Scott Adams shares how he went from working in pro sports and leading teams at Exos and Mayo Clinic to offering fractional COO and Chief of Staff services. He explains the difference between COO and Chief of Staff roles, how he helps companies realign strategy and improve efficiency, and why real listening is key to building trust. Scott also talks through how he approaches discovery calls, setting bold goals with clients, and why leaders should focus on small improvements that add up over time.

Links Mentioned:

• Scott Adams' Website
• Connect with Scott Adam on LinkedIn

Free Resources:

• Strategic Planning Checklist
• Chief of Staff Skills Assessment Checklist
• A Day in the Life of a Chief of Staff
• Chief of Staff Toolkit

Get in Touch With Emily:

• Connect on LinkedIn
• Follow on YouTube
• Learn more about coaching
• Sign up for the newsletter
• Clarity Call with Emily

Who Am I?

If we haven’t yet 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 Scott Adams' Unique Career Path
01:36 Launching Wellness Services and Scaling
02:51 Founding Adams Consulting Firm
03:48 Understanding Client Needs and Fit
05:27 Scaling Companies and Growth Challenges
10:01 COO vs. Chief of Staff Roles
17:54 Balancing Multiple Engagements
19:10 Value of Knowledge Over Time
22:37 Building Relationships Across Multiple Companies
24:06 Listening and Engaging with Teams
26:19 Transitioning from Listening to Action
29:12 Empowering Teams and Encouraging Self-Sufficiency
31:39 The Role and Impact of a Fractional Chief of Staff
37:26 Setting Ambitious Goals and Measuring Progress
40:24 The Importance of Incremental Improvement
41:57 Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways

This episode covers how bottlenecks form when every decision goes through the CEO and shows how a Chief of Staff can help move decision-making power to the leadership team and even frontline managers. Emily explains how shifting decisions after a reorg, giving authority to those closer to the information, and using a process of transitioning decisions from the CEO to others can speed things up. She also shares a real-life example about cruise ship captains making rerouting calls during a hurricane to show the power of putting decisions in the hands of those closest to the action.

Links Mentioned:

• Clarity Call with Emily

Free Resources:

• Strategic Planning Checklist
• Chief of Staff Skills Assessment Checklist
• A Day in the Life of a Chief of Staff
• Chief of Staff Toolkit

Get in Touch With Emily:

• Connect on LinkedIn
• Follow on YouTube
• Learn more about coaching
• Sign up for the newsletter
• Clarity Call with Emily

Who Am I?

If we haven’t yet 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 Role of the Chief of Staff in Decision Distribution
02:00 Empowering the Leadership Team
04:22 Decentralizing Decisions to the Front Lines
06:49 Case Study: Cruise Line Decision Making
07:57 Creating an Effective Decision-Making System

Sabrina Dhaliwal shares her unique career path from a Financial Analyst at the Canadian Coast Guard to Chief of Staff and Product Marketing Manager at a tech startup. She talks about landing her current job through a networking coffee chat, jumping into unexpected roles like head of marketing, and why learning quickly is key for Chiefs of Staff in fast-paced environments. The episode also covers work-life balance, building an 18-month roadmap, and the importance of community engagement for startups.

Free Resources:

• Strategic Planning Checklist
• Chief of Staff Skills Assessment Checklist
• A Day in the Life of a Chief of Staff
• Chief of Staff Toolkit

Get in Touch With Emily:

• Connect on LinkedIn
• Follow on YouTube
• Learn more about coaching
• Sign up for the newsletter
• Clarity Call with Emily

Who Am I?

If we haven’t yet 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:

00:29 PTO and Work-Life Balance
01:53 Sabrina's Career Journey Begins
02:58 Transition to Strategy Consulting
04:15 Joining Remo Three
05:30 Challenges and Adaptations in a Startup
13:25 Evolving Role and Future Plans
26:38 Advice for Aspiring Chiefs of Staff