As a former colleague once said to me, “The best chiefs of staff are a mile wide, an inch deep, and I’m damn good at it.”

The best chiefs of staff are generalists who quickly gain the knowledge necessary to complement their CEO. They relieve the pressures a CEO feels and create the capacity needed to do what only a CEO can do.

Trust me on this point: a great chief of staff can more quickly learn your business than an industry expert can learn the subtleties of being a chief of staff.

“How?” you might ask.

Truthfully, the answer is different for every CEO and every organization. Regardless of the unique circumstances, however, the key tools in the toolkit are:

• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• High intuition and EQ
• Discernment and discretion
• Ability to establish mutual trust and earn mutual respect
• Disciplined and structured approach to getting things done
• A bent for accountability and fulfilling commitments
• Flexibility and adaptability

Find the person who has mastered these tools, and you’ve found your next chief of staff!

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