Getting Operator Experience

After some consideration, I've come to the fact that investing is not the most optimal way to learn how to operate a business. Sure you learn where to put you money where your mouth is, but if you don't know how to run a business you're screwed. As someone early on in my career, I was wondering what were the best paths to becoming a good operator, aside from just jumping corporate ship and starting a business. Would consulting be a good path, or would something like trying to get a portfolio operations role be better?