Competency Framework
Skills Every Chief Administrative Officer Needs
CAOs succeed when they combine executive leadership with operational rigor. This framework breaks down the skills that drive administrative excellence across complex organizations.
Core
Core CAO competencies
The CAO skill set balances people leadership, operational systems, and enterprise governance. These competencies define the executive readiness needed for the role.
Executive leadership
- Strategic alignment and prioritization.
- Stakeholder management across the C-suite.
- Culture building and organizational change.
- Executive communication and board readiness.
Operational rigor
- Process design and continuous improvement.
- Service cataloging and shared services management.
- Data-driven operational metrics and dashboards.
- Resource planning and budget stewardship.
Governance and risk
- Policy and compliance oversight.
- Enterprise risk management and controls.
- Vendor governance and procurement discipline.
- Business continuity and crisis response.
Service delivery excellence
- Internal customer experience management.
- Service-level agreements and delivery cadence.
- Workplace, IT, and facilities integration.
- Operational feedback loops and service recovery.
Capabilities
Advanced capabilities for enterprise-scale CAOs
Larger organizations require deeper expertise in enterprise portfolios and transformation delivery.
Portfolio strategy
Build multi-year portfolios that align administrative investments with organizational priorities.
Operating model design
Define shared services, governance forums, and decision rights across departments.
Digital enablement
Modernize core systems, automation, and data platforms for administrative services.
Change acceleration
Scale adoption and capability building with structured change management.
Assessment
CAO self-assessment checklist
Use this assessment to identify gaps before pursuing a CAO role or designing a development plan.
Readiness indicators
Score each area on a scale of 1 to 5 for clarity.
- Led enterprise-wide initiatives with measurable outcomes
- Built governance to align multiple departments
- Owned budgets and delivered cost optimization
- Improved service delivery and internal satisfaction
Translate skills into a CAO career
Pair these competencies with the career roadmap and curated resources.
Go to career guide