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. 1d ago

    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

  2. 6d ago

    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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. Jul 6

    The Principal’s Perspective: How Chiefs of Staff Shape Organizational Impact

    Executives and Chiefs of Staff share practical stories about how the Chief of Staff role shapes company culture, trust, and growth. Tim Moore explains how his Chief of Staff acts as his proxy to scale leadership, while Jessica Gonzalez highlights how having Ivan as her Chief of Staff lets her spend more time with her kids and trust things will get done. Guests discuss hiring from within, the unique qualities needed for the role, and the importance of loyalty, communication, and partnership. 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: 00:42 Tim Moore 05:04 Jessica Gonzalez 09:38 Perry Knoppert 18:27 Tracy Van Grack 24:50 Erika Aquino

  6. Jul 1

    Q&A: Balancing AI Adoption and Quality Leadership Strategies for a Maturing Tech Team

    Emily Sander answers a listener’s question about moving a tech company to AI-first, highlighting challenges when people use AI excessively or without checks. She shares practical ideas like approved use cases, tiered approval for AI spend, and the need for quality controls. Emily Sander also points out the importance of balancing AI experimentation with making sure standards and outcomes stay high. Get in touch with Emily: Want help leading your organization through AI adoption? 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 Question Setup 01:20 AI First Culture Shift 02:11 Experimenting vs Standardizing 03:34 Trust but Verify 05:05 Token Spend Guardrails 06:45 Quality Checks and Controls 07:39 Center the Pendulum

  7. Jun 24

    Boost Your Presentation Presence With This Simple Technique

    Emily Sander shares a simple trick to boost energy and engagement in presentations: think about something you love, like movies, then bring that same excitement to your business talk. She uses a real story about bombing a dry run at a Risk Summit and how talking about her favorite movies helped her improve. Chiefs of Staff and executives can try this method to sound less flat or nervous during important presentations. Get in touch with Emily: Want to show up with more confidence and energy in your presentations? 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: 00:32 Why Presentations Fall Flat 02:31 Practice and Record Yourself 04:31 My First Big Dry Run 07:08 The Bombed Presentation 13:41 Monday Redemption Moment 16:10 Risk Summit Stage Debut 18:23 Beyond the Trick Long Term 20:37 Try It and Share Back 22:10 Wrap Up and Sponsor

  8. Jun 22

    The Chief of Staff Role Through the Eyes of Principals

    This episode breaks down what a Chief of Staff actually does in different industries, from startups to government, and covers how the role is changing with AI according to Scott Amenta. Guests like Clara Ma share practical advice for pitching the Chief of Staff role internally and how to tailor your resume if you're switching from another field. Phil Burns talks about the confusion between Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff roles and why it's important to define them clearly. 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 Scott Amenta 10:00 Jeremy Costa & Trent Smyth 21:42 Clara Ma 33:51 Phil Burns

See All (298)

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
    298
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Leveraging Leadership
  • Show Website
    Leveraging Leadership

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