What Is A Chief Of Staff? 5 Things You Need To Know
This article originally appeared on Forbes.com.
Corporate chiefs of staff serve as crucial strategic partners who wield substantial influence over CEOs and company-wide outcomes. Yet they’ve been largely overlooked in leadership research until a groundbreaking study by researchers at George Mason University and Florida International University, The Corporate Chief of Staff: Strategic Leadership Influence From Outside the Spotlight. Analyzing 2,500 LinkedIn profiles, 108 surveys and in-depth interviews with current and former corporate chiefs of staff, researchers uncovered that these leaders typically serve for 1.5 to 3.1 years and the majority are women.
While the role remains enigmatic, it is increasingly sought after by ambitious professionals. Here’s what you need to know about this pivotal position.
How Chiefs Of Staff Function As Strategic C-Suite Partners
At its core, a chief of staff functions as a high-level strategic partner reporting directly to the CEO or another C-suite executive. A chief of staff operates at the critical intersection of strategy and execution, focusing on strategic initiatives, cross-functional collaboration and enhancing executive effectiveness.
The chief of staff’s role encompasses a wide range of responsibilities on a daily basis, including strategic planning, executive communication, operational oversight, special project management, meeting facilitation and crisis management.
The position requires exceptional versatility. In the morning, a chief of staff might analyze market trends with the strategy team; by afternoon, they could be mediating a conflict between department heads; and by evening, they’re preparing the CEO for a crucial board presentation.
Critical Hard Skills Every Chief Of Staff Must Master
While the role demands versatility, it also requires certain technical competencies. According to findings from Indeed, successful chiefs of staff must possess hard skills including strategic planning to drive business strategy development and execution. Project management stands as another essential competency. The role requires regular oversight of complex, cross-functional initiatives with multiple stakeholders, timelines and deliverables. Data analysis is also vital—chiefs of staff must gather, interpret and translate complex data into actionable insights that support executive decision-making.
Essential Soft Skills That Set Chiefs Of Staff Apart
While technical skills form the foundation, interpersonal abilities truly differentiate exceptional chiefs of staff.
Communication tops this list—chiefs of staff must convey complex ideas clearly and diplomatically across all organizational levels. They serve as translators between the executive and various stakeholders, requiring exceptional listening skills and situational awareness.
Leadership follows closely, as the role demands guiding teams and initiatives, often without direct authority. Chiefs of staff lead through influence, credibility and relationship-building rather than positional power. The Corporate Chief of Staff study specifically found that humility and low ego are crucial for an effective chief of staff, as they must be able to “lead from behind.”
Relatedly, adaptability and flexibility are indispensable, as chiefs of staff must thrive in ambiguous and rapidly changing environments. They shift seamlessly between strategic thinking and tactical execution as circumstances demand.
Education And Experience Requirements For Chiefs Of Staff
Research from the Chief of Staff Network and LiveData Technologies indicates that chiefs of staff rarely follow traditional career paths. They’re typically organizational generalists with exceptional relationship skills who can seamlessly shift between strategic vision and tactical execution, which may appeal to those who have found specializing in a single area to be limiting.
The average chief of staff brings 13.9 to 19.9 years of work experience to the role, according to the Corporate Chief of Staff study. This substantial experience base provides the perspective needed to navigate complex organizational dynamics.
Educationally, while a bachelor’s degree typically serves as the minimum requirement, the study also found that nearly half of chiefs of staff hold graduate degrees. However, the specific field of study varies widely, suggesting that versatility and breadth of knowledge matters more than specialized expertise.
How The Chief Of Staff Role Advances Executive Careers
The chief of staff position typically functions as a springboard rather than a destination. With its broad exposure to organizational strategy and operations, the role prepares individuals for subsequent top leadership positions across multiple functions.
The role is often intentionally designed to be temporary, the Chief of Staff Network report posits, with a timeframe allowing chiefs of staff to drive meaningful organizational change while maintaining the intensity and urgency the position demands. After this period, most transition to executive leadership roles, leveraging their broad exposure and strategic insight.
Building Influential Executive Relationships As Chief Of Staff
The chief of staff role offers a unique opportunity to gain unparalleled access to executive decision-making while driving organizational impact. For ambitious professionals willing to embrace ambiguity and complexity, it provides an accelerated path to senior leadership.
For those with their sights set on a chief of staff role, consider gaining experience in cross-functional roles, sharpening your strategic and analytical abilities and cultivating executive presence and high-caliber communication skills. While challenging, becoming a chief of staff can be a rewarding and impactful career choice for those prepared to embrace its complexity.
