Leveraging Leadership
Are you ready to up your leadership game? Tune in to Leveraging Leadership, where Chiefs of Staff, executives, and business professionals find the tools, strategies, and insights they need to excel. Hosted by Emily Sander, a C-suite executive turned leadership coach, this podcast delivers practical and tactical takeaways every week.
Whether you're tackling tough conversations, fine-tuning your KPIs, or mastering delegation, this show offers new perspectives and actionable advice to help you feel confident and thrive in your role.
Each Monday, enjoy interviews with leaders from diverse fields—primarily business, but also from military, politics, and higher education. Every Wednesday, catch a solo episode where Emily shares concise, actionable insights on a specific topic you can apply immediately.
If you appreciate relatable, informal conversations that pack a punch with no fluff, you’re in the right place. While especially valuable for Chiefs of Staff and their Principals, the insights are useful for any leader aiming to grow.
Don’t miss your chance to advance as a leader.
Episodes
208 episodes
Listener Question: Building a Mini PMO as Chief of Staff - Growth or Backslide?
Emily answers a listener question from Tamsen in Minneapolis, who’s been asked to build a mini PMO function. She talks through concerns about returning to project management work, possible worries about people management, and how to clarify the...
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Season 1
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Episode 208
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9:24
A No-Nonsense Guide to Rolling Out OKRs That Actually Work
Sara Lobkovich explains how to use OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) without the common pitfalls, like having too many goals or confusing milestones with actual key results. She gives practical examples, such as how "launch Project X by end of ...
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Season 1
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Episode 207
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44:18
Listener Question: How to Restore Trust When Your CEO Overcommits Publicly
A listener asks how to handle a CEO who overpromises big ideas in public, causing staff to lose trust when they don’t happen. Emily suggests privately discussing the real impact with the CEO, sharing clear examples like lost productivity after ...
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Season 1
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Episode 206
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12:58
Why Consulting Remains a Top Career Choice for Ambitious Professionals
Vivek Modi shares his journey from engineering in Africa to consulting at Ernst and Young and Roland Berger, and now to Chief of Staff for two CEOs at a fast-growing German startup. He compares consulting and Chief of Staff roles, breaks down h...
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Season 1
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Episode 205
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41:40
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as Chief of Staff: Lessons From the Deep End
Emily shares a personal story about being made the interim leader of a digital marketing department as Chief of Staff, even though he knew nothing about digital marketing at the time. She talks about asking basic questions like "What does SEO s...
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Season 1
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Episode 204
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31:07
Australia’s Chamber of Commerce: Bridging Local, National, and International Business
Chanelle Pearson, Chief of Staff at the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, shares how her career moved from journalism to leading teams in advocacy, media, and events. She talks about launching the Chamber Change women’s leadership pro...
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Season 1
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Episode 203
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29:39
Listener Question: Defining VP Roles and Titles for Growing Teams
Emily answers a listener’s question about job titles in a growing 50-person company, giving advice on moving beyond generic VP roles and considering more specific titles like VP of Operations or Chief of Staff. She explains the importance of pl...
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Season 1
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Episode 202
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8:38
Department of Defense Chief of Staff on Missions, Mental Health and Mentorship
"Any views expressed are the opinions of Mr. Williams and do not reflect the position or represent the U.S. Department of Defense. Mr. Williams' participation does not constitute any implied or actual endorsement of any nonfederal entity by...
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Season 1
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Episode 201
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51:40
Listener Question: How to Handle the One Team Member Who Won’t Submit Their Flash Report
A Chief of Staff asks how to handle a team member who never submits their flash report, despite lots of reminders and training. Emily suggests letting the slacking team member feel the peer pressure in meetings, such as by leaving their section...
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Season 1
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Episode 200
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12:59
Executive Assistant to Executive Business Partner in VC and PE
Jessica Porter shares her path from Executive Assistant to Executive Business Partner and acting Chief of Staff, working in both venture capital and private equity-backed companies. She talks about managing KPIs, handling turnarounds, being a c...
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Season 1
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Episode 199
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38:18
Q&A: Balancing Tactical and Strategic Demands as a Resource-Constrained Chief of Staff
Emily answers Nicole S.'s question about how to balance the tactical and strategic sides of the Chief of Staff role, sharing examples from both startup and large company experiences. She covers ways to prioritize, how to have conversations with...
