Bringing them into the room builds trust.
But it’s leveraging their strengths that turns the role into a true force multiplier.
Too often, organizations hire a Chief of Staff and then expect them to be everything, strategy, operations, communications, project management, and problem-solving, simultaneously. While the role is very broad, its most significant impact comes when leaders intentionally align the work to the CoS’s unique strengths.
Leverage isn’t about doing more.
It’s about doing the right work, in the right lanes, with the right authority.
No two Chiefs of Staff are the same.
Some are natural strategists. Others excel in operations, communications, change management, or stakeholder alignment.
Research consistently reinforces what many leaders experience firsthand. According to Gallup, individuals who use their strengths every day are six times more engaged and significantly more productive. When a Chief of Staff aligns with their strengths, engagement rises, and so does impact.
When strengths are ignored, the CoS role can become diluted, busy, reactive, and unfocused.
But when strengths are intentionally leveraged, the role becomes precise, powerful, and deeply effective.
The Chief of Staff role isn’t powerful because it’s broad—it’s powerful when it’s intentionally aligned to strengths.
You have hired a Chief of Staff. Start off on the right path by understanding that a successful Chief of Staff partnership starts with curiosity. Leaders should ask:
McKinsey’s leadership research shows that high-performing executives design roles around capabilities, not titles, resulting in faster execution and better decision quality. The same principle applies directly to the Chief of Staff role.
When leaders understand how their CoS creates value, the partnership shifts from task delegation to intentional role design.
I have worked with many CoS's and each profile has its own benifits. While every CoS is unique, most tend to lean toward one or more of these areas:
Thrives in ambiguity, long-term planning, and problem framing. Best leveraged in strategy development, prioritization, and executive decision support.
Excels at execution, follow-through, and coordination. Ideal for driving initiatives, managing dependencies, and ensuring commitments turn into results.
A strong storyteller and translator of complex ideas. Adds value through executive communications, change narratives, and alignment messaging.
Naturally connects leaders, teams, and perspectives. Particularly critical during transformations, reorganizations, or cross-functional initiatives.
Harvard Business Review research shows leadership teams with complementary strengths outperform homogenous teams by up to 20% in execution efficiency. The most effective Chief of Staff partnerships are complementary—not duplicative.
Once strengths are clear, leaders should intentionally shape the CoS’s scope:
A study by Elevar Talent analyzing 150 Chief of Staff job descriptions found that while nearly all CoS roles span strategy, execution, and program management, impact is highest when ownership is aligned to individual strengths rather than spread thin across everything.
When strengths are honored, the CoS operates proactively instead of reactively—and the entire organization benefits.
A common pitfall is using the Chief of Staff as a pressure valve, absorbing work that doesn’t clearly belong elsewhere. While flexibility is part of the role, overuse erodes impact.
SHRM identifies role ambiguity and misalignment as leading predictors of burnout in senior operational roles. When the CoS becomes a perpetual catch-all, burnout rises, and strategic leverage disappears.
Broad scope without focus creates motion, not momentum.
Leveraging a Chief of Staff’s strengths is an active leadership responsibility. It requires ongoing conversation, reflection, and adjustment as organizational needs evolve.
Great leaders don’t just delegate., They design roles intentionally.
They revisit what’s working, what’s shifting, and where the CoS can deliver the most value next. This intentional design is what transforms the role from helpful to indispensable.
When a Chief of Staff’s strengths are fully leveraged:
Research from the London School of Economics shows that Chiefs of Staff with both access and aligned responsibility increase decision velocity by translating intent into execution.
The CoS stops being a generalist helper and becomes a precision instrument for leadership effectiveness.
The Chief of Staff role isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Its power lies in alignment, between the role, the principal ( Leader), and the strengths of the person filling it. When leaders intentionally leverage those strengths, they don’t just gain support, they achieve scale.
👉 In the next post, I’ll explore the fourth principle: “Empower Them to Prioritize”—how trust and autonomy protect focus and drive results.
If you’re a leader looking to leverage better your Chief of Staff, or a new CoS navigating how to make the most impact, having a coach or thought partner can accelerate your effectiveness.
At UnsaltedOak, I work with executives and Chiefs of Staff to intentionally design roles, align strengths, and build operating models that turn strategy into execution.
📩 Connect with me on LinkedIn or reach out if you’re looking for support as you step into, or evolve, the Chief of Staff role.