Introduction

The business landscape is ever-changing. In the eternal quest for success, the role of a Chief of Staff (COS) provides adaptability that executive leadership teams need. Yet, this role is often misunderstood—and even worse, underutilized. 

Understanding the unique skills and responsibilities possessed by Chiefs of Staff is paramount in navigating today’s business landscape. Evaluating whether and how this role can supercharge your executive leadership team can send your organization to the next level.

In this blog, we will cover the core functions, skills, and qualities that define successful Chiefs of Staff. We’ll explore the Chief of Staff’s strategic role within the executive team, and shed light on the career path they may follow.

But first, a brief history of the role.

A Brief History of the Chief of Staff

Reaching back to the 14th and 15th centuries, fancy titles like “Lord Chancellor of the Privy Seal'' and “aide de camp” are the earliest predecessors for today’s Chief of Staff. These people served the kings and royalty of old.

Bringing us up to the 20th century, the title “Chief of Staff” emerges in our modern military and political arenas. In WWII, Chiefs of Staff worked for top generals, organizing and facilitating everything across various theaters of battle.

After WWII, the COS soon migrated to the corporate world. Today, many large companies employ Chiefs of Staff—Amazon, Starbucks, Pfizer, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to name a few.

Three Reasons the Chief of Staff is Hard to Pin Down

1. It’s a relatively new role in business.

2. There are many variations of the role, depending on the needs of the business and executive leadership.

3. The COS role isn’t measured and evaluated like many other positions. Unlike other roles, their output isn’t as quantifiable.

Chief of Staff Archetypes

A McKinsey report outlined five archetypes for the COS role in the business world:

1. Administrator: Focused on tactical and practical administration. Keeping everyone from senior leaders to middle managers on task and on time.

2. Gatekeeper: Strive to protect the CEO and their time, keeping them focused on the organization’s most important priorities.

3. Counselor: Act as the CEO’s closest confidant, sounding board, thought leader, advice giver, and speaking “truth to power.”

4. Implementer: Empowered by the CEO to drive their priorities and initiatives with the organization’s internal and external stakeholders.

5. Proxy: Act as the stand-in or surrogate CEO on certain occasions.

These provide a great starting point for thinking about the role. As you can see, the role of Chief of Staff is more “air traffic controller” than “executive assistant.” In practice, most Chiefs of Staff will blur the lines between these categories. And, the role is dynamic and fluid. It can and should change rapidly, over time, or situationally.

Key Functions and Responsibilities 

The CEO’s Right-Hand Partner and Sounding Board

One of the Chief of Staff’s top responsibilities is to serve as the right-hand person to a high-level decision-maker, often the Chief Executive Officer or another C-suite executive. They act as a strategic partner, sounding board, and confidant — providing invaluable support in developing and executing strategic initiatives. 

This takes a combination of business savvy and soft skills. They’ll support the principal’s decision making by making sure they’ve got the right information at the right time. The best Chiefs of Staff also keep an eye on the human side of things. They’ll know when to let the CEO simply vent, or how to intervene to ensure that cooler heads prevail.

Setting Organizational Goals—and Actually Following Through on Them!

The Chief of Staff is a core member of the executive leadership team. One of their most important responsibilities is making sure the other executives are working together—and toward the same goals. This starts by establishing goals for the business as a whole. The COS will push the leadership team to identify the business’s top priorities. These should be a few specific and attainable goals. Not everything can be important! Pick three at most.

Once the business’s top priorities are established, the COS will make sure everyone is sticking to them as time goes on. We all know how easy it is to “set and forget” these kinds of goals. For the Chief of Staff, this will involve a lot of reminders and follow ups, and maybe some bold type in a large font size.

Designing the Business’s Underlying System

With high-level strategic goals established, the Chief of Staff is responsible for making sure that every department and team is set up to work towards those goals. This involves moving from strategic thinking to tactical execution. The Chief of Staff needs to know how the business functions across departments and as a whole. They need to know if communication channels are working, and if key groups (leadership, product, operations, finance, etc.) are meeting when they need to do so.

• Are teams collaborating well when needed, or are they butting heads from their individual silos?

• How does information flow through the organization?

• Are the right teams and departments getting the right info at the right time?

• Are they working together toward a common goal?

• Do the executives and department heads know what’s really going on, or are they getting the “bluebirds and sunshine,” sugarcoated version of things?

Designing the Business’s Culture

Culture is one of those buzzy words that may make your eyes roll. But this intangible is critically important to running a successful business. You want your staff to show up with their best every day, right? Well, that is a hell of a lot easier when you cultivate a positive, supportive environment. When people like coming to work and understand how their individual role contributes to a greater cause, they’ll show up for you in amazing and unexpected ways. 

