If you have been working your way up the corporate ladder, you may find yourself in a position where a COO role is possible. However, you must first establish yourself as someone ready to take over. The strategy involves demonstrating you have the necessary knowledge and leadership skills.

The knowledge part is complex; however, most professionals willing to invest time and open their minds will learn what they need to know. It’s the leadership part that’s tricky. Leaders must possess soft skills that don’t come naturally to everyone.

However, with the right approach, you can develop these skills to reveal your leadership potential and reach your goals.

How to Develop COO Leadership Skills

Take on Leadership Roles

The surest way to establish yourself as a leader is to take on leadership roles in your company. If COO is your ultimate goal, you can move up to Operations Manager, Director of Strategy, or VP of Operations. While active in these roles, you must demonstrate your ability for decision-making, empathy, innovation, and confidence.

Seek Out Leadership Opportunities

Moving up to a COO-adjacent position in your organization may be ideal, but promotions are often beyond your control. Fortunately, there are other ways to establish yourself as a leader in your organization.

For example, you can be the first to volunteer for projects when work needs to be done. You should also seek tasks that take you out of your comfort zone or present innovative ideas for new products and productivity. In time, executives will recognize your potential and consider you for more significant roles.

Practice Active Listening

Active listening is imperative in leadership. Leaders who listen actively pay attention to feedback and improve themselves, their products, and their systems accordingly. They are in tune with their colleagues and teams and know how to motivate them.

To actively listen, you must go beyond hearing what people are saying. You must ask questions, paraphrase, and pay attention to body language. These activities foster a more profound sense of understanding and support better relationships.

Develop Decision-Making Skills

A leader can’t lead without confidence. They must demonstrate that they can make decisions under pressure. Leaders should not appear to waiver or second guess themselves.

Stress can overcome you, especially when faced with significant decisions, but data can help. Analytics will help you make firm decisions based on past behaviors, market trends, and other historical information. It gives you the confidence you need to move forward.

Combine data with human oversight by reviewing objectives with your peers before reaching a verdict. A collaborative approach boosts transparency and support for your decisions.

Seek Out Mentors

A mentor will help you develop leadership skills based on their experience. They will provide guidance and advice. Be open to their feedback to determine areas of improvement.

You may find a mentor within your organization. This situation is ideal because an in-house mentor may also recommend you for leadership roles. However, if you cannot find a mentor in your company, you may search for one through LinkedIn and other professional networks.

Develop Conflict Management Skills

Conflict management is a task few leaders enjoy. However, conflicts arise in the workplace, and it is often up to leaders to resolve them.

While the approach may vary based on the conflict, resolving issues often requires listening, finding facts, and trying to compromise. A good leader will take biases and emotions out of the equation. With the right approach, they will find a solution that pleases all parties.

Remain Calm and Positive

Leadership often means dealing with the unexpected. Surprises can be good, but leaders usually find the opposite is true. Disruptions, security issues, and market changes can interfere with workflow, productivity, and earnings.

These situations are stressful, but leaders must remain calm and positive to lead a resilient workforce. Leaders can foster a zen-like attitude through stress-relieving exercises like meditation and mindfulness. They should also be self-aware, understand their triggers, and know how to keep emotions under control.

Time management and delegation skills also help relieve stress in everyday work situations.

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