What is a Chief of Staff?
May 15, 2023
The Chief of Staff (CoS) role can mean a lot of different things depending on the needs of the business and the leader the CoS supports. CoSs can also be at many different levels in a company: a manager, director, VP, or even on the executive team. With so much variability in the role, it can be hard to define. Read on below to learn what a Chief of Staff is, who should hire one, and the main differences between a CoS, and Executive Assistant, and a Chief Operating Officer.
What is a Chief of Staff?
A Chief of Staff is a CEO or Founder’s right hand, their strategic thought partner, who is focused on the leader’s priorities. A CoS can manage large scale projects, create & implement strategic plans, and facilitate high-level meetings and engagements. Chiefs of Staff are masters of follow through and are highly organized, and depending on the size and needs of the business, they may also oversee functions like employee culture, operations, or HR.
A Chief of Staff allows a CEO or Founder to stay focused on their vision— the “what,” while the CoS steps in to focus on the execution—the “how.” Chiefs of Staff drive organizational clarity by helping lead an effective Rhythm of Business, removing friction & roadblocks, driving process & efficiency, strategic planning, resourcing, and many other capabilities, all dependent on what the business needs.
Who hires a Chief of Staff?
CEOs or Founders often turn to hiring a CoS when they realize that they are spending too much time on tactical, executionary items like planning, tracking, and follow up tasks, and not enough time on the strategic, visionary items necessary to guide their business. Additionally, CEOs or Founders often feel they are missing the organizational rigor in their operating rhythm, business planning, and preparedness.
A CoS can step in and take executional and operational items off a founder’s plate, drive priorities and transparency, ensure leadership teams are focused in the same direction, and create and lead operating cadence/rhythm of business, all leading to greater organizational clarity and focus.
What’s the difference between a Chief of Staff and an Executive Assistant?
Executive Assistants and CoS both support CEOs or Founders, and at first glance it may be hard to understand the difference: both drive organization & focus, and keeping the CEO / Founder prepared is of utmost importance. However, an EA is focused on highly detailed tasks including expenses, travel, meeting and scheduling logistics, and often personal errands and support for their leader. The CoS is a senior level leader, who is a strategic thought partner to the business leader, and may act as their proxy in certain situations. A CoS can manage complex company wide initiatives, lead large teams, oversee operational aspects of the business, and drive strategic planning at a high level.
What’s the difference between a Chief of Staff and a Chief Operating Officer?
COOs and CoS are both strategic, senior leadership roles focused on major company initiatives, but the key difference between the two is that the COO is focused on the overall health of the total business, where the CoS is a role truly designed to support the CEO or Founder and their specific priorities. This includes CEO communications support, priorities alignment and driving, and more. The CoS role is more behind the scenes than the COO, which is more of an outward facing role.
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