Leveraging Leadership

Emily explains three types of executive transitions: planned, sudden, and founder transitions. She discusses challenges like resistance to change, knowledge gaps, and cultural fit, and offers tools such as transition teams and clear job descriptions. Two examples provided include a nonprofit's executive director change and a tech startup's rapid CEO replacement. Links Mentioned: Choosing...

Mel Mathews shares her journey to becoming Chief of Staff at Performance Architects, highlighting the importance of networking and professional conduct. She talks about working closely with co-founders on growth strategies and conducting an anonymous engagement survey to gather employee feedback on PTO policies. Mel emphasizes the need for clear role definitions and the value of institutional know...

Emily offers three practical tips for ensuring your work meets your boss's needs: ask for clarification at the start, paraphrase the request back, or complete a small part of the task and check in. She discusses the benefits of asking for context, outlining steps, and presenting initial thoughts.  Links Mentioned: Clarity Call with Emily Free Resources: Strategic Planning Checklist   Chief of...

Emily speaks with cybersecurity expert Terry Zimniak about balancing security spending with business development and the importance of penetration testing and backup plans. Terry shares insights from his shift from technical roles to overseeing security, including how strategic partnerships like Ascension Health’s acquisition come with risks. They also discuss the role of frameworks like NIST CSF...

Emily talks about the concept of "currency" in different work roles, sharing an example of a new Chief of Staff who had to shift her focus from production numbers to building relationships and culture. She explains that understanding and using the right currency, like relationships for a Chief of Staff or time and focus for an executive team, adds value to the role. Emily encourages list...

Brandy Willis talks about her journey from Executive Assistant (EA) to Chief of Staff, managing various responsibilities across nine companies. She explains the importance of building strong relationships and handling different personalities, especially with her principal and his wife. Specific examples include overseeing government contracts, managing financials, and balancing personal tasks. Lin...

Emily sits down w/ her co-authors, Ed Barton and Rory Liebhart to talk about their new book, “On-Ramp to Exit: Your Guide to the Complete Private Equity Experience.” They explain what private equity is (and what it is not - hint: venture capital), how private equity influences business operations, with examples like increased reporting for CEOs and CFOs. Rory and Ed also talk about private equity&...

Emily discusses a key technique for framing conversations around what's important to the listener. She shares examples like tying a CEO's concern for profit margins to an Operations SOP or a strategic hire's impact on revenue. Emily also covers how to approach a first-time CEO who's micromanaging. Links Mentioned: Clarity Call with Emily   Free Resources: Strategic Planning Che...

In this episode of Leveraging Leadership, host Emily Sander sits down with Jessica Gonzalez, President of Happen Ventures, and her Chief of Staff, Ivan Rangel.  Jessica and Ivan share the inspiring journey of Happen Ventures, a reuse-first company born out of the challenges presented by COVID-19. They discuss their rapid scaling during the pandemic, their operational strategies, and the innovative...

In this episode of Leveraging Leadership, Emily dives into how to set SMART communication goals that are specific and measurable to foster better communication and engagement among team members. She provides clear goals and communication objectives with real examples, such as enhancing public speaking skills through Toastmasters and improving internal communications strategies to boost employee en...

In this episode of "Leveraging Leadership," Chief of Staff Selina shares her transition from People Operations Manager to Chief of Staff at Baobab Consulting, emphasizing work-life balance and mental well-being in the workplace. She discusses the company's mission to change narratives about Africa and the importance of communication, whether that's adapting to cultural differen...

In this episode of "Leveraging Leadership," host Emily offers strategies for addressing abrasive communication in the workplace. She suggests techniques like acknowledging one's communication issues and letting teammates know they are actively working on improving - and potentially using code words to signal to people when their communication is becoming aggressive.  Links Mentioned...

In this episode of Leveraging Leadership, Deputy Chief of Staff Paul Robinson from the British Army talks about his role, training responsibilities, and experiences. He explains his work with NATO, the importance of building relationships, and how he manages logistics and people management. Paul also shares his experience with autism and its impact on his job, as well as small wins like improving...

