Chiefs of Staff rarely win by force.
You don’t own the org chart.
You don’t sign most decisions.
You don’t “outrank” the people you’re trying to move.
And yet…when a CoS is operating well, things move. Decisions land. Alignment tightens. Chaos softens.
That’s not authority.
That’s influence.
And it’s the real CoS superpower.
Why authority is overrated (and often unavailable)
Formal authority works when:
roles are clear
incentives are aligned
the organisation is calm
Which is…almost never.
Most of the work a CoS does lives in grey zones:
cross-functional decisions
competing priorities
half-formed strategies
sensitive people dynamics
moments where “someone should decide” but no one quite has
Authority can’t solve that. Influence can.
Influence starts with context, not charisma
The most influential Chiefs of Staff aren’t the loudest in the room.
They’re the ones who see the whole board.
They know:
what the CEO is really worried about (not just what they say)
where teams are overloaded vs underutilised
which decisions are reversible and which are not
where egos, fear, or fatigue are shaping behaviour
Influence comes from being the person who connects dots others don’t even see yet.
Influence is built long before you need it
You can’t manufacture influence in a crisis.
It’s earned in small, boring moments:
following through
closing loops
being precise with language
saying “I don’t know” when you don’t
being calm when others are reactive
Every interaction is either depositing or withdrawing from your influence bank.
The quiet levers of influence (that actually work)
1. Framing the decision
Whoever frames the problem often controls the outcome.
A CoS influences by:
clarifying trade-offs
naming constraints
surfacing second-order effects
asking the question everyone is avoiding
“Well, if we choose X, this breaks Y. Are we comfortable with that?”
That’s not authority. That’s leverage.
2. Timing the conversation
Same message. Different moment. Completely different result.
Influential CoS operators:
know when to push and when to pause
pre-wire decisions before meetings
sense when the room has capacity…and when it doesn’t
You don’t need permission to choose when to speak.
3. Borrowing credibility, not demanding compliance
A CoS rarely says, “Do this because I said so.”
Instead:
“Here’s how this connects to the CEO’s priority.”
“This unblocks three other teams.”
“This reduces risk we’ll otherwise face next quarter.”
You translate strategy into relevance. People follow relevance.
4. Making others look good (consistently)
Influence compounds when people trust that you’re not playing power games.
Strong Chiefs of Staff:
share credit generously
protect leaders from avoidable noise
surface risks early, privately
never embarrass someone to prove a point
People listen to those who are safe.
The paradox of the role
The more you chase power, the less you have.
The more you focus on clarity, trust, and momentum…the more power finds you.
The best Chiefs of Staff don’t dominate rooms.
They shape outcomes.
Quietly. Repeatedly. Reliably.
That’s the superpower.
