Transformative Leadership Lessons with Cameron Herold

The EO Melbourne community recently came together for an inspiring workshop led by leadership expert Cameron Herold, renowned founder of the COO Alliance and author of The Second in Command. The event, titled “The Second in Command: Unleashing the Power of a COO” and “2 Ladders: How Growing Your People Grows Your Company,” offered attendees practical strategies to strengthen their businesses through better leadership structures. Over the course of the day, Cameron shared insights drawn from his extensive experience coaching CEOs and scaling companies like 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, leaving participants with actionable tools to elevate their teams and operations.

The first session focused on the pivotal role of a Chief Operating Officer (COO) in driving business success. Cameron guided attendees through the process of identifying, hiring, and nurturing top-tier senior leaders who align with a company’s vision. He emphasized the importance of trust and clear communication between CEOs and their COOs, which he described as the foundation for seamless collaboration. By leveraging a skilled COO, Cameron explained, CEOs can boost revenue, increase profits, and reclaim valuable personal time—a revelation that resonated deeply with many in the room.

Cameron also highlighted common pitfalls in senior leadership hiring, offering cautionary tales and practical advice to help attendees avoid costly mistakes. His real-world examples illustrate how the right second-in-command can become a powerful asset, enabling CEOs to focus on strategic priorities while their COO drives operational excellence.

The second half of the workshop shifted to people development, framed as the cornerstone of sustainable growth. Cameron introduced the science of adult learning and outlined twelve essential leadership skills every manager should cultivate, from decision-making to conflict resolution. He shared techniques to build managers’ confidence and abilities, empowering them to inspire their teams and drive performance. By investing in people, Cameron argued, CEOs simplify their roles, improve employee retention, and create a culture of excellence that scales revenue and profit. Attendees left this session equipped with practical steps they could implement, ensuring the lessons would have a lasting impact.

EO Melbourne added a thoughtful touch by gifting each participant a copy of Cameron’s book, The Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO, which Cameron signed at the event. This resource, described as a go-to guide for scaling businesses through strong leadership partnerships, served as a fitting takeaway from a day filled with inspiration and insight. The gesture was met with enthusiastic appreciation, underscoring the value attendees placed on the event.

Throughout the day, participants engaged deeply with Cameron’s teachings, reflecting on how to apply his strategies to their own businesses. Many shared moments of realisation, particularly around the importance of aligning leadership hires with company values and the transformative power of investing in team development. Conversations during breaks buzzed with ideas about restructuring leadership dynamics and fostering a culture of continuous learning.

Strengthening your 2iC as a way of strengthening your business

One of the long-term goals of many business owners is to be more focused ON the business rather than to be IN the business. This means that they evolve from doing job execution and daily operations to heavily leaning towards setting strategic directions and vision achievement of the company. To do so, entrepreneurs have to free certain space on their plate so that they can concentrate on growing their business. This is where having an effective 2iC becomes critical.

A 2iC or second-in-command is the next in line after the CEO. The 2iCs may have different position titles but they have two major roles, which are to help manage the business, especially during the absence of the CEO, and manage their relationship with the CEO. Having a strong 2iC is important to build and develop your management team.

Entrepreneurs share the key things they do to ensure that they have a reliable 2iC that can help them in their business.

Hire a trustworthy person fit for the role

The first thing to do to make sure you have a trustworthy 2iC is to find the right person fit for the role. It has to be someone with whom you share similar vision and values and who has the right skillset needed for the job.

“Employ someone you trust,” said ​​Clayton Cross, Head of Strategy at Expia. “Employ someone with better skills in complementary areas of business. Employ a hard worker,” he went on. It is important that you are able to hand the management of the business to your 2iC so that you can focus on the macro parts of your company.

The relationship between you as the CEO and your 2iC is extremely significant because it will hold your whole organisation together. Otherwise, if there are gaps and cracks in your business relations, it will affect the entire team and, eventually, will have an adverse consequence to your business.

Spend more time with them

Having a 2iC doesn’t mean that you will live in two separate worlds. You may have your respective areas to focus on but will still have constant communication with each other because you will have to work together to attain what you have set to achieve for your business.

This is why for Ben Beattie, Managing Director of True Blue Plumbing Australia, “I think the key thing for me is to spend a lot of time with them and encourage them in their personal development. The more time you spend with them, the more likely they will take on your approach to the business. Also, don’t be scared to trust them with responsibilities before you think they are ready.”

Similarly, Rob Roy Rankin, Principal and Founder of Rankin Business Lawyers, makes sure he spends time with them regularly because he believes that communication is paramount. “We have a standing weekly meeting to ensure we are on the same page, where we catch up on what is happening in each other's lives. We identify, discuss and resolve any issues. We also discuss business strategies and project plans,” he shared.

Define roles and support them in their roles

Understand that a 2iC is not a “spare tire” but someone who only functions in the absence of the CEO. Rather, they take an active role in the company, alongside the CEO. You have to have definite functions and specify which responsibilities you will handle and which ones you will delegate to your 2iC. That way, you have a clear delineation of roles and a smooth system and process on how to run things.

For Rob Roy, he finds it useful to put careful thought into this. “We read Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman & Mark C Winters and used this to define our roles, what was expected of each other and how we work best together,” he revealed. On a day to day basis, Rob supports decisions made by his 2iC and they both make sure that neither undermines each other.  

Even if your 2iC is advanced in experience and have leadership capabilities, it is still important to look after their professional growth and development and their other needs. Allow them the opportunity for ongoing Executive Education. The more you build and strengthen them, the more they can be productive and do better for your organisation.

You and the 2iC onwards the future of your business

As you pilot your business towards your targets, goals and vision, your 2iC is the co-pilot that will provide you with the added skill and support to steer your company towards the direction you’re heading. And even without or with less supervision from you, you are assured that someone trustworthy can lead your business forward.

Work together on how you’ll fly your business in the altitude and distance you aim in your entrepreneurial journey. Equip your 2iC with tools so that both of you can look after your team more efficiently and drive your organisation at an accelerated pace that will have long-term benefits to your business and everyone in it.