The Ultimate Chief of Staff: Top 10 Traits

If I could mold the perfect Chief of Staff, this is what she would look like.

After having been in the role for SAP Services for nearly a year, I described what a Chief of Staff does. In this write-up, I lay out which traits I think the ultimate CoS would embody.

Disclaimer: I don't possess all of these ten traits. But one can aspire, right?

Let's get to molding...

1. Flexible

Did you think that meeting was going to be in two weeks? Surprise, it got moved to tomorrow.

The perfect CoS plays it cool, briefs the boss, and finds ways to meet the new & improved deadline.

2. Strategic

Oftentimes, you will be in the weeds working on operational and tactical topics. But it's important to continually assess: how does this correlate with the other topics we're running? Should we bring in Jim from Marketing or Alison from Education?

3. Analytical

You will be consistently faced with different scenarios, seemingly high-priorities, and "must-have" topics. But... does this actually move the needle?

Is it tied to the bigger vision of the organization? Will it matter next week, in a month, in a quarter?

4. Self-Aware

Are you great at kicking off projects but lack execution in the details? Do you like to write copy but struggle with visual design? Are you well-versed in business lingo but lack technical skills?

You won't know everything nor should you pretend to. The key is to accept this and to amplify your strengths while filling in the gaps.

5. Communicative

You'll have to reach out to people you don't know and often you'll need to bring people together. Communication skills are critical in any role but a non-negotiable for a CoS.

That includes active listening just as much as being the one doing the talking.

6. Reparative

Here is where emotional intelligence plays in. In a pre-Covid world, "reading the room" could be taken quite literally but it's much harder to assess in via Zoom meetings. You don't know if Matthias is shuffling in his seat because he doesn't agree with your statement or because his chair isn't ergonomic like the one he used to have in the office.

Miscommunications are a given and disagreements, while they may be rare, also. In these cases, the CoS should seek to bring folks to a common ground and unblock the channels.

7. Determined

The vast majority of topics in which a CoS is involved has no distinct finish line. No one is waiting at the other end to high-five you for a well-executed run.

Oftentimes, it's just a series of activities that seemingly don't connect. Determination to get the job done and patience to weather the storm is important.

This brings me to my next point...

8. Patient

Sometimes you will create Powerpoints that no one uses. One thing will be labeled as "extremely high-priority" in the morning and will be gone in the afternoon.

It comes with the territory and patience is indeed a virtue...

9. Thick-Skinned

You have to check your ego at the door. It's not easy but it's vital.

Not only is it helpful since you will be interacting with various stakeholders but it will also keep you sane. Well-meaning people will comment on your role, tell you how you can improve X to get Y outcome. This is appreciated.

On the other hand, you might also get some less.... helpful comments. Take both flattery and criticism with a grain of salt. As Ryan Holiday says, "Ego is the Enemy".

10. Intellectually Curious

You will need to learn new content all the time. If you come at it from a place of fear or dismissal, it's going to be unpleasant. But if you come at it with a curious mind, tackle it as a skill and knowledge stacking - it's going to pay off in the long run.

That wraps up the ten traits. Which other ones would you add?