Why women are well-suited to the role of COO
As I was searching for inspiration for this week's post I came across this interesting POV by Maurice Evlyn-Bufton, CEO Armstrong Wolfe who writes:
"My argument is that women in the COO community add equal or greater value in the COO role than men, so more should be done to promote and retain female COOs.”
After leaving the military, Maurice has dedicated the majority of his career to developing a deep-rooted understanding of the COO role. So, the fact that he believes women make more effective COOs than men made my ears prick up. Based on his observations within the finance sector, his reasons for stating this, after speaking to several COOs, include:
1. Women frequently demonstrate a selfless commitment to a common and overriding goal - a key attribute for a COO.
2. Female COOs tend to have better attention to detail and stronger multi-tasking skills that lead to stronger follow-through with delivery. In other words women are good at getting sh*t done.
3. As the job of the COO is never done - and women don’t naturally do the least they can get away with – they are more diligent at ensuring the work is always contributing to the company's goals.
4. Women are more organised and think beyond just themselves, by considering the potential impact that something can have on others and the broader community as well.
5. Women are also intuitively more practical, and will consider the practicalities of implementing a process or control as well as focusing on the end result.
The full article can be read here: https://www.armstrongwolfe.com/pov/women-in-the-coo-community/
After reading it, I felt an instant boost as I think about my long-term career goals. Sometimes it can feel as though you need to change who you are in order to level up but all of the above attributes are the things I am proud of about myself and deeply value. So, to have them called out externally and validated as important skills for senior leadership gives me such a buzz.
Remember: no matter what your goals are, seek out those that appreciate the skills you are able to bring to the table. We are all unique so half the time it's all about finding the company and the team that value what only you can do.