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Season 1
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Episode 198
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16:25
Using Story Arcs: From Stage Events to Successful Investor Pitches
Steve Werner shares how he helps founders and companies run engaging sales events by building a story arc that keeps audiences interested. He gives practical tips for prepping investor pitch decks, including being clear about strengths and weak...
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Season 1
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Episode 197
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39:06
Four Reasons to Retain Your Chief of Staff During a Downturn
Cutting your Chief of Staff during a downturn is a big mistake—they act as a utility player who can fill gaps in HR, operations, sales, and more. Chiefs of Staff keep morale up after layoffs, help maintain strong communication, support the CEO’...
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Season 1
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Episode 196
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10:02
Event Planning, Ribbon Cutting, and Community Building: Rolling Out a Global Brand’s US Presence
Jacki Grosso, Chief of Staff and Communications Manager at Lotte Biologics, shares her journey from managing Olympic events to leading in biotech. She talks about organizing a major ribbon-cutting event, bridging cultural gaps with Korea, refre...
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Season 1
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Episode 195
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35:21
How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for Career Growth: A Comprehensive Walkthrough
This episode is a hands-on walkthrough of how to update and improve your LinkedIn profile, especially if you're aiming for a Chief of Staff role. Emily shares practical tips, like making your top banner intentional, choosing a clear headshot, a...
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Season 1
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Episode 194
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31:15
How to Actually Be Happier at Work and Lead Like a Pro
Andrew Matthews, bestselling author known for "Being Happy," shares how happiness starts with accepting your current situation and focusing on the good in any challenge—like when Thomas Edison watched his factory burn and still saw the silver l...
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Season 1
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Episode 193
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40:26
Listener Question: How to Lead Effective Conference Prep Without Doing All the Work Yourself
A listener asks how to prep for a conference kickoff meeting without getting overwhelmed. Emily explains that a Chief of Staff shouldn't do all the work alone and suggests framing group discussions around key topics like conference themes, atte...
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Season 1
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Episode 192
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9:13
Force Multiplier Mindset: Maximizing Impact as an EA or Chief of Staff
Hallie Warner talks about her journey from Executive Assistant to Chief of Staff, the differences between those roles, and how they work together in both small and large companies. She shares real situations, like launching a year-long leadersh...
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Season 1
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Episode 191
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38:32
Nailing Curveball Interview Questions for Chief of Staff Jobs
A listener preparing for final Chief of Staff interviews asks how to handle unexpected or tricky questions. Eric shares strategies like expecting curveballs, using them as a way to show problem-solving skills, and shifting interview conversatio...
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Season 1
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Episode 190
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9:15
What It’s Really Like Being a Fractional COO or Chief of Staff
Scott Adams shares how he went from working in pro sports and leading teams at Exos and Mayo Clinic to offering fractional COO and Chief of Staff services. He explains the difference between COO and Chief of Staff roles, how he helps companies ...
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Season 1
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Episode 189
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42:53
Stop the Bottleneck: Keep Things Moving By Spreading Decisions Around
This episode covers how bottlenecks form when every decision goes through the CEO and shows how a Chief of Staff can help move decision-making power to the leadership team and even frontline managers. Emily explains how shifting decisions after...
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Season 1
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Episode 188
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8:43
Wearing All the Hats: The Reality of Gaps in Startup Teams
Sabrina Dhaliwal shares her unique career path from a Financial Analyst at the Canadian Coast Guard to Chief of Staff and Product Marketing Manager at a tech startup. She talks about landing her current job through a networking coffee chat, jum...
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Season 1
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Episode 187
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30:28
Spotting Small Wins: Celebrate Consistency and Growth - Keys to Stronger Teams
Chief of Staffs are reminded to celebrate both team and individual wins, especially during hectic times. Emily shares examples like acknowledging milestones in developing life-saving medical devices and recognizing a team member who overcame pe...
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Episode 186
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6:33
The Secret to Great Teams: Understanding Core Human Drives (Learn, Acquire, Defend, Bond)
Jay Johnson, a global speaker and consultant, explains his Behavioral Elements Assessment, which is based on four biological drives: learn (air), acquire (fire), defend (earth), and bond (water). Jay and Emily discuss her unusually balanced res...
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Season 1
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Episode 185
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42:20
How Chiefs of Staff Can Revive Leadership Team Meetings
This episode shares two practical tips for Chiefs of Staff looking to revamp their executive team's meeting routine: delete the old meeting series and start a new one as the organizer, then give the meeting a fresh name to set a new tone. Examp...
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Season 1
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Episode 184
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4:04