Leveraging Leadership

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Podcast by Emily Sander

Leveraging Leadership

Are you ready to up your leadership game? Tune in to Leveraging Leadership, where Chiefs of Staff, executives, and business professionals find the tools, strategies, and insights they need to excel. Hosted by Emily Sander, a C-suite executive turned leadership coach, this podcast delivers practical and tactical takeaways every week.

Whether you're tackling tough conversations, fine-tuning your KPIs, or mastering delegation, this show offers new perspectives and actionable advice to help you feel confident and thrive in your role.


Each Monday, enjoy interviews with leaders from diverse fields—primarily business, but also from military, politics, and higher education. Every Wednesday, catch a solo episode where Emily shares concise, actionable insights on a specific topic you can apply immediately.

If you appreciate relatable, informal conversations that pack a punch with no fluff, you’re in the right place. While especially valuable for Chiefs of Staff and their Principals, the insights are useful for any leader aiming to grow.

Don’t miss your chance to advance as a leader.

Latest episodes

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04 December 2024

Transforming Leadership with Virtue-Based Feedback Techniques

Emily introduces a feedback framework that starts and ends with recognizing an individual's virtues, illustrated by examples like Matt, an employee who needs to address his outbursts in meetings. She offers techniques for highlighting strengths, even by discussing virtues with others, and explains how the framework applies to managing up, such as a Chief of Staff prompting a principal to provide team feedback. Practical insights include providing specific examples and knowing when to pause fo...

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12:52

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02 December 2024

Paternity Leave Insights: Chief of Staff on Work-Life Balance as a New Father

Eric Williams talks about balancing life while being a dad to a four-month-old and working multiple roles, including Chief of Staff and Chief Operating Officer. He shares tips on creating systems to run a business smoothly, avoiding burnout, and maintaining sustainable growth. Eric also highlights the importance of flexibility and systematizing business processes for effective delegation.Links Mentioned:Eric Williams' WebsiteClarity Call with EmilyFree Resources:Strategic Planning Checklist&n...

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45:22

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27 November 2024

Chief of Staff Title Flexibility and Variations

Emily discusses the various titles that can encompass the role of Chief of Staff, such as VP of Strategic Initiatives or Head of Business Operations. She shares examples, including a VP of Special Projects effectively serving as a Chief of Staff. Emily also offers insights on how to handle political sensitivities and the benefits of role flexibility in job titles.Links Mentioned:Clarity Call with EmilyFree Resources:Strategic Planning Checklist Chief of Staff Skills Assessment ChecklistA...

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07:25

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25 November 2024

Chief of Staff Leading 5 Enterprise Teams at PMI with Lenka Pincot

In this episode of "Leveraging Leadership," Lenka Pincot, Chief of Staff at PMI, discusses her role in leading the office of the CEO and overseeing five enterprise teams, including transformation management. She emphasizes the need for structure, rigorous prioritization, and agility, explaining how her team handles day-to-day tasks while she focuses on strategic decisions. Lenka also highlights the importance of business awareness and working closely with a great CEO to be a successful Chief ...

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33:47

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20 November 2024

Unpacking Why Chief of Staff Definitions Vary Greatly

This episode explains why the definition of Chief of Staff is all over the place due to the role's relative newness in business. Examples from around the world illustrate how the role varies: in Singapore, it's little known; in Mexico, it's often confused with HR; and in Germany, it has military connotations. Emily suggests the role will become more structured and better understood in the next 10-15 years.Links Mentioned:Clarity Call with EmilyFree Resources:Strategic Planning Checklist ...

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10:59

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18 November 2024

Enhancing Business Efficiency with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Greg Williams, Chief of Staff at Western Computer, talks about helping companies, like those supplying Walmart, navigate supply chain challenges during COVID-19. He sheds light on the importance of ERP systems for growing businesses and offers advice on vendor selection and tech modernization. Greg also discusses trends in bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. and how private equity firms work with his company to upgrade systems post-acquisition.Links Mentioned:Western Computer's WebsiteCon...

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29:56