Senior Ops titles sound impressive, don’t they? I still remember scrolling through LinkedIn (more times than I’d like to admit) looking for inspiration. I was trying to figure out where my career should be heading, what skills I should be building, what job titles I should be aiming for. COO. Head of Operations. Operations Director. They all sounded so glamorous to me!

What do these people actually do every day? I used to wonder. Are they sitting in board meetings talking about strategy, growth, and future plans? Do they spend their days running exciting transformation projects, with large teams behind them to make it all happen? Do they get invited to speak on expert panels or represent the company in social initiatives?

I can’t speak about what those roles look like in large organisations. Perhaps that’s exactly what they do. But I can tell you with certainty that in smaller, scaling businesses, Ops leadership looks very different. It’s hands-on, grounded and full of rolling up your sleeves and getting the work done. And that’s exactly what I want to talk about here: the real and honest version of Ops leadership in growing businesses.

Being an Ops leader in a scaling company takes a rare blend of skills and personality. It’s a mix of structure, creativity, resilience, and courage. Not everyone can do it, which is what makes this role so valuable (Dare I say, maybe even the most valuable role in the business). So if you ever find yourself feeling tired, doubting your role, or wondering why it’s not headed toward those “glamorous” expectations, I’d like you to keep reading. This article offers an entirely different perspective on the reality of Ops leadership and I hope it will help you recognise your value, position yourself more strategically, and keep evolving your career on your own terms.

Happy learning!

Firefighting is part of the job

Firefighting is the reality of Ops professionals every single day. You can’t exactly anticipate when a new system update causes mayhem and suddenly puts half the team out of action, a team member goes on prolonged sick leave (or worse, they resign!), or a client escalates an unexpected issue that needs an immediate response to protect the relationship. Many people think that firefighting ends with seniority, that once you reach a certain level, you finally get to work on the business rather than in it. I can tell you frankly and openly: it doesn’t.

Firefighting is an inherent part of Operations, no matter how senior you are. But that’s not a bad thing. Scaling and growth mean more complexity, and complexity naturally brings issues and problems. It’s normal. Ops leaders need to stay close to that reality. They need to have a good understanding of what’s really happening across the business to keep learning, improving, and making smart business decisions. Drift too far from the day-to-day and it’s easy to make decisions that sound great in theory but don’t really work in practice.

That said, firefighting shouldn’t (and mustn’t) be all you’re doing. You’re leading Ops, and you have to carve out time to work on the business, even when the day tries to drag you back into chaos. Finding that balance is what defines great Ops leadership.

Key takeaway: Accept firefighting (it’s not going away), but protect time for strategic work like it’s sacred. Start small: block one or two afternoons a week, make it clear to others that this is your focus time, and stick to it.

And remember, not every fire needs to be yours to put out. Keep building a culture of decentralised decision-making and empower others to solve problems at a level that matches their skills and confidence. It can be a real game-changer for you and your team.

Ops is all about people

People come to us (Ops leaders) with problems, challenges, and roadblocks all the time. And it’s not unusual that they also come to us with things that technically aren’t part of our job: sensitive topics they don’t feel comfortable raising elsewhere, a bit of career advice, or help navigating a conflict they’ve found themselves in. I struggled with this a lot at first. I was hired to build and optimise operations. I thought my focus should be on systems, processes, and efficiencies. So how was I supposed to do all that when I was spending so much time supporting people instead?

And then it hit me: improvements and efficiencies are a big part of Ops, but the real work of Ops is (and always will be) about people. We’re here to serve our customers and our internal teams and help them overcome their challenges. That’s why we must prioritise talking to our people, so we understand their habits, motivations, and friction points. And when people bring us problems that technically aren’t ours to fix? It’s actually a privilege. It means people trust us. They see us as a safe pair of hands; someone who listens, finds solutions, and helps things move forward.

And in Ops, that trust matters. Our roles often come without formal authority, so we build influence by earning support for our initiatives. The more you help and support others, the more likely they are to return the favour when it counts.

Key takeaway: People leadership is the most valuable skill you can invest in. Always make time to get to know your team and talk to them when they need you. Keep developing your skills in communication and coaching, and also in more sensitive areas, such as conflict management, giving feedback, and navigating difficult conversations, so you’re equipped to lead your team with confidence, empathy, and trust.

