The Chief of Staff Podcast Strategy vs. Operations: The Chief of Staff's Balancing Act
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Jan 7, 2026 Emily Sander, Founder and CEO of Next Level Coaching and former chief of staff, shares her insights on managing the delicate balance between strategy and operations. She emphasizes the importance of knowing when to switch roles, advising new chiefs to start operationally before transitioning to strategic tasks. Emily discusses tactical frameworks for effective communication, the necessity of regular role resets, and the value of asking 'who can help me?' to delegate effectively. Plus, she predicts that AI will elevate chiefs' roles towards more strategic stewardship.
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Role Is A Dynamic Altitude
- A chief of staff naturally toggles between strategy and operations depending on company stage and needs.
- The role's altitude should change over time rather than permanently favor one side.
Start Operational, Then Lift Out
- When starting, get operational to learn the business and fill critical gaps temporarily.
- Then recruit or transition out so you don't become permanently pigeonholed as only an operator.
Wore Two Hats In The Same Day
- Emily ran a subsidiary while serving as chief of staff and switched hats visibly in meetings.
- She did both strategic briefings and manual spreadsheet entry to align operational data with company KPIs.