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Exec Ops Brief
Home
About
The Brief
How to Become a Chief of Staff
Roles
Resources
Library
Exec Ops Communities
Shop
(0)
Cart (0)
Home
About
The Brief
How to Become a Chief of Staff
Roles
Resources
Library
Exec Ops Communities
Shop
When Does a Company Actually Need a Chief of Staff? A Timing Guide
The Role, Defined Adrienne Gaughan 4/7/26 The Role, Defined Adrienne Gaughan 4/7/26

When Does a Company Actually Need a Chief of Staff? A Timing Guide

A sourced timing guide for when a company actually needs a chief of staff, the signals that justify the role, and when it is the wrong hire.

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Chief of Staff to a Founder vs. to an Established CEO: How the Job Changes
The Role, Defined Adrienne Gaughan 4/2/26 The Role, Defined Adrienne Gaughan 4/2/26

Chief of Staff to a Founder vs. to an Established CEO: How the Job Changes

How the chief of staff role changes when you work for a founder versus an established CEO: scope, ambiguity, authority, and what to expect.

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What an Executive Assistant to a CEO Actually Does (the Modern EA Role)
The Role, Defined Adrienne Gaughan 3/29/26 The Role, Defined Adrienne Gaughan 3/29/26

What an Executive Assistant to a CEO Actually Does (the Modern EA Role)

A sourced breakdown of what an executive assistant to a CEO actually does today, how the modern EA role works, and where it is heading.

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The Trust Equation: Why Chiefs of Staff Live or Die by Confidence
Operator Mindset Adrienne Gaughan 3/24/26 Operator Mindset Adrienne Gaughan 3/24/26

The Trust Equation: Why Chiefs of Staff Live or Die by Confidence

The Trust Equation from The Trusted Advisor explains why trust is the operating currency of a chief of staff, and how to build it.

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Avoiding Burnout in a High-Intensity Operations Role
Operator Mindset Adrienne Gaughan 3/19/26 Operator Mindset Adrienne Gaughan 3/19/26

Avoiding Burnout in a High-Intensity Operations Role

Burnout is an occupational phenomenon, not a personal weakness. A grounded guide to staying effective in an intense exec-ops role.

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What It Means to Be a Force Multiplier (Beyond the Buzzword)
Operator Mindset Adrienne Gaughan 3/19/26 Operator Mindset Adrienne Gaughan 3/19/26

What It Means to Be a Force Multiplier (Beyond the Buzzword)

Force multiplier gets thrown around in exec-ops job posts. Here is what the term actually means and how a chief of staff earns it.

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Influence Without Authority: The Core Skill of Every Chief of Staff
Operator Mindset Adrienne Gaughan 3/14/26 Operator Mindset Adrienne Gaughan 3/14/26

Influence Without Authority: The Core Skill of Every Chief of Staff

Chiefs of staff rarely have formal power over the people they need. Here is how to get things done through influence, not authority.

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How to Read a $150k+ Exec-Ops Job Post (and Spot the Good Ones)
Comp & Careers Adrienne Gaughan 3/9/26 Comp & Careers Adrienne Gaughan 3/9/26

How to Read a $150k+ Exec-Ops Job Post (and Spot the Good Ones)

Reading high-paying exec-ops and chief of staff job posts: the signals that predict a good role and the red flags that predict a bad one.

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Fractional vs. Full-Time Chief of Staff: Which Path Makes Sense
Comp & Careers Adrienne Gaughan 3/4/26 Comp & Careers Adrienne Gaughan 3/4/26

Fractional vs. Full-Time Chief of Staff: Which Path Makes Sense

Fractional or full-time Chief of Staff? Compare cost, commitment, and fit, from both the hiring company's and the operator's point of view.

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How to Negotiate a Chief of Staff Offer
Comp & Careers Adrienne Gaughan 2/27/26 Comp & Careers Adrienne Gaughan 2/27/26

How to Negotiate a Chief of Staff Offer

A grounded, step-by-step approach to negotiating a Chief of Staff offer: base, bonus, equity, scope, and the terms people forget.

