Building a Chief of Staff Profile

Now that you understand what’s the typical background of a Chief of Staff, how do you fill in the smaller details? As a CEO, how do you know which type of Chief of Staff might be right for you?

The Chief of Staff comes in many shapes and sizes. Here’s a simple 10-step checklist for CEOs and hiring managers to complete when they are looking to create the profile of a perfect Chief of Staff. This checklist assesses the CEO, the executive team, and company.

1.    Pinpoint CEO zone of genius

2.    Assess CEO working style

3.    Identify CEO leverage points*

4.    Evaluate executive team dynamic

5.    Identify executive team leverage points*

6.    Understand company vision & mission

7.    Review company roadmap & mandate

8.    Analyze existential company issues

9.    Create company talent map

10. Identify high-priority company leverage points*

*After completing the checklist, the CEO, executive team and company leverage points all inform the perfect Chief of Staff profile.