Leveraging Leadership

Emily Sander
  • 5.0 (27)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

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 practical leadership podcast for Chiefs of Staff, executives, founders, and senior operators who want to lead more effectively and navigate complexity with confidence. 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.

  1. 6h ago

    Wearable Mindfulness: The Ring Revolutionizing Leader Wellbeing

    Johan Matton, creator of the Pulse Mindfulness Ring, talks about his journey from filmmaking to building a wearable that helps people take mindful pauses throughout the day using quiet haptic vibrations instead of apps or data tracking. Emily Sander, a former Chief of Staff and early investor, shares how the ring helped her be more present, cut down autopilot habits, and manage stress. They discuss the science behind micro-pauses, the choice not to include biometrics, and upcoming features like synchronized vibrations for groups. Link Mentioned: Pulse Mindfulness Website Get in touch with Emily: Want to chat with Emily? Book a quick clarity call here.   Free Leadership Resources LinkedIn Website Newsletter   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: 00:25 Disclosure Pulse Investment 01:13 Meet Johan and Pulse 02:02 Johann Before Pulse 02:52 Origin Story of the Ring 06:10 Building the Team and Tech 08:32 Why No Biometrics 11:29 Science Behind Micro Pauses 15:18 How the Ring Modes Work 35:38 Roadmap and Closing

  2. 5d ago

    Perfection Is an Illusion: Tips for Giving Better Answers in Meetings

    Emily Sander talks about the pressure to give perfect or "right" answers in interviews and meetings, shares examples like people panicking or rambling, and explains why aiming for a "good" answer is more realistic and helpful. She encourages listeners to drop the idea of perfection and focus on contributing value, even if their delivery isn’t flawless. Get in touch with Emily: You don't need the perfect answer. You need a clear one. Book a clarity call w/ Emily here.   Free Leadership Resources   LinkedIn Website Newsletter   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: 00:25 The Perfect Answer Trap 01:11 Define What Perfect Means 02:20 Perfection vs Excellence 03:46 There Is No Right Answer 05:20 Aim for a Good Answer 07:05 Turn Rambling Into Clarity 09:54 Speak Up With Confidence 12:50 Final Takeaways and Sponsor

  3. Jul 27

    Trust and Impact: Ethical Influence and Authentic Leadership in Business

    Judith Germain explains her Maverick Leadership philosophy, focusing on trust, influence, and leading through uncertainty during reorganizations. She shares practical tips for Chiefs of Staff, like building trust before a crisis, giving people real agency in decisions, and using "intelligent disobedience" to challenge bad calls. The episode covers the difference between being trusted and being trustworthy, and how to spot genuine leadership versus performative behavior. Links Mentioned: Maverick Leadership Influence Diagnostic Judith Germain's Website Connect with Judith Germain on LinkedIn Get in touch with Emily: Want to chat with Emily? Book a quick clarity call here.   Free Leadership Resources   LinkedIn Website Newsletter   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: 00:28 Meet Judith Germain 01:01 What Is Maverick Leadership 04:08 Predictability Builds Trust 07:13 Trusted vs Trustworthy 08:58 How to Demonstrate Trust 13:12 Spotting Performative Leaders 19:11 Influence and Agency 34:31 Intelligent Disobedience and Wrap Up

  4. Jul 22

    Rethinking How Can I Make Your Life Easier in the Chief of Staff Role

    Emily Sander shares feedback from a listener who disagreed with her advice to ask, "How can I make your life easier?" as a new Chief of Staff. The listener argued this question could reduce the role to admin work and distract from driving the team's main objectives. Emily Sander explains her view that the approach can help in some situations, especially early on, but agrees it's important for a Chief of Staff to adapt and stay focused on results. Get in touch with Emily: Want more practical Chief of Staff advice? Book a clarity call w/ Emily here.   Free Leadership Resources   LinkedIn Website Newsletter   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: 00:25 Listener Pushback Setup 01:40 Fear of Admin Pigeonhole 03:31 When Empathy Makes Sense 04:53 Mixing Approaches as Chief of Staff 06:36 Drive Objectives Hard 09:23 Adapting by Team and Context 11:29 Feedback Invitation and Wrap

