Over the first three seasons of Aspiring Ops, we’ve seen the evolution of the Chief of Staff position from a nice-to-have to a must-have role at high growth companies.
From bringing together different areas of the business as the company scales to providing the freedom for other members of leadership to focus on their areas of the business, the Chief of Staff can serve as the connective tissue that holds the company together during times of tension and growth.
With the rise of the position, we’ve also tried to share as much insight as we can from leaders stepping into the Chief of Staff position for the first time, and similarly leaders stepping into a Chief of Staff position that is new to a company.
We recently had the opportunity to meet with Mackenzie Regent to hear how she made the career shift from PWC into strategy and operations, as well as her transition at Able into the company’s first Chief of Staff.
On this episode of Aspiring Ops, Mackenzie shares why she believes the Chief of Staff position ultimately comes down to providing your principal leverage in order to focus on the long-term future of the company. Mackenzie also provides insight into how a Chief of Staff can take on the high priority initiatives that don't have a true owner, and successfully work across all areas of the business.
One of the most significant values of the Chief of Staff position we’ve seen at every business is the ability to increase the impact of their principals. As Mackenzie puts it, “You as Chief of Staff need to figure out how to become a trusted advisor to help take on some of those responsibilities, whether they’re operational or strategic, to give your principal leverage.”
For executives that have been at a company since the early days, they are often inundated in the tactical and strategic execution of the business. As the company grows, it can be hard for those executives to step out of the day-to-day and move into a more strategic role that is shaping the future of the company. This is where a great Chief of Staff can help serve as a force multiplier throughout the business.
Not only are they able to provide their own thoughts and direction into certain decisions, they can also serve as an extension of their principal to take on the work of certain key initiatives or even serve as a voice for the principal in certain key decisions.
As Mackenzie shares, the ability to step in for your principal and allow them to focus on the long-term vision for the company can help unlock new opportunities for growth as the company continues to scale.
Interested in learning more about On Deck? Check out their site here.
Looking to hear more about Mackenzie’s next stop as Chief of Staff at Notation Capital? Learn more here.
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