By: Joshua Finley
Christie Kerner, a seasoned entrepreneur and business leader, has significantly impacted the world of startups and corporate leadership. With over 15 years of experience, Christie has developed an understanding of what it takes to build and sustain successful companies. Today, she shares her wealth of knowledge through her company, Startup COO Club.
A Journey of Entrepreneurship and Leadership
Christie’s journey into the business world started early. “I started company building when I was just a teenager,” she recalls. “I had kind of an atypical upbringing, and rather than attending high school, I got a chance to build a multi-million dollar company as the primary operator.” This unique experience laid the foundation for her future endeavors, teaching her the importance of creating sustainable systems and processes.
In the past 15 years, Christie has coached executives in ambitious deep tech startups, successfully IPO’d startups and everything in between. She recently worked with the executive team of a company recognized as one of the Inc 5000 fastest-growing companies in America. Christie developed and ran the premier peer circle program for startup founders in Arizona, helping over 100 startup CEOs grow and exit their companies.
Christie’s ability to see the big picture while managing intricate details has made her a sought-after advisor and coach. “I’m a generalist that can get my hands dirty in every area and do pretty darn deep work,” she explains. She has been CEO, COO, and Entrepreneur in Residence, building venture-backed companies for herself and others, including selling two of her own companies.
Three Ways to Build a Strong CEO & COO Relationship
Christie Kerner’s extensive experience has given her unique insights into building harmonious and productive relationships between executives and their CEOs. Here are her three tips for fostering a strong CEO and COO relationship:
Make the CEO & COO Relationship a Top Priority
“When aligned well, combining a bold visionary mind paired with a grounded detail architect is a significant competitive advantage,” Christie emphasizes. Understanding your CEO/COO’s strengths and creating a habit of regular, authentic communication gives you a competitive advantage. While others are going in circles from the friction of miscommunication, you can be setting ambitious targets with a high probability of success.
Divide and Conquer
Clarity on roles is essential. “Start with the traditional: The CEO handles up and out (all things growth, market, stakeholders), and the COO is down and in (delivery team, overall culture, and bottom-line efficiency),” Christie advises. But make sure to also discern where each of you can spend your time in ways that recharge your batteries instead of being unduly drained.” As you work together, you can make necessary adjustments to improve processes and communication.
Appreciate Your Differences
“The fact that the visionary and implementer have such different approaches will either be a company’s great strength or weakness,” Christie notes. When a COO learns to become a Vision Architect, they stop saying no to the CEO’s big ideas and instead say, ‘Let’s see how close we can come.’ This simple change creates a habit where the CEO learns to crave the COO’s input since they see that their partner makes the needed adjustments early on, which points their vibrant energy in a winning direction.
Summary
Through Christie’s practical advice and her company, Startup COO Club, she continues to inspire and guide leaders worldwide. By prioritizing the CEO and COO relationship, dividing and conquering roles, and appreciating their differences, executives can foster stronger, more productive relationships with their leaders, driving their organizations toward tremendous success.
Learn more about Christie Kerner by visiting her Startup COO Club.
Published By: Aize Perez
