The Role of a Chief of Staff in Supporting the Leader and Business Mission

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This chapter delves into the proactive nature of a Chief of Staff who anticipates and prevents issues, aligns feedback with driving the business forward, and addresses messaging gaps and blind spots. It highlights the importance of fostering open dialogue and truth-telling within the organization, building relationships, enabling productive dialogues with senior leaders, and ensuring transparent communication for successful collaboration with the leader.

Laure Arron: Who Has Your Back? Laurie Arron is the founder of Arron Coaching, LLC and trusted adviser and executive coach to C-suite executives and Chiefs of Staff. She spent 30+ years climbing the corporate ladder at a Fortune 10 company in sales leadership, strategic planning, business transformation, and Chief of Staff roles. She is the author of Who Has Your Back?: A Leaders's Guide to Getting the Support You Need from the Chief of Staff You Deserve. Executive leaders need both truth-tellers and those who can manage on their behalf. Increasingly, the Chief of Staff role is becoming more prominent. In this episode, Laurie and I discuss their role, where they add value, and how they benefit the entire team. Key Points The Chief of Staff role has become a more prevalent executive role, especially in the technology, finance, and healthcare industries. A Chief of Staff is distinct from an executive assistant. A effective Chief represents the leader, manages on their behalf, and coordinates their work. Every top leader needs a truth teller. A key role of the Chief of Staff is to be up-front with the person they serve. An effective Chief is proactive in addressing issues before the leader ever knows about them. They know where messages are being lost or diluted. Ideally, the Chief of Staff helps create a climate of free expression throughout the team. Resources Mentioned Who Has Your Back?: A Leaders's Guide to Getting the Support You Need from the Chief of Staff You Deserve by Laurie Arron Let Bartlet Be Bartlet from The West Wing Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Help People Speak Truth to Power, with Megan Reitz (episode 597) How to Start Better With Peers, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 635) How to Start a Top Job, with Ty Wiggins (episode 685) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.