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Chief of Staff Salary Guide: What the Role Pays and What Drives It
Comp & Careers Adrienne Gaughan 2/22/26 Comp & Careers Adrienne Gaughan 2/22/26

Chief of Staff Salary Guide: What the Role Pays and What Drives It

What a Chief of Staff earns in 2025, why published numbers disagree, and the four factors that move the pay range most.

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Building a Single Source of Truth: Decision Logs and Operating Docs
The Craft / Playbooks Adrienne Gaughan 2/18/26 The Craft / Playbooks Adrienne Gaughan 2/18/26

Building a Single Source of Truth: Decision Logs and Operating Docs

How a chief of staff builds a single source of truth: decision logs, operating docs, and a written record that stops teams relitigating settled calls.

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Managing Up: How Great Operators Make Their Principal More Effective
The Craft / Playbooks Adrienne Gaughan 2/13/26 The Craft / Playbooks Adrienne Gaughan 2/13/26

Managing Up: How Great Operators Make Their Principal More Effective

Managing up is not politics. It is understanding your principal, closing gaps in their working style, and making their time and decisions count.

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The First 90 Days as a Chief of Staff: A Practical Operating Plan
The Craft / Playbooks Adrienne Gaughan 2/8/26 The Craft / Playbooks Adrienne Gaughan 2/8/26

The First 90 Days as a Chief of Staff: A Practical Operating Plan

A week-by-week operating plan for your first 90 days as chief of staff: diagnose the situation, build trust, secure early wins, and set up the system.

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How to Run an Effective Leadership Team Meeting: A Chief of Staff's Guide
The Craft / Playbooks Adrienne Gaughan 2/8/26 The Craft / Playbooks Adrienne Gaughan 2/8/26

How to Run an Effective Leadership Team Meeting: A Chief of Staff's Guide

A chief of staff's playbook for leadership team meetings: agenda design, pre-reads, decision discipline, and follow-through that make the hour count.

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How to Position Your Resume and LinkedIn for Exec-Ops Roles
The Path In Adrienne Gaughan 2/3/26 The Path In Adrienne Gaughan 2/3/26

How to Position Your Resume and LinkedIn for Exec-Ops Roles

Position your resume and LinkedIn for Chief of Staff and exec-ops roles: keywords recruiters search, ATS-safe formatting, and outcome-led bullets.

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The Skills That Actually Get You Hired as a Chief of Staff
The Path In Adrienne Gaughan 1/29/26 The Path In Adrienne Gaughan 1/29/26

The Skills That Actually Get You Hired as a Chief of Staff

The real skills companies screen for when hiring a Chief of Staff, and how to show evidence of each in your application and interviews.

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Chief of Staff Certifications and Courses, Compared (Are They Worth It?)
The Path In Adrienne Gaughan 1/24/26 The Path In Adrienne Gaughan 1/24/26

Chief of Staff Certifications and Courses, Compared (Are They Worth It?)

An honest comparison of Chief of Staff certifications and courses by cost, format, and who each suits, plus whether you actually need one.

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The EA-to-Chief-of-Staff Path: How to Make the Leap
The Path In Adrienne Gaughan 1/19/26 The Path In Adrienne Gaughan 1/19/26

The EA-to-Chief-of-Staff Path: How to Make the Leap

A practical guide for executive assistants moving into a Chief of Staff role: what changes, how to build the case, and how to make the leap.

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A Day in the Life of a Chief of Staff: What the Work Really Looks Like
The Role, Defined Adrienne Gaughan 1/14/26 The Role, Defined Adrienne Gaughan 1/14/26

A Day in the Life of a Chief of Staff: What the Work Really Looks Like

A grounded, sourced look at a chief of staff's real day: the rhythms, tasks, and pressures behind the title, hour by hour.

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