“The 7 types of COO”. For over 10 years, I’ve used Nate Bennett and Stephen A Miles classic Harvard Business Review framework when guiding CEOs through hiring a new COO. It covers most scenarios and helps focus the Executive Search on the exact type of leader to identify and recruit.
The core premise remains unbeatable: A COO is defined entirely by what the CEO lacks, needs, or wants to delegate.
The 7 distinct types
The framework outlines 7 distinct types:
The Executor – Drives internal cadence so the CEO can look outward.
The Change Agent – Leads high-stakes turnarounds or rapid scaling.
The Mentor – Guides a founder through the realities of running a company.
The Other Half – Systematically complements the CEO’s blind spots.
The Partner – Co-leads the business as an equal.
The Heir Apparent – Groomed specifically for CEO succession.
The MVP – Retained to keep top talent from walking out the door.
Has AI changed the COO model?
The fundamentals still hold up—the why behind hiring a COO hasn’t changed, but the how has shifted dramatically:
Does the original 7-archetype COO model still hold up in 2026,?
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