What Does a Chief of Staff Actually Do? A Day in the Life Explained
Ever met someone with the title "Chief of Staff" and wondered what they actually do all day? You're not alone. While the role has existed in military and political spheres for centuries, the business world has increasingly adopted this position, but it still remains pretty shrouded in mystery.
As someone who's navigated this unique role for the past 15 years and across multiple organizations, I can tell you that being a Chief of Staff is equal parts challenging and rewarding, and that no two days are ever the same.
It's a position that can't be neatly packaged into a standard job description, which is precisely what makes it both intriguing and occasionally frustrating for those looking to understand it.
Let's pull back the curtain on what a Chief of Staff actually does, walk through a typical day (if there was such a thing), and explore why this might be your next career move.
The Chief of Staff Role:
Beyond the Job Description
At its core, a Chief of Staff (CoS) serves as the right hand to an executive, typically a CEO or other C-suite leader. But this simplistic definition barely scratches the surface. The role encompasses three critical pillars. They’re easy to remember because they align with the acronym COS (Comms + Culture, Operations, Strategy + Support):
Communication Bridge
Perhaps one of the most valuable yet invisible functions of a Chief of Staff is serving as an information hub:
Filtering and prioritizing information flowing to the executive
Representing the executive's thinking to other teams when they can't be present
Building relationships across departments to gather intelligence and spot emerging issues
Ensuring decisions made at the top are clearly communicated throughout the organization
Operational Excellence
While not simply an administrator, the CoS ensures the leadership function runs smoothly:
Solving problems that don't fit neatly into existing organizational structures
Creating systems to maximize the executive's effectiveness and time
Handling sensitive matters that require discretion and judgment
Managing projects that span multiple departments
Strategic Support and Execution
As a CoS, you're not just implementing someone else's vision, you're actively helping to shape it. This includes:
Serving as a thought partner to the executive, challenging assumptions and offering alternative perspectives
Translating high-level strategy into actionable plans
Identifying organizational blindspots before they become problems
Tracking progress on key initiatives and ensuring alignment with overall company goals
A Day in the Life: Hour by Hour
If you're wondering what this actually looks like in practice, here's a glimpse into what might constitute a "typical" day for a Chief of Staff:
8:00 AM: Review overnight emails, particularly those from international teams or urgent matters that developed after hours. Prepare a quick brief for the executive on anything requiring immediate attention.
9:00 AM: Meet with your executive for a daily stand-up. This goes beyond status updates, it's a strategic conversation about priorities, emerging issues, and alignment on the day's objectives.
10:00 AM: Attend the company's cross-functional leadership meeting as the executive's representative. Pay attention to commitments made, decisions reached, and follow up needed.
11:00 AM: Work session focused on a key strategic initiative, perhaps developing a framework for evaluating potential projects or drafting a restructuring plan for a struggling department.
12:00 PM: Lunch with the head of product development to discuss upcoming roadmap challenges, gathering insights to relay back to the executive.
1:00 PM: Lead a project check-in with team members from multiple departments working on the company's expansion into a new market. Address roadblocks, make decisions within your authority, and note issues requiring the executive's input.
2:00 PM: Draft internal communications about an upcoming organizational change, ensuring messaging is clear and anticipates potential concerns from different stakeholder groups.
3:00 PM: Handle issues that have been escalated but don't require your executive’s personal attention, summarizing complex information for their review, and ensuring they're prepared for tomorrow's commitments.
4:00 PM: Review the day's developments, update project trackers, and plan for tomorrow before signing off.
What's notable about this schedule is both its variety and its focus on multiplying the executive's effectiveness. No two days are identical, but all are centered on advancing strategic priorities while removing obstacles.
The Challenges and Rewards of Being a Chief of Staff
Like any role, being a Chief of Staff comes with its unique set of challenges:
Role ambiguity: You'll frequently encounter situations where your authority isn't clearly defined, requiring deft navigation of organizational politics.
Constant context-switching: One moment you're deep in financial analysis, the next you're mediating an interpersonal conflict between department heads.
Proxy authority: You often need to influence without direct authority, representing the executive's thinking while allowing others to own their areas of responsibility.
Information overload: You become the central clearinghouse for information, requiring excellent filtering and prioritization skills.
But these challenges are balanced by substantial rewards:
Unparalleled visibility: Few roles offer such a comprehensive view of an organization's inner workings.
Career acceleration: The skills and relationships developed as a CoS frequently lead to rapid advancement opportunities.
Impact leverage: Your work directly amplifies the effectiveness of the organization's leadership, creating outsized impact.
Constant learning: The role's breadth exposes you to virtually every aspect of the business.
Is Chief of Staff Right for Your Career Path?
The Chief of Staff role might be perfect for you if:
You enjoy solving problems that don't have clear playbooks
You're a strong communicator who can translate complex ideas into actionable plans
You have high emotional intelligence and can navigate sensitive situations with discretion
You're equally comfortable diving into strategic thinking and rolling up your sleeves on operational details
You value variety and learning over deep specialization in a single domain
The role tends to attract professionals from diverse backgrounds, former management consultants, project managers, executive assistants with strategic mindsets, operators who've demonstrated exceptional judgment and execution skills, and more.
How to Prepare for a Chief of Staff Role
If you're intrigued by the Chief of Staff path, here are ways to position yourself for success:
Develop your strategic thinking muscles by volunteering for cross-functional initiatives or strategy projects
Hone your communication skills, particularly your ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable insights
Build relationships across your organization to understand different perspectives and functions
Demonstrate exceptional judgment and discretion in handling sensitive information
Enroll in the Elevation Chief of Staff certification course to gain structured knowledge, practical frameworks, and credibility in the field
The transition to Chief of Staff often requires intentional preparation and specialized training to understand the full scope of the role. The Elevation certification provides a clear pathway to mastering the essential skills and perspectives needed to excel in this multifaceted position.
Ready to Elevate Your Career?
If the Chief of Staff role sounds like your next career move, you don't have to figure it out alone.
The Elevation Chief of Staff Training program provides comprehensive preparation for aspiring Chiefs of Staff, with practical frameworks, real-world case studies, and mentorship from experienced CoS professionals.
Whether you're currently an Executive Assistant looking to expand your strategic impact, a Project Manager ready to operate at a more senior level, or a professional from another background intrigued by this unique role, the right training can help you make the transition with confidence.
The most successful Chiefs of Staff aren't born, they're made. Through a combination of the right mindset, skillset, and guidance. Your journey to becoming an exceptional Chief of Staff begins with understanding what the role truly entails, and now you have that foundation to build upon.
