Ep. 508 - Sarah Harris - Uncovering the Secrets of Successful COOs: Empathy, Autonomy, and Impact

Second in Command: The Chief Behind the Chief with Cameron Herold

In today's episode of the Second in Command podcast, co-host Sivana Brewer is joined by Sarah Harris, Fractional Chief Operating Officer at OMG Commerce.

In this episode, you'll be taken behind the scenes of a dynamic leadership role that’s often misunderstood but critical to a company’s growth and health. Through candid stories and practical insights, the conversation explores the unique balance required to lead both strategically and operationally, juggling long-term vision with short-term problem-solving. You'll hear how strong delegation, prioritization, and clarity of communication help keep leaders out of the weeds and focused on what matters most.

Sarah dives into the hidden challenges companies face as they scale, especially around team structure, decision-making, and culture. You’ll learn why emotional intelligence, feedback systems, and psychological safety are not just soft skills but essential operational levers. The episode highlights how creating space for team autonomy, fostering accountability, and removing decision bottlenecks can unlock innovation and engagement at all levels of the business.

From moments of breakthrough growth in team members to practical rituals for prioritization, this episode is packed with stories, strategies, and mindset shifts that challenge traditional notions of leadership and invite a new way of thinking about operational excellence.

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Enjoy!

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• Sarah's unique background, starting in commercial roles and eventually becoming a managing director, while also being a qualified therapist and coach.

• The differences between working with a CEO and a founder CEO, as well as the emotional and personal stakes for the founder.

• The use of post-mortems and team retrospectives to uncover underlying issues and gather data for making informed decisions.

• The importance of building a culture of feedback and creating an environment where people feel safe giving feedback in all directions.

• How Sarah's background in therapy and coaching helps her approach problems with empathy and curiosity.

• And much more...

Guest Bio:

Sarah Harris is a Fractional COO at OMG Commerce with a unique blend of operational expertise, coaching depth, and psychological insight. With a background as an ICF-certified coach and MBACP-registered counsellor, she supports growth-stage companies by aligning strategy, leadership, and mindset to scale sustainably. Sarah has spent her career leading business transformation—building leadership teams, optimizing operations, and guiding founders through the complexities of growth. Her integrated approach balances execution with people-centered change, helping leaders shift how they think, lead, and show up. From organizational transformation to mergers and acquisitions, Sarah partners with businesses to create resilient, high-performing teams and structures. She knows scaling isn’t just about growing, it’s about building something that works and lasts.

Resources:

• Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn
• Explore the COO Alliance - The World’s Leading Community for Seconds in Command
• Get Cameron’s book: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO Book
• Take his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off)
• Video call with Cameron: Delphi

Disclaimer:

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