“It is a different emotional zip code when you own it as opposed to participate.” Ed Zander recalled arriving in the CEO role after years of operational leadership and finding how dramatically the dynamic had changed. The Confidence GapMany ambitious COOs believe they could perform the CEO role better than the person currently holding it. The Career Paradox of the COO RoleThese differences help explain one of the most persistent paradoxes of the COO role. COOs who remain in the role for extended periods can find their strategic capabilities underdeveloped relative to what the CEO job demands.