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
193 episodes
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
From the Admissions Desk to Chief of Staff: 36 Years of Campus Stories
Julie Barefoot shares her 36-year journey at Emory University, explains how she became Chief of Staff at the Goizueta Business School, and describes her daily work, including organizing a regional deans conference and coordinating keynote speak...
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Season 1
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Episode 183
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33:31
Listener Question: How to Help Your Boss Listen Up in Meetings
A Chief of Staff named Angela asks how to stop her boss from dominating high-stakes planning meetings, despite her boss’s goal to empower others. The episode offers practical tips, like giving the boss a “What did you learn?” prompt before and ...
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Season 1
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Episode 182
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10:34
Breaking the Money Myths That Hold You Back
Money mindset expert Pericles Rellas explains why money can’t buy happiness and talks about the concept of a “financial thermostat”—the internal setting that influences how we earn, keep, and relate to money. He shares practical ways to check y...
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Season 1
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Episode 181
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41:25
Just Say It: How Using Your Own Words Makes Presentations Clearer and More Impactful
This episode shares a simple tip for presentation prep: say exactly what you mean in your own words instead of trying to sound overly formal. Emily gives examples like replacing “after extensive cross functional collaboration and deep analysis”...
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Season 1
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Episode 180
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4:01
Preventing and Managing Corporate Crises with FBI Negotiator and PR Comms Expert
Adele Gambardella and Chip Massey share lessons from handling high-stakes PR crises and FBI negotiations, like responding quickly during a company scandal or the early hours of 9/11. They explain why companies need crisis plans ready before dis...
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Season 1
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Episode 179
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44:18
Shifting the Mindset: When Chiefs of Staff Move from Asking to Informing
This episode breaks down how a Chief of Staff should shift from always asking permission to confidently informing others about next steps. Emily shares real examples, like updating a principal before or after launching a new workflow, and expla...
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Season 1
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Episode 178
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11:20
The Realities of Wearing a Million Hats at Work
Martin Dowling shares his journey from studying engineering and psychology in Germany and the US to becoming Chief of Staff at a manufacturing company in Munich. He talks about building trust as the new Chief of Staff, the value of tackling sma...
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Season 1
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Episode 177
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48:11
Listener Question: How to Handle a Boss Who Won’t Listen
Emily answers a question from someone struggling to work with a new boss at a family-owned business who ignores process, oversells services, and doesn't value their input. She shares practical advice on "increment training"—giving the boss posi...
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Season 1
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Episode 176
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17:04
From Office Escalations, Cybersecurity Attacks, to Surviving Mergers Without Losing Your Mind
Emily catches up with her old boss!Amy Martin talks about her journey from 30 years in HR technology and customer-facing SaaS roles to becoming a career ownership coach. She shares stories about staying calm during high-pressure moments...
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Season 1
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Episode 175
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37:59
How Smart Leaders Prioritize Minimum Effort for Maximum Impact
This episode talks about how leaders can get the best results with the least amount of effort, instead of just working harder by default. Emily uses real examples like organizing a high-profile leadership retreat as a Chief of Staff and handlin...
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Season 1
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Episode 174
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9:59
Improving Executive Search: Essentials for Selecting, Vetting, and Onboarding C-Suite Leaders
Jordan Burton talks about his work as an executive assessor and trainer, helping companies and investors improve their hiring process from defining roles to interviewing candidates. He explains why it's important to clarify what a business real...
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Season 1
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Episode 173
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39:44
How Non-Action Conversations Enhance Business Relationships
Emily Sander talks about the importance of conversations focused on understanding, not always on doing. As a Chief of Staff, you're often in "go mode," but sometimes it's essential to just listen and understand a team member's perspective. She ...
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Season 1
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Episode 172
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8:20
Switching Lanes: Finding Your Stride as a Chief of Staff
Melissa Yap shares her journey to becoming Chief of Staff at Deloitte, highlighting the shift from client-facing roles to internal strategic leadership. She discusses the challenges of embracing a less visible role and the unique perspective it...
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Season 1
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Episode 171
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37:42
From Zero to Sixty Percent: Leadership Lessons in Iteration
Emily shares a story about a Chief of Staff facing resistance from their boss who prioritizes efficiency and speed over detailed planning. The Chief of Staff is encouraged to roll out initiatives that may feel only 60% complete to get things st...
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Season 1
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Episode 170
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3:31
Thriving as a Chief of Staff: Four Quadrants from Entry-Level to Strategic Partner
Richard Charette shares his journey from user experience design to becoming a Chief of Staff at Wells Fargo. He discusses the influence of the McChrystal group's four quadrants model on building trust and evolving into a strategic partner. Rich...
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Season 1
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Episode 169
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49:14