How Leaders Should Choose Their Second in Command

By Cheryl L. Mason, J.D.

Choosing your second in command requires much more thought than many leaders realize. They are many factors to consider for you and your organization.

First and most important, what traits, skills, and abilities are you seeking in a second in command?

Do you want them to be a yin to your yang and compliment your skills? Or do you want someone who is similar to you in thoughts and actions. Sometimes leaders are drawn to people who are almost carbon copies of themselves. This is why the choice is so important.

You need someone you are comfortable with, with whom you can build trust, and who will strengthen your team and enhance the C suite.
Many seconds in command fill the role of chief operating officer and handle the direct operations and engagement with the team. If that is what you are looking for, you need to be clear about lines of authority and how the relationship between you as Chief Executive and your COO will work not only for the selectee and the team, but for yourself as well.

And sometimes, the final decision is not yours to make, but you can influence it.

As a senior executive, I witnessed misalignment between a CEO and COO. It caused chaos and confusion within the organization and sometimes led lack of communication between the top two leaders – not an ideal situation. One leader felt overshadowed by the other. The fragile relationship broke leading to lack of trust, undermining of each other, and negative effects on the outcomes of the organization as well as employee morale and retention. For this reason, when I became a Chief Executive, I weighed the selection of my second in command very carefully.

I initially inherited my second in command and we had a good relationship on the surface. However, this person was easily swayed by others advice and inputs after a decision had been reached. Because of our existing relationship, we were able to discuss most of these situations and come to agreement. But it was known and caused concern in the organization. The person retired about 6 months after I became CEO. Although I did not have final decision on the selection, but I had significant influence, and I was asked to provide recommendations with a list of how the candidates would work with me and help lead the organization. I recommended a strong leader with skills that would both enhance and compliment my leadership style. My recommendations were followed.

My new second in command was fantastic. We worked together well and built trust. He served as my COO and he also understood that I was a very active and engaged CEO. Thus, we talked about our strategies, plans, and how we would roll out new initiatives from enhancing our website to direct employee engagement to improve morale and retention. Both internally and externally, we were seen as team in the C-suite. And the results? Improved employee morale and retention and increased outcomes.