686: How to Benefit from a Chief of Staff, with Laurie Arron

Coaching for Leaders

Laure Arron: Who Has Your Back?

Laurie Arron is the founder of Arron Coaching, LLC and trusted adviser and executive coach to C-suite executives and Chiefs of Staff. She spent 30+ years climbing the corporate ladder at a Fortune 10 company in sales leadership, strategic planning, business transformation, and Chief of Staff roles. She is the author of Who Has Your Back?: A Leaders’s Guide to Getting the Support You Need from the Chief of Staff You Deserve.

Executive leaders need both truth-tellers and those who can manage on their behalf. Increasingly, the Chief of Staff role is becoming more prominent. In this episode, Laurie and I discuss their role, where they add value, and how they benefit the entire team.

Key Points

• The Chief of Staff role has become a more prevalent executive role, especially in the technology, finance, and healthcare industries.
• A Chief of Staff is distinct from an executive assistant. A effective Chief represents the leader, manages on their behalf, and coordinates their work.
• Every top leader needs a truth teller. A key role of the Chief of Staff is to be up-front with the person they serve.
• An effective Chief is proactive in addressing issues before the leader ever knows about them. They know where messages are being lost or diluted.
• Ideally, the Chief of Staff helps create a climate of free expression throughout the team.

Resources Mentioned

• Who Has Your Back?: A Leaders’s Guide to Getting the Support You Need from the Chief of Staff You Deserve by Laurie Arron
• Let Bartlet Be Bartlet from The West Wing

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

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