In this episode of Leveraging Leadership, Host Emily Sander breaks down the book "The Expansion Sale" by Eric Peterson and Tim Riesterer. She explains the four must-win sales conversations—renewals, price increases, upsells, and apologies—and provides practical examples like how to highlight the cost of change, offer repair, and communicate evolving pressures. Emily also shares insights...

In this episode of "Leveraging Leadership," host Emily Sander chats with Dr. Helen Ofosu about creating a resilient work environment and overcoming imposter syndrome. Dr. Helen, author of "How to Be Resilient in Your Career," shares practical tips like being intentional in hiring practices and preparing for big moments to combat feelings of inadequacy. They also tackle the real...

In this episode of Leveraging Leadership, Emily Sander shares how using analogies can improve communication in leadership. She discusses examples like a soccer midfielder needing to "pass the ball" for effective delegation and a swimmer needing to "stay in their lane." Emily also emphasizes the importance of listening to the analogies others use and offering your own to help th...

In this episode of "Leveraging Leadership," Phil Burns talks about the crucial role of the Chief of Staff and the risks of not defining it properly. He and Emily discuss the differences between an Executive Assistant and a Chief of Staff, emphasizing strategic thinking and rebranding for those transitioning roles. Phil also shares about the Chief of Staff Roundtable, a community providin...

In this episode of Leveraging Leadership, host Emily discusses the concept of creating 'good' problems—like being swamped with sales or having too many top job candidates—as signs of a healthy business - comparing it to the Seattle Seahawks' strategy of drafting the best talent regardless of position.  Links Mentioned: Clarity Call with Emily Free Resources: Strategic Planning Check...

Dorothy Mashburn, a leading expert in salary negotiations, shares straightforward strategies on compensation discussions for Chiefs of Staff. Learn how to effectively prepare for pay raise conversations, use data to back up your requests, and handle rejection to keep the discussion going. If you're looking to get a better handle on negotiating your worth in the workplace, this is the episode...

In this episode of Leveraging Leadership, Emily discusses how showing empathy and really looking at the world from their perspective, can go A LONG way. Like when a chief of staff helps a CTO who's stuck with a messy, old tech system. Links Mentioned: Clarity Call with Emily Free Resources: Strategic Planning Checklist   Chief of Staff Skills Assessment Checklist A Day in the Life of a Chief...

How do you lead and serve at the same time? Author Jon Kidwell discusses his definition of a true servant leader, focusing on three key attributes: character, relationships, and skills. Jon debunks nine myths about leadership, contrasting ideas such as mission over people-pleasing, embracing tension, and choosing 'and' over 'or'. Emily and Jon also emphasize defining missions i...

In this episode, Emily explains the key concepts from Annie Duke's book "Thinking in Bets", which emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between decisions and outcomes for Chiefs of Staff and other leaders. She shares examples like Pete Carroll's controversial Super Bowl play call and a golfer's swing to illustrate the roles of skill and luck in decision-making. Emily...

Bora Lee is the Chief of Staff at the Fifth Avenue Committee, a nonprofit focused on community development in Brooklyn and Queens, New York. Bora shares her personal connection to the organization, having grown up in the area and seen her parents move from poverty to the middle class through their grocery business. Bora and Emily discuss the differences and similarities between nonprofit and for-p...

In this episode, Emily talks about how important it is for a Chief of Staff to manage interruptions while staying approachable. She shares personal stories, like how she handled unexpected conversations while deep in work and how these interruptions led to valuable insights about her team. Emily emphasizes the balance between focused work and being available for team members to foster open communi...

In this episode, Revant Gupta, Chief of Staff at Margin, shares his journey of pursuing the Chief of Staff role to gain crucial operational experience. He talks about managing internal operations, designing user experiences, and automating customer onboarding. Revant also provides insights from his time at Home Depot, emphasizing the importance of inventory turnover in the CPG industry. Additional...