Becoming a Chief of Staff

Course Overview

  • 1

    Pre-Course

    • Pre-Course Survey
  • 2

    Course Intro

  • 3

    Understanding the Chief of Staff Role

    • The Rise of the Chief of Staff Role

    • What Is a Chief of Staff?

    • Defining the Chief of Staff Role

    • Executive Assistant vs Chief of Staff

    • Assess Your Chief of Staff Skills

    • Commonalities & Challenges

    • Test Your Knowledge
  • 4

    Chief of Staff is a Leadership Role

    • Chief of Staff Leadership

    • What is Your Leadership Brand?

    • Chief of Staff Leadership in Practice

    • Evaluate Your Leadership Skills
  • 5

    Driving Strategy & Operations

    • Stages of Organizational Maturity

    • Organizational Growth & Impact

    • Building a Chief of Staff Skill Set

    • Assess Your Chief of Staff Skills

    • Critical Thinking

    • Critical Thinking in Practice

    • Goal Planning

    • Goal Planning in Practice

    • Identify Project Opportunities

    • Project Management
  • 6

    Balancing Breadth & Depth

    • Common Projects & Setting Precedent

    • Setting Professional Boundaries
  • 7

    Practice: Case Studies

    • Case Studies

    • Chief of Staff Scenario #1

    • Chief of Staff Scenario #2

    • Chief of Staff Scenario #3

    • Chief of Staff Scenario #4
  • 8

    Expand in Your Role

    • Exploring Chief of Staff Roles & Fit

    • Are You Ready to Be a Chief of Staff?

    • Expand in Your Current Role

    • Identifying Where to Start
  • 9

    Closing Remarks

    • Continued Learning Opportunities

    • How Was Your Experience?

Course Instructors

Executive Leadership Coach

Julia Quijano

Julia is an executive coach and leadership consultant working with individuals and organizations to accelerate change. She works alongside clients to help them embrace courage over comfort to achieve congruence. Over the course of her career, Julia has served as a trusted partner and advisor to c-level executives, emerging leaders, and global management teams across industries. She has supported critical decision making, crisis management, strategic planning, talent development, and diversity equity & inclusion initiatives within public corporations, growth-stage startups and venture capital firms including Salesforce, Aera Technology, and DigiTx Partners. In her pro bono work, she is dedicated to increasing access and advancing the personal and professional development of underrepresented leaders. Prior to launching her practice, Julia served as Chief of Staff to a venture-backed Artificial Intelligence startup in Silicon Valley.

Founder & CEO of Maven Recruiting Group

Jessica Vann

Jessica is the Founder and CEO of Maven Recruiting Group a renowned recruiting brand, specializing in connecting high-leverage executive and personal support hires to the nation’s most prominent individuals and companies. Since its inception in 2010, Vann's entrepreneurial spirit and leadership, in conjunction with the talented team she has assembled, have secured Maven’s spot as an industry leader, as evidenced in recognitions such as Inc Best Workplaces, Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Company, San Francisco Business Times Top 100 Woman Owned-Businesses, San Francisco Business Times Fastest Growing Private Companies and San Francisco Business Times 25 Largest Staffing Firms in the Bay Area. Jessica is also the host of REACH, a podcast for Executive Assistants.

Course Testimonials

  • Executive Assistant to CEO at Games 24x7

    "This was the perfect course to start my journey of becoming a Chief of Staff. It made me think, research, and self-reflect more than I have ever done in my entire career. I documented my core values and identified my true strengths. Most importantly, it boosted my self-confidence and also gave me clarity on what to look for in the next organization and the person I will be working with."

  • Executive Assistant at Academia

    "Great course. The videos were very informative. I found the Case Studies to be the most helpful part of the course because it made me consider scenarios I haven't been in yet, but might be in soon. I now feel better prepared to think through challenges that could arise in my current position as an EA and my future role as a CoS. Thank you!"

  • Administrative Business Partner at Twitter

    "The course helped me identify, clarify and define what it means to operate at a Chief of Staff level and gave me an in depth understanding of where I can grow to be truly ready to tackle this goal."

  • Executive Assistant at Digitas

    "This was exactly what I needed. Will definitely be using all of this info as a reference of where I can continue to improve."

  • Chief of Staff at Ethos Capital

    "I loved the course! It provided a lot of in-depth clarity on what the CoS role is and great tools to take with me as I start this new role. Thank you!"

  • Former Executive Assistant at Nickelodeon

    "This was a great program! It gave me a lot to think about and will be a springboard to move me in the right direction. I also now have more confidence as I move forward into my next big opportunity. Thank you!"

  • Executive Assistant to CEO of Under Armour

    "I found the course extremely informative, specifically the section that focused on defining the differences between an EA and a CoS. I will absolutely recommend it to anyone in my network who is looking to make a similar shift in their career."

  • Administrative Assistant at Nova Measuring Instruments

    "Great for EAs to transition to become a Chief of Staff. This course laid the framework necessary to think like a strategic partner/Chief of Staff. It talked about the difference between breadth vs depth and how you can apply the same strategies in the role you're currently in. Definitely recommend if you see yourself working towards the goal of being a partner the executives. It was a great course and it ignited a fire in me to pursue and refine my skills in goal-setting, project management, and empowering people."

  • Executive Assistant to CEO of InBrace

    "The program was really beneficial in helping bridge the gap for me from a 20 year EA to the next level in my career as Chief of Staff. A very positive experience!"

  • Sr. Executive Assistant at IPVa

    "The case studies were good exercises!"

  • Chief of Staff at Gatefield

    "As someone who's been working as a Chief of Staff for a little more than a year and already practicing some of the concepts in the course, this was very helpful in understanding my role better and demanding more for myself. I kept thinking how it would have been great to find this before I started, but it's great to have gone through the expectations of the role. I am confident and more determined to practice everything I have learned."

  • Executive Assistant to CDO at Herbalife

    "Overall, this course has opened my eyes to how to approach projects and identify solutions to tension points in a project. I give this course a 4 out 5 and will continue to be a lifelong learner through my professional career. Thank you!!"

FAQ

  • How long will the course take me to complete?

    The course is completely self-paced, so you can move through the curriculum as slowly or as quickly as you prefer.

  • Will I receive a certification upon course completion?

    Yes! We highly recommend adding your course certification to both your resume and LinkedIn profile.

  • Is this course relevant for Executive Assistants who may not be interested in the Chief of Staff role?

    Yes! Many of the concepts and frameworks we teach you can be applied to your current Executive Assistant position. Ultimately, you'll be adding skills to your toolkit. Although, you should check out our "Establishing Yourself as a Strategic Partnership" course!

  • Is this an interactive course?

    Absolutely. There are plenty of self-reflection exercises as well as quizzes and case studies to test your knowledge after each section.