Part 5: Chief of Staff Best Practices

To close out the series, here are some final pieces of advice:

Be adaptable

The CoS role changes constantly, so embrace this change. In fact, the role is often created to handle constant ambiguity. Several Chiefs said that their job description completely changed as often as every 6 months.

Don’t be afraid to disagree

As a CoS, your role is not to reinforce biases. Call out inconsistencies and speak out when you have a dissenting opinion.

Stay connected to the core business

As a CoS, your role is often related to special projects and new business lines. However, it’s important to stay informed around the health of the core business.

Keep mental and physical space for yourself

This is a high intensity role. Leadership coach Ted Riter conducted interviews with over 35 CoS’s and found that many felt lonely, overwhelmed, and burned out.

In conclusion

The CoS role is not a one-size-fits-all role. It gives you an incredible opportunity to get to know a company on multiple levels, but in return it asks a lot of you. It can be a lonely and ambiguous role, but it’s one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have.

Hopefully this series has helped you get started on your CoS journey and provided a community for you to learn from. I invite you to give back to this community by submitting your own advice to be added here!

Read All 5 Parts:
Part 1: The Role of a Corporate Chief of Staff
Part 2: How to Become a Chief of Staff
Part 3: How to Find and Hire a Chief of Staff
Part 4: Chief of Staff — The First 90 Days
Part 5: Chief of Staff Best Practices [this article]