When evaluating a Chief Operating Officer (COO), most executive teams start with the obvious: a strong resume, P&L ownership, operational metrics, and industry expertise. While these hard skills are essential, they are no longer sufficient to lead in today’s high-velocity, complex business landscape. The modern COO must be more than a skilled operator—they must be a multidimensional leader.
Great COOs don’t just run the business efficiently; they drive transformation, build resilient teams, and act as cultural co-architects alongside the CEO. This article explores seven essential—but often overlooked—traits that separate a good COO from a truly exceptional one. If you’re building or evolving your leadership team, these are the intangibles that can make all the difference.
1. Radical Empathy
World-class COOs deeply understand the human systems behind the business. They lead with empathy—not to avoid tough decisions, but to make better ones. By attuning to team dynamics, customer frustrations, and front-line challenges, they foster psychological safety and unlock discretionary effort across the organization.
Why it matters: Empathetic leadership drives retention, engagement, and more resilient operations—especially during change or crisis.
2. Systems Thinking
Exceptional COOs see the business not as siloed departments, but as an interconnected ecosystem. They understand how decisions in one area affect outcomes across others—anticipating ripple effects, identifying bottlenecks, and engineering scalable processes that support long-term growth.
Why it matters: This holistic perspective enables smarter, faster decisions—and fewer unintended consequences.
3. Influential Communication
It’s not enough to make the right calls; a COO must also bring others along. Influential communication means translating strategy into action, aligning stakeholders, and ensuring clarity in execution. The best COOs adapt their communication style to different audiences—from boardrooms to shop floors.
Why it matters: Clear, consistent messaging minimizes friction, builds trust, and accelerates execution.
4. Bias Toward Action (Without Losing Precision)
The best COOs are decisive without being reckless. They know how to balance speed with accuracy—moving quickly when needed, but grounding decisions in data and context. They empower their teams to act, iterate, and improve in real-time.
Why it matters: In fast-changing environments, waiting for perfect data is often riskier than calculated action.
5. Resilience Under Pressure
Operations are rarely smooth sailing. From supply chain disruptions to talent crises, COOs face the brunt of real-time chaos. Great ones remain calm, adaptable, and forward-looking, even when things go sideways.
Why it matters: A COO’s composure sets the tone for the entire organization during uncertain times.
6. Talent Magnetism
World-class COOs don’t just manage teams—they attract, retain, and grow top talent. They build high-trust environments where accountability and development go hand-in-hand. They know when to coach, when to delegate, and when to get out of the way.
Why it matters: Great operations depend on great people—and great people stay for great leaders.
7. Cultural Co-Ownership
The COO is not just the CEO’s executor—they are the CEO’s cultural mirror. Exceptional COOs model core values, shape behaviors, and reinforce culture through every operational decision. They ensure that growth doesn’t come at the cost of what makes the company great.
Why it matters: Culture isn’t built in mission statements—it’s operationalized in everyday choices.
Conclusion
Hiring a COO should never be reduced to ticking off a list of technical qualifications. The intangible leadership qualities outlined above are what drive lasting impact. In today’s business landscape, where change is constant and complexity is rising, soft skills aren’t optional—they’re mission-critical.
As executive teams reimagine the COO role for the future, it’s essential to prioritize candidates who lead with empathy, think in systems, and act with clarity and influence. These traits won’t always show up on a résumé—but they show up every day in how great COOs lead.
Ready to Hire a Transformational COO?
JRG Partners helps organizations go beyond the résumé to find COOs who lead with vision, integrity, and executional excellence. Let us help you identify the leadership traits that will truly move the needle for your business. Contact JRG Partners today to start your strategic COO search.
