. I am just a figurehead to serve as his puppet and keep everything together while things align but as soon as he panics that all falls apart. This is reality.

What are the options?

I stay on with strict boundaries? With the threat that I’ll leave with zero notice if he fucks around.

I stay on as JUST the exec coordinator?

We need to define that the role is that is needed – specifically. And what the parameters are for this role. Strictly.

That could work.