#43- Thriving under the cloak of invisibility
How the world went from having a Consigliere to a Chief of Staff
“What is your dream role?”
Over the past few months, I have been asked this question several times. Most who ask this question seem perplexed when I tell them that my dream role is to be the “Invisible #2” because they are longing to hear me say Partner, or Unicorn finding VC, or CIO.
Now hang on, before you discount me thinking “Man’s got no ambition”, hear me out.
The Consigliere
In a world full of people wanting to be the Don Corleone, I’ve always wanted to be the Consigliere! Being a Don, having raw power in your hands, with the ability to run the underworld never excited me. However, the allure of being the right-hand man, the most trusted advisor & confidant, a mediator of disputes, a representative, the liaison, the auxiliary brain, and de-facto go-to guy, while comfortably being a civilian, made me want to be Tommy Hagen so bad!
For the uninitiated- “Kids we’re talking about The Godfather! If you’ve not seen or read, dude seriously?”
What makes a good Consigliere?
Focus on the Family
The Consigliere has one client - the Don! And by default, his job is to be the person that does not think about himself, but the Don & the Family, first & always! The Consigliere listens, he talks, he asks questions, he expresses his opinions, he gives advice, he helps execute.
“I have a special practice, I have one client”
-Tommy Hagen, the Consigliere
Hold the Don accountable
While Don’s hold everyone around them accountable-
"Someday, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me."
-Don Corelone
-they need someone else holding them accountable as well. The Don, if let loose, might run the Family to the ground. Afterall the only difference between mania & mafia, is a letter. As a Consigliere, your duty is to ensure the Don looks after all the people under his protection while performing his duties as the Head of the Family. The Consigliere is the first and probably the only person to push back on the Don when he is straying too far from the values of ther Family.
Protect the Don’s time
The Don will always have hordes of capos and other people wanting a private audience in order to seek help or protection. But as the Consigliere, it is your duty to protect the Don’s most precious asset- his time. After all, the Don has to spend time with his family as well, right?
Empower others
A Consigliere has to help, equip and enable others to do their own jobs, not do it for them! What is the use of a Consigliere that does the job of other people at the cost of his own time? You can help, you can not do!
And much more..
But why am I talking about Don Corleone, and Tommy Hagen, and Five Families, and Consiglieres? I’m not going to the 1950s again!? Well, as much as I’d love to, I can’t. But, walk with me, for there is a pattern.
If I replace Don Vito Corleone with the Managing Partner of a multi-billion dollar fund, and the Consigliere with his/her Chief of Staff - will it make more sense?
What is a Chief of Staff?
I have been fascinated by the Chief of Staff or CoS role ever since I saw an opening for the position for the CoS of Roopa Kudva, the MD of Omidyar Network India. This is what inspired me to write for the Analyst role we have open at Malpani Ventures. In case you have not read it, you can do it here.
While there is no one-definition-fits all, a CoS has the following responsibilities
Administrative
Schedule high priority meetings, with pre-defined agenda to avoid being blindsided
Coordinate executive calendars, even in the age of Calendly
Plan & execute meetings: essentially get the relevant people together
Take/distribute meeting notes or ensure someone else does
Track meeting follow-ups, be on top of things that the executive can randomly ask
Maintain vital contact information in case the executive wants to set a meeting up stat
Vet all decks going to the executive to ensure shit has not hit the fan, yet
Project Management
Track high priority initiatives, identify obstacles and ensure deliverables from the relevant team are in order
Provide period status updates to the executive
Connect teams that are working on similar initiatives to ensure only the necessary amount of resources are spent behind an initiative
Finances
Run the annual budget cycle process by helping department heads prepare their budget materials for presentation to the CEO (i.e. THIS is not Revenue Peter, THAT is!)
Manage board meeting preparation and creation of board meeting materials
Run quarterly business reviews in case the executive wants a quick status update on key metrics
Vet & analyze investment opportunities
Strategic Initiatives
Identify and take on ad hoc strategic projects like execution of key initiatives or filling any operational gaps
Define and research new ideas and business opportunities
Carve out/build out a new business unit
Provide decision support through data gathering, information analyzing, and presenting considerations to relevant stakeholders
Communications
Design and execute a corporate communication strategy
Draft speeches, and decks, and sometimes vet tweets [No (A)lon, you CANNOT tweet THAT!? Wait you did it already? Oh crap!]
