
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


In this episode of Leveraging Leadership, Emily talks about the impact a Chief of Staff's behavior and energy can have on shaping a company's culture. She shares a story about a client managing a reorg, emphasizing how body language and demeanor can comfort and energize a team during times of change. Emily advises that whether you're speaking or not, your presence influences how others feel and that you should be intentional with the energy you bring into a room.
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.
On this episode of Leveraging Leadership, Emily chats with Josh Nemes, VP and Chief of Staff at Zengistics, about the realities of juggling a dual leadership role. Josh shares how he navigates shifting responsibilities and highlights the importance of prioritizing high-value tasks, describing the support from his COO, and the role of his family in maintaining balance.
Emily and Josh end with predictions for the Detroit Lions' next season and their shared admiration for coach Dan Campbell.
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:
00:36 Josh’s Journey to Chief of Staff Role
03:46 Understanding the Role and Skills Required
07:31 Balancing Dual Roles and Interactions with Leadership
16:37 Self-Care and Work-Life Balance
19:18 Advice for Fellow Chiefs of Staff
20:59 Sports Talk and Closing Remarks
In this episode, Host Emily Sander, Chief of Staff turned executive leadership coach, discusses the power of the compound effect, starting with an Albert Einstein quote on compound interest. She cites Darren Hardy's book "The Compound Effect" to explain how small, consistent actions lead to big results. Emily also uses examples from Kobe Bryant and Michael Phelps to illustrate these principles. Plus Emily’s personal 401K experience.
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 Understanding Compound Interest
01:59 Personal Experience with 401K
04:02 The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
04:56 Small Smart Choices and Their Impact
08:19 Kobe Bryant's Training Regimen
10:51 Michael Phelps' Training Strategy
13:21 Practical Takeaways for Compounding Success
In this episode of Leveraging Leadership, Emily Sander talks with Iliyana Stareva, the Chief of Staff to the President of EMEA at ServiceNow. They discuss nuances of global leadership, aligning cross-cultural teams, the importance of crafting and managing internal PR campaigns. Additionally, Iliyana shares her personal routine to maintain work-life balance and offers tips like turning off email notifications to aid in managing workplace stress.
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:
01:16 The Evolving Role of a Chief of Staff
04:00 Navigating the Chief of Staff Landscape Across Organizations
07:00 Cultural Differences in Leadership and Planning
08:45 Strategic Planning and Protecting the Executive's Image
12:48 Building Trust and Effective Communication in Leadership
20:53 The Art of Managing Time and Work-Life Balance
26:59 Closing Thoughts and the Future of the Chief of Staff Role
In this episode of Leveraging Leadership, Emily outlines a straightforward approach to maximizing your efforts by identifying how many outputs you get from one input. Prioritize projects that trigger a domino effect of productivity. Tune in and gain valuable insights on how one strategic move can generate multiple benefits, whether you're a seasoned leader or an up-and-coming Chief of Staff.
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.
Jason Cannon is an accomplished former theater actor, director, playwright, and producer turned author and storytelling coach.
Jason shares insights from his experiences in theater - from "Ted Lasso" to Shakespeare, storytelling frames our perceptions. Understanding character arcs in dramas and real-life high-stake scenarios is key. Our narratives unfold in art and business alike, as we play the leads in our own stories.
Jason shares his excitement about his upcoming one-man, off-broadway show aimed at tackling mental health stigmas and the role our emotions play in shaping our truths.
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.
Jason’s Bio:
Jason Cannon is a best-selling author and publisher, as well as an award-winning director, actor, playwright, improviser, and teacher. He has an MFA in Directing, an MA in Drama, and a quarter-century in the professional theatre. Jason has 100+ credits as an actor, 120+ as a director, and as a playwright he has had nine plays produced. Most recently he wrote, directed, and published CLOWNS LIKE ME (https://www.ClownsLikeMe.com) for Lifeline Productions. This critically acclaimed one-man show based on true stories of li
In our latest Leveraging Leadership episode, Emily breaks down Marcus Sheridan's "They Ask, You Answer," showing how it's not just about marketing, but how you handle any business convo. Think getting inside your customer's head, answering their burning questions fast, and using those insights to steer your marketing content. It's straight talk about turning typical sales pitches into genuine chats that can make your company the go-to choice. Give it a listen to find out how to keep it real with your customers and your team.
Links Mentioned:
"They Ask You Answer" by Marcus Sheridan
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:
00:09 Exploring 'They Ask, You Answer' by Marcus Sheridan
00:43 The Core Philosophy of Answering Consumer Questions
02:05 Implementing the Strategy in Real-World Marketing
03:56 Turning Negatives into Positives with Content
06:14 Empowering Consumers for Better Engagement
07:42 Content Creation and Its Impact on Marketing
09:34 Applying the Philosophy to Your Leadership and Marketing Strategy
In this joint episode, get dual insights from CEO Perry Knoppert and Chief of Staff Karen Zeigler of the Octopus Movement. They share their views on transitioning to nonlinear leadership. They discuss how they work together seamlessly across countries, the traits to look for in a good Chief of Staff, and letting culture define itself. Perry and Karen also emphasize using children's creativity to address global issues and the importance of hiring based on passion and vision.
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:
01:13 Overview of The Octopus Movement
03:43 Bringing on a Chief of Staff
05:44 Communication and Trust
13:05 Nonlinear Thinking and Company Culture
18:06 Leadership and Identity
20:34 Future Projects and Initiatives
22:39 Engaging Kids in Problem Solving
23:37 Supporting Global Initiatives
24:09 Documentary and Book Projects
25:55 Practical Advice for Nonlinear Thinking
28:12 Identifying Nonlinear Thinkers in Organizations
31:16 Advice for Executives and Chiefs of Staff
32:17 Finding the Right Chief of Staff
37:43 Connecting with the Octopus Movement
38:56 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
In this episode of Leveraging Leadership, Emily discusses guiding teams through change with effective communication strategies and by leveraging the Chief of Staff. She highlights the importance of providing context and answering the question, "What does that mean for me?" in change situations. Emily shares real-life examples like bringing on a new C-suite team member, bringing on private equity investors, and dealing with layoff rounds to illustrate key guidelines for effective communication during change.
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 Effective Communication Strategies for CEOs
02:09 Key Guidelines for Effective Communication
04:36 Real-Life Examples of Change Management
13:26 Leveraging Your Chief of Staff
19:21 Final Thoughts on Leading Through Change
21:46 Conclusion and Call to Action
SparkCognition's Chief of Staff, Miles Thurman, talks about the ups and downs of guiding tech teams and the nitty-gritty of board meetings. He and Emily compare notes on preparing new execs for high-stakes decisions and share stories about how they each worked with their sales and sales ops teams to boost revenue. Other topics include: using red teams for decision-making, board meeting Q&A prep, and shifting from a product-driven to service-driven org.
Links Mentioned:
SparkCognition’s Website
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:
00:24 Miles Thurman, Chief of Staff at Spark Cognition
01:31 Understanding the Role of Chief of Staff in Different Organizations
03:28 The Importance of Leadership Alignment in an Organization
03:57 The Evolving Role of Chief of Staff in Corporate America
08:54 The Role of Chief of Staff in Product Launches and Sales Operations
12:12 The Challenges and Strategies of Sales in a Business
18:49 The Importance of Product Management in Business Development
23:44 The Role of Chief of Staff in Business Development and Channel Partnerships
26:10 Career Development and Future Prospects for Chiefs of Staff
28:12 Final Thoughts and Advice for Aspiring Chiefs of Staff
29:43 Conclusion
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.

15 Listeners