Leveraging Leadership

Jacki Grosso, Chief of Staff and Communications Manager at Lotte Biologics, shares her journey from managing Olympic events to leading in biotech. She talks about organizing a major ribbon-cutting event, bridging cultural gaps with Korea, refreshing the Syracuse Bio campus, and communicating complex science in simple terms. Jacki also gives practical advice on staying flexible, building strong rel...

This episode is a hands-on walkthrough of how to update and improve your LinkedIn profile, especially if you're aiming for a Chief of Staff role. Emily shares practical tips, like making your top banner intentional, choosing a clear headshot, and adding personality in your byline. She also covers how to highlight relevant experience, include memorable details (like a surfing photo or fun tagl...

Andrew Matthews, bestselling author known for "Being Happy," shares how happiness starts with accepting your current situation and focusing on the good in any challenge—like when Thomas Edison watched his factory burn and still saw the silver lining. He explains that happy, resilient people create their own positive workplaces by being kind, not complaining, and supporting others. Andrew...

A listener asks how to prep for a conference kickoff meeting without getting overwhelmed. Emily explains that a Chief of Staff shouldn't do all the work alone and suggests framing group discussions around key topics like conference themes, attendee info, and potential Q&A panel questions. She shares practical tips like getting input from team members and focusing on facilitating effective...

Hallie Warner talks about her journey from Executive Assistant to Chief of Staff, the differences between those roles, and how they work together in both small and large companies. She shares real situations, like launching a year-long leadership program with an EA handling logistics, and discusses common setups and struggles between these positions. Hallie also gives practical advice for EAs and...

A listener preparing for final Chief of Staff interviews asks how to handle unexpected or tricky questions. Eric shares strategies like expecting curveballs, using them as a way to show problem-solving skills, and shifting interview conversations to a more natural tone. He gives examples such as reframing the question or asking for more details, and reminds listeners that not every question has a...

Scott Adams shares how he went from working in pro sports and leading teams at Exos and Mayo Clinic to offering fractional COO and Chief of Staff services. He explains the difference between COO and Chief of Staff roles, how he helps companies realign strategy and improve efficiency, and why real listening is key to building trust. Scott also talks through how he approaches discovery calls, settin...

This episode covers how bottlenecks form when every decision goes through the CEO and shows how a Chief of Staff can help move decision-making power to the leadership team and even frontline managers. Emily explains how shifting decisions after a reorg, giving authority to those closer to the information, and using a process of transitioning decisions from the CEO to others can speed things up. Sh...

Sabrina Dhaliwal shares her unique career path from a Financial Analyst at the Canadian Coast Guard to Chief of Staff and Product Marketing Manager at a tech startup. She talks about landing her current job through a networking coffee chat, jumping into unexpected roles like head of marketing, and why learning quickly is key for Chiefs of Staff in fast-paced environments. The episode also covers w...

Chief of Staffs are reminded to celebrate both team and individual wins, especially during hectic times. Emily shares examples like acknowledging milestones in developing life-saving medical devices and recognizing a team member who overcame personal challenges. She suggests celebrating with small gestures, public recognition, or private notes, and emphasizes not to overlook consistent high perfor...

Jay Johnson, a global speaker and consultant, explains his Behavioral Elements Assessment, which is based on four biological drives: learn (air), acquire (fire), defend (earth), and bond (water). Jay and Emily discuss her unusually balanced results across all four elements, the strengths and challenges of each drive, and how Chiefs of Staff and executives can use these insights to improve team com...

This episode shares two practical tips for Chiefs of Staff looking to revamp their executive team's meeting routine: delete the old meeting series and start a new one as the organizer, then give the meeting a fresh name to set a new tone. Examples include replacing a dull weekly meeting where team members air grievances or read KPIs with a more energized and purposeful leadership session. The...

Julie Barefoot shares her 36-year journey at Emory University, explains how she became Chief of Staff at the Goizueta Business School, and describes her daily work, including organizing a regional deans conference and coordinating keynote speakers like the CEO of Truist Bank. She talks about managing alumni events, working with faculty, and the importance of building relationships across the unive...

A Chief of Staff named Angela asks how to stop her boss from dominating high-stakes planning meetings, despite her boss’s goal to empower others. The episode offers practical tips, like giving the boss a “What did you learn?” prompt before and during the meeting, using breakout groups where the boss can’t take over, and having other team members lead parts of the meeting so everyone is heard. Link...

Money mindset expert Pericles Rellas explains why money can’t buy happiness and talks about the concept of a “financial thermostat”—the internal setting that influences how we earn, keep, and relate to money. He shares practical ways to check your current money mindset, challenges common beliefs like “money is the root of all evil,” and uses relatable analogies, such as treating money like a relat...

This episode shares a simple tip for presentation prep: say exactly what you mean in your own words instead of trying to sound overly formal. Emily gives examples like replacing “after extensive cross functional collaboration and deep analysis” with “we looked at a bunch of options and this is the clearest path forward,” and suggests that a Chief of Staff can just say, “I make sure really importan...

Adele Gambardella and Chip Massey share lessons from handling high-stakes PR crises and FBI negotiations, like responding quickly during a company scandal or the early hours of 9/11. They explain why companies need crisis plans ready before disaster hits, how to keep leaders calm when their reputations are on the line, and why apologizing the right way matters. They also talk about building trust...

This episode breaks down how a Chief of Staff should shift from always asking permission to confidently informing others about next steps. Emily shares real examples, like updating a principal before or after launching a new workflow, and explains why this approach helps the executive team and boosts the Chief of Staff’s own confidence. The episode ends with the reminder that it’s all about findin...

Martin Dowling shares his journey from studying engineering and psychology in Germany and the US to becoming Chief of Staff at a manufacturing company in Munich. He talks about building trust as the new Chief of Staff, the value of tackling small wins like improving office cleanliness and streamlining software tasks, and why being a generalist helps him solve problems across different industries....

Emily answers a question from someone struggling to work with a new boss at a family-owned business who ignores process, oversells services, and doesn't value their input. She shares practical advice on "increment training"—giving the boss positive feedback for following the right process and building small wins over time. Emily tells her own story about working with a difficult, ch...

Emily catches up with her old boss! Amy Martin talks about her journey from 30 years in HR technology and customer-facing SaaS roles to becoming a career ownership coach. She shares stories about staying calm during high-pressure moments like client escalations and cybersecurity incidents, her empowering leadership style, and advice for those dealing with big changes, difficult personalities, or c...

This episode talks about how leaders can get the best results with the least amount of effort, instead of just working harder by default. Emily uses real examples like organizing a high-profile leadership retreat as a Chief of Staff and handling daily emails, showing how to focus only on what matters most and avoid burning out on unnecessary work. She encourages listeners to look for chances to do...

Jordan Burton talks about his work as an executive assessor and trainer, helping companies and investors improve their hiring process from defining roles to interviewing candidates. He explains why it's important to clarify what a business really needs in a new hire, how to run effective interviews, and why panels aren't always the best approach. Real examples include deciding if you nee...

Emily Sander talks about the importance of conversations focused on understanding, not always on doing. As a Chief of Staff, you're often in "go mode," but sometimes it's essential to just listen and understand a team member's perspective. She gives tips like changing the conversation's setting or tone to foster better understanding and notes that this skill is key fo...

Melissa Yap shares her journey to becoming Chief of Staff at Deloitte, highlighting the shift from client-facing roles to internal strategic leadership. She discusses the challenges of embracing a less visible role and the unique perspective it offers, such as connecting diverse teams and driving strategic initiatives. Melissa explains how her experience in consulting and her proactive approach to...