Public Relations
Vet speaking opportunities and interview requests
Human Resources
Update & upgrade recruiting processes
Oversee diversity and culture initiatives
Review organizational structure, identify any gaps, and fill them, or eliminate unnecessary positions like Chief Strictness Officer(!)
Align internal processes with that of the long term vision
Advisory
Serve as a trusted advisor and confidant to the executive
Proxy
Attend meetings in place of the executive
Make decisions in place of the executive
Relationship Management
Manage critical relationships on behalf of the executive
Schmooze important people and keep leads warm
Gatekeeper
Assess all inquiries directed to the executive and determine the proper course of action
Determine which meetings take priority, and which are redundant
Vet requests for time and route requests to other departments as appropriate (No Susan, you can not meet the CEO right now to show him the photo of a butterfly)
Other
Decide which charitable initiatives to contribute to, and which ones not to
Travel with the executive to conferences or meetings
A CoS role is much more than the simple aggregation of the responsibilities stated above. The role of a CoS is to simplify the role of their executive to enable them to make better, quicker decisions. Someone who can help the executive do their role better. Basically the CoS position is one that shadows the executive, and enables them to excel in their role. Someone who is a Quasi-Executive, a part of the board, sans the designation & remuneration.
Now you may feel that a CoS is just a glorified Executive Assistant. But thats not the case. The CoS has a broader scope than just managing the daily life of the executive smoothly. It is to ensure the organization runs smoothly while keeping the executive on top of all things. An EA may be tactical, but a CoS is strategic. The EA does not sit on the board, or in the executive’s stead, but a CoS does.
So complete autonomy, lots of responsibility, little authority, and no remuneration? Why would you want to do this?
The answer is simple. The CoS role enables you to get an inside track into the daily life of being an executive while also having some authority.
Grooming
These roles usually hone and groom you to take the next step in your career, an inside track into management.
Talent acquisition
Most CoS move onto management positions within the organization after a couple of years. This is a fantastic way of hiring from within, having seen the CoS perform closely for a few years, moving them to positions within the organization enables acquiring the best talent.
Talent retention
Lets face it. Your CoS also has ambitions. And nobody would like to be a CoS for half a decade. And you LOVE your CoS because they are the real deal. So how do you ensure they stay with you? By offering them internal promotions. You are not only acquiring the best talent, you are also retaining them. Someone who knows the organization (and you) in-and-out!
Can you give some examples of successful CoS positions?
I’m glad you asked.
Maggie Hsu worked on the Chief of Staff team of Tony Hsieh that helped him look after Zappos, the Downtown Project, his 100+ tech investments, his board positions among other things. She writes about the Role of a Corporate Chief of Staff here. It is a 5-part series that I have borrowed (and learned) heavily from!
Michael Kratsios worked as the CoS for Peter Thiel’s, supporting him across Thiel Capital, Founders Fund, and Mithril Capital before being tapped as the White House Deputy CTO
I don’t think I can write eloquently about the roles, responsibilities, and best practices of a CoS as much as people who have actively done it before. Best learn from the best.
Who can be an ideal candidate for the Chief of Staff role?
Someone who:
Is comfortable taking a lot of responsibility without much authority
Can get things done
Can spot and douse flames before they turn into fires
Thrives in ambiguity and the grey areas
Wants to experience the real deal of being an executive
Is willing to learn
Is comfortable being in the background
Understands that their principal (and not themselves) need to be in the limelight
Is a people person
Is also a numbers person
Will allow themselves to be groomed for higher positions
Is open, frank and upfront with their principal
Can think long term
Wants to be groomed for an eventual management position
Closing thoughts
Being a fiercely private person, and someone who enjoys working in the background rather than hogging the limelight, a Chief of Staff role is a fantastic track towards a management position. Especially for someone who was told he doesn’t have the pedigree (read: Ivy league degree & Consulting background) to ever get into a top role [Insert (India’s National Animal) Global] despite ticking the right boxes in terms of ability & mindset. Blimey! The cloak of invisibility really has it for me.
That being said, I think every role can be a Chief of Staff role given enough consideration. Afterall, even if you have a job, any job: you (an employee) have a special practice, you have one client (your employer)! You too, can be Tommy Hagen! And your job is to enable your Don.
If I can’t be the Consigliere, being the Chief of Staff comes close second, at least for now, don’t you think?
Waiting for my Don to say…
And yeah I don’t have a horse, good luck with that!
Some additional reads on the Chief of Staff position to satisfy your curiosity since you’ve come this far:
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