“Rocket Fuel” by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters provides a blueprint for businesses that want to get to the next level of growth by creating a dynamic partnership between the CEO of the business (The Visionary) and the COO (The Integrator). The clear delineation of roles and responsibilities between the CEO and the COO will provide the “Rocket Fuel” to maximize the skills of these two positions.  Even though it is only 178 pages, it is packed with real work examples and clear strategies to get you on the way.

Understanding CEO and COO Relationship

At the heart of the book an explanation of the role of the company’s Visionary or CEO and the company’s Integrator, the Chief Operating Officer (COO), General Manager or the #2.  The authors do a deep dive into the relationship of these two positions, the V/I Relationship and how it can be a powerful tool for growth.

Visionaries are the dreamers, the bold thinkers who are brimming with ideas, and are often the founding figures of businesses. They thrive on innovation, strategic thinking, and where the company is headed long-term.

Integrators, on the other hand, are the doers. They excel at executing the Visionary’s ideas, creating harmony among the organization’s departments, and ensuring that the business operates smoothly day-to-day.

When do I hire an Integrator (COO)?

Wickman and Winters do a nice job of explaining how small business can move forward and create the right environment for these two key positions to work seamlessly together and create additional revenue and increase profits.  They outline what they call the “Readiness Factor” to demonstrate when the founder of the company is ready to add a COO to the team.  They need to”

• Be able to afford the salary or the COO and make sure that the new salary expense will bring in new revenue.
• Be psychologically ready to let go of some control and delegate to the COO
• Have a desire to improve their works/life balance by working fewer hours and reducing their stress level.
• Be ready to really step up into the CEO role of focus on the future of the business.

“Rocket Fuel” doesn’t merely theorize about business roles; it provides actionable frameworks and tools. The book includes assessments to help identify whether you are a Visionary or an Integrator and offers step-by-step guidance on how to find and work effectively with your counterpart.

Included in the book are diagnostic tools and descriptions of the common pitfalls and challenges between the Visionary and Integrator. Getting these two on the same page with roles and responsibilities will produce significant results.  Another powerful tool is the the Accountability Chart which is a super charged org chart that is really based on the key functional areas of a business:

• Sales and Marketing
• Operations
• Finance and Administration.

Understanding how each key functions is interrelated and the COO is responsible for keep these functions running smoothly so the CEO can focus on the future.

Find the time to read this book to inject some “Rocket Fuel” into your business, propelling you towards higher revenue and greater profits.