How is a chief of staff different?

Many Chiefs of Staff often get the question how they are different from an Chief Operating Officer, a Head of Strategy or even an Executive Assistant. While it’s true that there are some similarities between the three positions, these roles have fundamentally different skill sets and experience levels. There are also key differences in their core mission, their level of responsibilities and day-to-day tasks. The Executive Assistant’s key focus is on operational execution such as slides, calendar coordination, meeting preparation and travel arrangements while a COO has a more senior line functional management role with key focus on operational planning and strategic execution. Depending on the size and maturity of the business and the scope and the seniority of the Chief of Staff, the role can involve tasks from both sides of the spectrum.