You're not a number 1, but you're a strong number 2, and that's okay!

The myth of the Founder-CEO is highly overrated.

Don't get me wrong - the world needs visionaries, mad geniuses, brilliant minds who don't take NO for an answer, who live in the realm of "what ifs" and "why nots". But the world also needs those behind the curtains, ready to come before everyone else and leave after the curtains drop, fix things, connect stuff and grease the wheels so they keep the machine running no matter what, priming it for the big take-off when it happens.

Whether you call this role the COO, the Chief of Staff, the Executive Assistant or whether there's no name - the fact of the matter is that a strong Second-in-Command (2IC, to borrow the term from a colleague!) is as indispensable today as your source of funding or a strong and profitable operating model, to ensure that the Chief Executive has a partner to run the strategy, operations as well as other matters that may not even make it up the ladder up to the Founder/CEO at times. While many see the 2IC role as someone who "lacks ambition", "can't make it to Number 1", the role should be seen and valued exactly for what it is - a catalyst, a link, a great crisis manager and someone unafraid of challenging the status quo. Cultivating the emotional intelligence and social capital to get to this level is the hardest part of this role, and not one that many can easily shoulder. The implication is if you’re not striving to be number one, then you must lack ambition or the guts to give it a go. People often say “she’s a good number two” with a tinge of condescension, implying that the person may not have the ambition or ability to achieve tough goals. However, being Second in Command isn't a step down or a step back - for the right sort of person, it's often the first choice!

What does it take to become a strong and valuable Second-In-Command?

• Emotional Intelligence - The distinctive characteristic about people who operate behind the scenes, is their depth of emotional intelligence. They can read a room and a situation. They can read people. They are able to influence and persuade their peers without needing overt authority. Strong 2ICs also know where the internal alliances, networks, roadblocks and egos lie and can help their executive navigate the same.
• Gatekeeping - The role of a strong 2IC is to take things off their executive's plate and help them decide what their priorities should be. In a sense, they are the true Gatekeepers of the CEO and can help drive them towards long-term company priorities, instead of putting out short-term fires.
• Courage and Integrity - Flying so close to the sun means that sometimes you run the risk of getting burnt. A strong 2IC's role is to investigate and share the truth with their chief executive, thereby allowing them to take the best and most appropriate decision for the company. CEOs run the risk of groupthink and HiPPO - if they ask a question they may not always get an honest answer. It is the 2ICs role to both facilitate honest conversations as well and bring unpleasant truths to the corner office, at the risk of shooting the messenger. Given the sanctity of this communication channel, these individuals must operate with the highest levels of integrity so that people on both sides of the table trust that their words are being conveyed accurately.
• Ability to see others' success as an outcome - A true 2IC will delight in "getting things done", not only waiting to "see their name on the door". For these individuals with high empathy and EI, they are able to appreciate success as it results for the company, not for the individual. As a result, they focus their efforts on helping teams and individuals achieve their goals, and not always running the race themselves.

How can CEOs and founders look for/develop the same internally?

• Loyalty - The oldest employees often have the most wealth of organisational knowledge and know the unspoken, unwritten rules of a company that can help them build collaboration, consensus and drive change successfully.
• Proven execution - A CEO expects their 2IC to ensure that things get done. Individuals in this role must first have proven themselves capable of getting hands-on, getting down to the ground and picking up the hammer and nails themselves, and not build further levels of delegation in between. They are the link between translating the CEO's vision and motivating the company to achieve these goals.
• Hit-by-a-bus - When you close your eyes and think of the unfortunate scenario if the CEO was hit by a bus and out of commission for a while, who is the first person that comes to mind that people would immediately look to for direction and guidance? Even if that person may not be ready yet, they can certainly be groomed into a position where they can provide that support even when the CEO is hale and hearty!
• Ambition and passion - Today's generation of workers looks for the next big challenge almost immediately. They look for complex, multi-functional roles and prefer not to stagnate in one profile for too long. If you have a young employee who has proven themself already in the role they were hired to do and is looking for a challenge or an exit, draw them into this profile and allow them to learn more about the business so they can use their leadership, management and people skills to help you navigate your role better in the 21st century.
• The loudest critic - The person who often seems like they have the most to complain or disagrees the most with decisions may very well have a reason for it - give them a platform, allow them to fix what they think is broken and entrust them with the responsibility of building consensus in the future for such decisions. They may have their ear to the ground better than you do and be able to surface genuine issues from the staff, allowing the CEO to truly get a full picture and buy-in from all parties before a major decision.

What impact can a great 2IC have for a CEO and the business?

• They can provide the critical feedback that many others may be unwilling to directly share with a CEO and - based on their seniority and ability to have frank conversations - help the CEO uncover blindspots in their thinking.
• By virtue of their networks and connections, they can escalate issues before they become crises, solving precious CEO time and allowing the organisation to be future-ready and prepared in case of serious matters.
• By learning more about the business and the CEO's vision for the company, they can drive the same across all teams, thereby allowing the CEO to focus on the future, be creative and innovative - go back to what made them have their first big idea
• By garnering the trust of the CEO, they can shed perspective from a step back and present viewpoints that the CEO may not have considered when taking a decision.

This role is primarily defined in relation to the chief executive - to complement and balance them. As such, there is no one-size-fits-all, and this isn't necessarily always the COO in every company. In some companies, it's the CFO or CHRO. In some it's the Chief of Staff. Some very exeperiences EAs also find themselves acting in the name of the CEO in their absence by their ability to understand and communicate their boss's priorities.

Whatever the role and the title, it's clear today that a Second In Command has as much - if not more - influence and impact on an organisation's success. For those who pride themselves on their ability to get things done through people, this is a great profile that provides challenge, creativity, success and learning all in one!