Variety is on another level

No two days ever look the same in Ops. You’ll be reviewing cashflow one minute, jumping on a vendor call the next, answering a few Slack queries, and then fixing an issue you thought was resolved last week… all before you even think about lunch.

The variety in Ops truly is on another level. And I admit, it’s not for everyone. To love Ops, you have to get comfortable dealing with change and challenges daily. Even for those of us who thrive on it, there are days when it feels like a lot. But on those harder days, I like to remind myself that every change, every challenge and every uncomfortable situation is a learning opportunity. They help expand your skills, perspective, and resilience. Over time, you become one of not many leaders who can pivot fast, adapt to uncertainty, and stay confident through it all. Ops roles give you a level of growth other roles often don’t, and it makes you incredibly employable, because employers value leaders who can handle the uncomfortable.

Key takeaways: The pace and variety in Ops can be intense, but every day is a chance to step outside your comfort zone and learn something new. And that’s how you grow into a truly exceptional leader. You just need to find ways to manage that variety so it doesn’t turn into complete chaos. Set clear priorities for the week, batch similar tasks together, and take regular breaks to reset your focus.

You deal with a lot of grey areas (and unclear responsibilities)

I’m sure I don’t need to convince anyone working in Ops that every business has areas where responsibilities, ownership, and accountability get blurry. And when something doesn’t quite belong to anyone else, it usually ends up with Ops. Why? Maybe because our roles are never fully defined, and there’s rarely a neat, clear list of what we’re responsible for (I talk about this all the time!). Or perhaps because people see us handling such a variety of tasks that they assume we take care of everything that doesn’t fit anywhere else (an honest and harmless assumption on their part).

On one hand, grey areas can create excellent opportunities: to step outside your comfort zone and grow, show initiative, take ownership without waiting for permission, and make decisions when things aren’t perfectly defined. That’s what we do in Ops anyway, and we’re good at it. Think of it as another training ground to keep mastering your skills. And remember, taking on some of those responsibilities and absorbing them into Ops makes complete sense when it helps make your role, or the business, more efficient.

But you should also bear in mind that not every grey area should fall under Ops. Some belong with other teams. They’re better equipped, skilled, and resourced to handle them, even if they’re not always eager to take them on. And as the business grows, those grey areas will grow too. If Ops tries to own them all, it’ll drain your time, energy, and focus.

Key takeaways: Don’t shy away from grey areas that make sense to own, especially when they help you or the business operate smarter. Every initiative you take can make you a little more invaluable. But don't just jump on every opportunity. Be strategic. When Ops taking ownership adds real value, go for it. And when it doesn’t, learn to say no.

Your work may not always be seen or recognised

There’s a bit of a paradox in Ops. Part of our job is reactive: helping to tackle fires, jumping in to fix problems, and solving issues on repeat. On the other side, we spend a huge amount of time on preventative work: improving systems, spotting risks, and putting measures in place so those fires never start.

Whether it’s reactive or proactive, Ops work rarely gets recognition. And I don’t mean standing ovations… I mean basic acknowledgement that the effort you put in every single day is seen and valued. And I think the main reason is simply that most of what we do happens behind the scenes. People genuinely have no idea what or how much Ops handles every day, or how much effort it takes to keep things running smoothly. And as for proactive work, well, you know how it goes: when things are running smoothly, does anyone stop to think about why or who made it happen? Of course, not. They’re just happy that everything works.

Our work in Ops deserves recognition, just as much as the work done by any other team. And if we don’t get it from others, we should be the ones recognising the effort we put in, and making others aware of the value of strong operations and the difference it makes to the business.

Key takeaway: Don’t get discouraged when Ops doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. It’s common, and often simply because people don’t fully understand what Operations contributes. So create that awareness yourself. Talk about your wins, share your improvements, and highlight the impact your Ops team has made. And do it with pride. Visibility builds credibility. And credibility is what earns influence.

Next steps

Join the conversation: Which of these realities do you relate to most? Or what would you add to the list? Share your thoughts in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you, and I’m sure other Opsi readers will too.

Reflect on your daily realities: Write down the one that feels particularly true for your Ops role. Think about how you can reframe it more positively, and come up with one or two changes you can make now to make that reality a little easier to handle.

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How to become an exceptional Ops leader in the not-so-glam reality of operations