Here is an evergreen stat that still holds true in today’s business world: over 25% of Fortune 100 CEOs began their careers in operations roles, leveraging hands-on experience to ascend to the C-suite. Consider the career trajectory of Tim Cook. Before becoming Apple’s CEO, Cook served as Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations, where he was instrumental in streamlining supply chains and improving efficiency. His operational skills gave him the kind of insight and experience that turned him into a truly effective leader.
Today, operations isn’t just about keeping things running anymore. It is like being the brain behind the whole show. People who know how to solve problems, make things work more effectively, and bring everyone together are the ones who often end up running the company. If you want to be a leader, learning how the gears turn is one of the smartest moves you can make.
What a Modern COO Really does
The COO of today isn’t just managing daily operations. They are the strategists, the problem solvers, and often the glue that holds the company together. They oversee multiple functions, including finance, HR, tech, and customer experience, providing a 360° view of how the business operates. This broad exposure trains them to make decisions that balance people, processes, and profits, which is precisely what future CEOs need to do.
A day in the life of a modern COO can feel like steering through a storm while guiding a ship. In the morning, they might be in a tense negotiation with a supplier, working to secure the best terms for the company. By midday, they are in a meeting with marketing and finance, aligning teams on the launch of a new product. By evening, a production bottleneck demands immediate attention, requiring them to think quickly and inspire their teams to find solutions. Every moment tests their judgment, their patience, and their ability to bring people together. Through this constant motion and responsibility, they learn not just to manage a company, but to lead it.
Why Operations prepares leaders so well:
- Seeing the big picture: COOs understand how every part of the company connects and affects outcomes.
- Solving complex problems: Operations leaders constantly deal with challenges that require quick thinking and smart solutions.
- Leading people and culture: From frontline teams to senior managers, COOs learn to inspire and align diverse groups toward common goals.
In short, being a COO is like a leadership boot camp. Every project, every process, and every challenge is training for the top job.
How Can You Leverage Operations to Become a Leader?
- Understand the entire business: A COO sees how every function contributes to the organization’s success. To prepare yourself for leadership, take the time to learn the interdependencies between departments. Spend time with finance to understand cash flow implications, with marketing to see how campaigns impact revenue, and with technology teams to grasp operational efficiencies. This cross-functional awareness enables you to make informed decisions that consider the broader business perspective.
- Embrace complex problem-solving: Operational roles constantly present challenges that require quick thinking and creative solutions. Seek out projects that are high-stakes, involve multiple teams, or push existing processes to their limits. Solving each problem under pressure strengthens your judgment, resilience, and ability to navigate ambiguity, all of which are essential traits for senior leadership.
- Build strong relationships and influence: Leadership is not just about making decisions; it is about inspiring people to follow you. Invest in understanding what motivates different teams and individuals. Communicate clearly, listen actively, and align diverse groups around common objectives. Strong relationships across the company increase your ability to execute strategies effectively and earn the trust necessary for higher leadership roles.
- Think strategically beyond daily operations: Operational work often involves immediate challenges, but leaders must also maintain a long-term perspective. Connect everyday tasks and process improvements to broader business objectives such as growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction. Demonstrate your ability to balance short-term problem-solving with long-term strategic thinking, showcasing the vision expected of a future CEO.
- Seek visibility through impactful initiatives: The projects you take on should demonstrate your ability to deliver results that matter to the organization. Focus on initiatives that optimize performance, reduce costs, enhance customer experience, or drive innovation. Visibility in high-impact projects signals to senior leadership that you are ready for increased responsibility and more significant challenges.
Operations as the Ultimate Leadership Accelerator
Operations is no longer just a behind-the-scenes job; it is where strong leaders are made. Every problem you solve, every process you improve, and every team you help work together gives you the skills and confidence needed to lead at the top. If you want to become a top leader, working in operations is more than just doing your tasks well. It helps you understand how the entire business works, solve complex problems, influence others, and make informed choices that balance short-term needs with long-term goals. Moving from COO to CEO does not happen by chance. Those who really understand operations can run a company and lead it with vision, flexibility, and confidence. Spending time in operations is one of the most effective ways to prepare for senior leadership roles.