  5. Jul 20

    Beyond IQ and EQ: Exploring PQ for Competitive Advantage in Business Leadership

    Rohit Bassi shares how his transition from consulting at McKinsey led him into a Chief of Staff role at a major PE-backed company, exposing him to real-world operations, M&A, and industry-changing deals. He explains his concept of "people quotient" (PQ) as a framework for evaluating leadership, organizational structure, and talent operations, and discusses how Chiefs of Staff can use PQ tools to make quick, impactful decisions about teams and company growth. The episode includes practical tips for applying PQ in both private equity due diligence and daily business operations. Interested in private equity? Be sure to check out Emily's other podcast, Private Equity Experience. Link Mentioned: Rohit Bassi’s Website Get in touch with Emily: Want to chat with Emily? Book a quick clarity call here.   Free Leadership Resources   LinkedIn Website Newsletter   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: 00:52 Rohit Chief of Staff Journey 02:38 Inside the CEO Seat 05:08 From Operator to Investor 08:07 PE Basics and Due Diligence 09:28 What Is People Quotient 11:41 PQ Pillars and No Scores 16:28 Why PE Misses People 25:17 Using PQ as Chief of Staff 28:23 Tools, Next Steps, Wrap Up

  6. Jul 15

    Consultants as Chiefs of Staff: Using Big Picture Thinking for Real Results

    Emily Sander talks about how consultants who become Chief of Staff often excel at big-picture thinking and mapping companywide projects, but tend to get stuck over-analyzing instead of taking action. She shares real stories of consultants perfecting charts and data while delaying implementation, and suggests asking yourself if you need to "think more or do more" to avoid getting in your own way. The episode highlights both the strengths and blind spots consultants bring to the Chief of Staff role. Get in touch with Emily: Ready to move from overthinking to execution? Book a clarity call w/ Emily here.   Free Leadership Resources   LinkedIn Website Newsletter   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: 00:25 Background Shapes Your Lens 01:14 Consultant Superpowers 02:14 Analysis Paralysis Trap 02:58 Start Imperfectly 04:37 Think More Or Do More 05:48 Stop Getting In Your Way 07:09 Pretty Charts Vs Progress 09:13 Stakeholders And Big Picture 11:46 Wrap Up And Sponsor

  7. Jul 13

    Building Organizational Culture Amidst Transitions and Layoffs

    Emily Sander talks with Yorm Ackuaku about building visibility as a Chief of Staff, especially in marketing-led organizations like Vista and Weight Watchers. Yorm shares practical tactics, such as highlighting team achievements on Slack, running engaging all-hands meetings, and managing culture during layoffs. She also gives advice for Chiefs of Staff working with new principals and for those navigating global teams. Get in touch with Emily: Want to chat with Emily? Book a quick clarity call here: https://www.nextlevel.coach/clarity-call   Free Leadership Resources: https://nextlevel.coach/resources   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilysander/ Website: https://nextlevel.coach Newsletter: https://emilysander.podia.com/newsletter-signup   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 Making the CoS Role Visible 02:34 First 30 Days Relationship Map 06:30 Culture Rituals and Recognition 10:09 Leading Through Layoffs 13:34 Partnering With Your Principal 16:17 Adapting to a New CMO Style 21:09 Global Career and Culture Lessons 35:36 Final Advice and Wrap Up

  8. Jul 8

    Practical Communication: Delivering Your Message With the Bottom-Line Approach

    Emily Sander shares a practical tip for communicating with busy executives: start with the bottom line first, then give a little necessary context, and invite questions if needed. Using the iceberg metaphor, Emily Sander explains that a Chief of Staff usually knows much more than they should share up front, and most conversations only need the essentials to help leaders make quick decisions. Get in touch with Emily: Want to sharpen how you communicate with executives? Book a clarity call w/ Emily here.   Free Leadership Resources   LinkedIn Website Newsletter   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: 00:25 The Bottom Line Tip 01:32 Bring the Decision Forward 02:35 Iceberg Communication Model 04:12 Resist Showing Your Work 05:03 Reverse Engineer the Details 06:29 When Longer Talks Matter

See All (302)

5
out of 5
27 Ratings

About

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 practical leadership podcast for Chiefs of Staff, executives, founders, and senior operators who want to lead more effectively and navigate complexity with confidence. 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.

Information

  • Creator
    Emily Sander
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    302
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Leveraging Leadership
  • Show Website
    Leveraging Leadership

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