Episode 68 - Rachel Lebowitz

The COO Roundtable

Episode 68 could very well be the most impactful episode we have recorded. For five and a half years, The COO Roundtable has highlighted the incredible work COOs perform daily across the RIA industry. As such, we’ve tended to focus on the tactical elements of the job: How do you effect change at your organization? How do you approach technology or process implementations? How do you tackle your never-ending to-do list?

In this episode, Matt focuses on the essential soft skills required for the COO role and interviews author Rachel Lebowitz about her research and new book, “Empowered COO – Eliminate Burnout, Resentment and Self Doubt as a Second-in Command.” After revealing his own past insecurities related to the role of COO, Matt asks Rachel to not only define the role of “Second-in-Command,” but to explain what about this unique position leads to burnout in so many cases (Rachel points out that the average COO engagement at a firm lasts about two and a half to five years). During this far-reaching conversation, Matt and Rachel discuss:

• How a COO can easily lose themselves in the role if they aren’t intentional
• Why only 5.5% of the population is truly cut out to be an Empowered COO
• How the Visionary/Integrator relationship is so often a codependent one
• The similarities between an Empowered COO and a triage nurse
• What three soft skills must be mastered by successful COOs
• How Assertiveness, Decisiveness, and Discernment (ADD) are the backbone of an Empowered COO