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In this episode of "Leveraging Leadership," Emily talks to a Chief of Staff feeling stuck, highlighting the progress made, and encourages listeners to recognize their own progress, no matter how small. Small wins add up faster than you think.
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Get in touch with Emily:
WHO AM I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.
In this episode of "Leveraging Leadership," host Emily chats with Nishi, who juggles roles as Chief of Staff and Head of People and Culture. Nishi shares how she tackled company-wide challenges, like diversity initiatives and the shift to remote work due to COVID-19. She gives practical tips, such as using a daily debrief system for aligning with her principal, and stresses the importance of adaptability and communication in leadership roles.
Link Mentioned:
Free Resources:
Get in touch with Emily:
WHO AM I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.
In this episode of Leveraging Leadership, Emily discusses how Chiefs of Staff can tell if their executive team is unified by looking for signs of support and resource sharing among team members. Or like sharing your team or speaking up to give overworked colleagues a breather. Plus, she's all about giving props to folks who step up and cover for others or help the team stay strong.
Free Resources:
Get in touch with Emily:
WHO AM I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.
Time Stamps:
00:46 The Role of a Chief of Staff in Team Dynamics
01:05 Signs Your Executive Team is Excelling
02:07 Supporting Each Other: Real-World Examples
04:19 Creating a Culture of Mutual Support
05:57 Evaluating and Enhancing Team Cohesion
07:53 Conclusion and Invitation for Further Discussion
In this episode of "Leveraging Leadership," host Emily brings on Fleet Master Chief Raymond Kemp to share his journey from facing racial discrimination to becoming a Navy leader. Raymond talks about steering significant policy changes in the Navy, like integrating women into combat roles and repealing "don't ask, don't tell." He breaks down his "abcs of leadership" philosophy and how it's played a part in fostering resilience and trust among his teams.
Links Mentioned:
Free Resources:
Get in touch with Emily:
WHO AM I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.
Time Stamps:
00:45 Introducing Fleet Master Chief Raymond Kemp
01:41 Raymond Kemp's Early Years and Aspirations
04:58 Climbing the Ranks: From Junior to Fleet Master Chief
06:52 Women in Combat: Navigating New Waters
10:35 Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Leading Through Change
24:37 Building Resilience and Adaptability for Success
29:44 Empowering Leaders in a Hybrid World
31:23 Kemp Solutions: Leadership Training and Keynotes
33:46 Raymond’s Leadership Mantra
In this episode, host Emily Sander, Chief of Staff turned executive leadership coach, discusses the book *Hannibal and Me* by Andreas Kluth. She explains how the book uses historical figures like Hannibal and Harry Truman to explore different paths to success and failure. Emily also shares her personal experiences with these concepts and suggests questions to help listeners think about their own goals.
Link Mentioned:
Free Resources:
Get in touch with Emily:
WHO AM I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.
Time Stamps:
00:47 Exploring 'Hannibal and Me' by Andreas Kluth
02:00 Dreamers vs. Wanderers: Leadership Paths
03:09 Personal Reflections on Leadership Journeys
09:09 The Importance of Strategy Over Winning
10:23 Key Takeaways and Reflective Questions
In this episode, Chief of Staff Meredith Pong discusses how Hally Hair collaborates with female athletes like Baylor University's women's basketball team and Olympic gymnast Leanne Wong to market their products. Meredith explains their "Streak for a Cause" initiative benefiting suicide prevention, and their partnerships with major retailers like Ulta and Target. She also talks about her role in product development and maintaining team camaraderie through events like annual model shoots.
Links Mentioned:
Free Resources:
Get in touch with Emily:
WHO AM I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.
Time Stamps:
01:02 Meredith's Internship and Meeting Her Principal
02:49 Building Hallie Hair During the Pandemic
03:51 Hallie Hair's Target Market and Marketing Strategies
09:10 Product Development and Innovations
15:09 Challenges and Successes as Chief of Staff
23:28 Hallie Hair's Olympic Aspirations
In this episode of "Leveraging Leadership," Emily explores the decision-making process through the lenses of highest return on investment (ROI) and highest probability. She shares examples like asking someone to marry you versus inviting them for coffee, and applies it to business scenarios, like overhauling a strategic plan or making small tweaks for better team alignment.
Free Resources:
Get in touch with Emily:
WHO AM I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.
In this episode of "Leveraging Leadership," Tirrell Payton Founder of Nooma Group talks about shifting focus from busywork to strategic outcomes and stresses empathy in leadership while leading change. Tirrell walks Emily through real-world examples like siloed teams in pharma marketing. They discuss practical ways leaders can transform their approach, like prioritizing the most impactful tasks and reorganizing teams to drive better results.
As a CEO, Tirrell has a Chief of Staff - he shares how he utilizes the role and the advantages it brings the organization!
Links Mentioned:
Free Resources:
Get in touch with Emily:
WHO AM I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.
In this episode of Leveraging Leadership, host Emily talks about key strategic initiatives for Chiefs of Staff, such as overseeing reorganizations, talent placement, and strategic planning. She details how chiefs of staff are central to rolling out new products and working on mergers and acquisitions. Emily also offers a strategic planning checklist download.
Free Resources:
Get in touch with Emily:
WHO AM I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.
Time Stamps:
01:15 Key Initiatives for Chiefs of Staff
08:06 Strategic Planning: The Chief of Staff's Crown Jewel
12:21 Getting Involved in Strategic Initiatives
13:17 Closing Thoughts and Next Steps
From healthcare to creating viral content? Nikki's role as the chief of staff at Viraaal (yes, with three a’s) throws her in the deep end - TikTok ads for app devs. Plot twist! In her COS role, she cuts through the noise to drive efficiency. Emily and Nikki also swap stories on finding balance through simple joys like hanging with friends, Costco sample days, and embracing “delusional” dreams.
Free Resources:
Get in touch with Emily:
WHO AM I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.
Time Stamps:
00:41 Journey into the Startup World
00:52 Transition from Healthcare to COS
02:07 Exploring Different Career Paths
05:39 The Importance of Mentorship
11:11 Working at Viral: A Startup Experience
12:36 The Role of a Chief of Staff in a Startup
16:11 Balancing Work and Personal Life
20:31 Advice for Aspiring Chiefs of Staff
30:38 Final Thoughts
From the publisher's feed
Leadership is messy. Most advice isn't built for the reality of competing priorities, difficult stakeholders, limited time, and imperfect information.
Leveraging Leadership is a…
Hosted by Emily Sander, former Chief of Staff and executive advisor, each episode delivers real-world lessons, practical frameworks, and candid conversations with leaders across business and beyond.
Topics include executive communication, leadership presence, decision-making, delegation, organizational influence, operating rhythms, team effectiveness, and the often-unspoken challenges leaders face behind the scenes.
If you're looking for thoughtful conversations, practical takeaways, and leadership advice you can actually use on Monday morning, you're in the right place.

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