The Chief of Staff is responsible for creating an environment where everyone can do their best work. This is partly achieved through recruiting and hiring, and partly through leading by example. When you’ve got the right people in the right places, they’ll inspire their colleagues with a good attitude and a commitment to the cause.

Getting Sh*t Done

Big picture thinking is great. It helps the best organizations strive to become even better. But ideas are a dime a dozen. The money is in making them a reality. Guess who’s going to do that? That’s right: the Chief of Staff. They’re the one navigating the space between “strategic decision” and “tactical execution.” 

How they do that can and should vary a lot between different Chiefs of Staff and different businesses. When I served as Chief of Staff, here are a few of the things I did to turn vision into reality:

• Spearhead large, long-term projects and strategic initiatives

• Identify talent gaps by working with the HR team

• Organize meeting cadence—company-wide and for the leadership team

• Coordinate launch sequence for new products across departments

• Implement internal training to identify and develop a strong layer of middle management 

Chief of Staff Summed Up

To be successful in the Chief of Staff role, candidates must possess a combination of leadership skills, exceptional communication abilities, and an aptitude for working with people. Their role as facilitator for the executive team requires a can-do attitude as well as some serious business acumen. Since they’re responsible for implementing leadership’s strategies, they’ll need to handle multiple work streams while maintaining a high-level view.  

Finding a Chief of Staff Role

For job seekers eyeing the Chief of Staff role, understanding the potential career path can be beneficial. The Chief of Staff can come from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Often, a diverse skill set is a big advantage. I landed my COS role through a customer success and strategic initiatives route. Others come from operations, finance, or analytics backgrounds. 

What’s Next for the Chief of Staff?

Serving as Chief of Staff is like a crash course in all things business. Some organizations embrace this aspect of the role, and intentionally rotate their Chiefs of Staff on a two or three year basis to strengthen their organization’s talent pool. Some Chiefs of Staff are redeployed back into the organization in leadership positions.

Some may be perennial Chiefs of Staff, helping new executives adapt to a new business environment. Some may even jump from company to company, employing their COS skills throughout their industry. Many Chiefs of Staff go on to assume higher positions, such as CEO or serving on the board of directors. 

The Impact of Chiefs of Staff on Organizations

The Harvard Business Review has explored how the Chief of Staff boosts organizational efficiency and growth. The Chief of Staff serves to streamline internal operations, allowing top executives to focus on critical aspects of leadership. They serve as a critical link between the executive team and other departments, fostering effective communication and collaboration.

The Average Salary and Compensation for Chiefs of Staff

Given their critical role in driving organizational success, Chiefs of Staff are often well-compensated for their efforts. The average salary can vary depending on factors such as the size of the organization, industry, and the level of experience the candidate brings to the role. Nevertheless, it is generally considered a high-paying position commensurate with its importance within the executive team.

Finding the Right Chief of Staff

The ideal candidate for a Chief of Staff position often has years of experience in business and exposure to senior leadership roles. Broad experience and a working knowledge of all areas across the business are a great start.

A hunger, curiosity, willingness to learn, and ability to pick things up quickly send any prospective Chief of Staff candidate over the top. Excellent communication skills and the ability to be an honest broker between team members are also crucial characteristics.

A good Chief of Staff is one of the most adaptable roles out there. The best Chiefs of Staff have a certain X-factor, a natural, undefinable talent for understanding what executives, leadership teams and employees need to keep things running along smoothly.

Resources for the Chief of Staff

The Chief of Staff is a fascinating, challenging and thoroughly fulfilling role. To all those interested in becoming one, becoming a better one, or hiring one, I highly encourage you to explore the resources throughout this blog to learn more. 

I’ve also got a blog on how coaching can up your Chief of Staff game, as well as one about how CEOs can setup incoming COSs for success.

And, I cover all of this (and more!) in my book, An Insider’s Perspective on the Chief of Staff. You can find some free resources on this unique role at www.chiefofstaffbook.com.

Conclusion

Chiefs of Staff play a unique and critical role in executive leadership teams. As strategic partners, they contribute to the success of an organization by overseeing special projects, managing day-to-day operations, and supporting high-level decision-making. Their ability to bridge the gap between strategic vision and operational action makes them invaluable in achieving organizational goals.

For those seeking to become an effective Chief of Staff, honing leadership skills, communication abilities, and business acumen are essential. With the potential to ascend to higher positions within the organization, the Chief of Staff role offers a dynamic and rewarding career path.

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About The Author

Emily Sander is an ICF-certified leadership coach with more than 15 years of experience in the business and the author of Hacking Executive Leadership. She’s been featured in several print publications, online articles, and podcasts, including CEO Today Magazine, Leading to Fulfillment, and Leadership Powered by Common Sense. 

Emily has a passion for helping business leaders reach their full potential. Go here to read her story from seasoned executive to knowledgeable coach. If you want to send Emily a quick message, then visit her contact page here.