Posted August 29, 2024 | Article
By Andrew Goodman
with Connor Rochford, Oliver Ramsay Gray, and Poppy Johnson
The chief of staff role has been growing in importance and popularity as the pressure on private and public sector leaders intensifies. Called upon to spearhead transformational change, navigate complex business dynamics, balance strategic and tactical priorities, and handle myriad additional tasks, CEOs and other senior executives need to ensure that their own offices function seamlessly. Enter the chief of staff (COS).
Over the past decade, we have had the privilege of convening hundreds of chiefs of staff at McKinsey’s Chief of Staff Forum. Through discussions with the participants, we have gained valuable insights on how to excel in the role. Since then, we have fielded numerous questions about the role’s responsibilities, qualifications, and tenure, including: What experience does a COS need? What responsibilities does the role entail? What future positions does the COS role prepare one for?
To develop an empirical picture of the COS role, we analyzed publicly available data on approximately 250 chiefs of staff who have served in the role within the past eight years. The group is almost evenly split between men and women, and its members have worked at roughly 300 organizations around the world. Our analysis suggests that COS career trajectories and responsibilities vary widely, but a few broad archetypes emerge.
Where do organizations find chief of staff candidates?
Nearly two-thirds of chiefs of staff are appointed from within their organizations, which reflects the value that principals place on a COS having deep institutional knowledge and strong internal networks so they can hit the ground running. This is especially true in large organizations: at companies with 50,000 or more employees, 80 percent of chiefs of staff are internal hires.
When organizations do hire externally, they typically look outside their industries, with more than three-quarters of those individuals coming from other sectors. This isn’t surprising given competitive concerns, but it also highlights the fact that many chiefs of staff use the role to pivot their career direction.
Our analysis shows comparable performance among internal and external hires. While organizational knowledge is valuable, other skills—such as the ability to influence, build relationships, and bring fresh perspectives—are just as important. For example, one COS who attended the forum worked toward the role within the company, while another joined the organization at the same time as the CEO; both have been highly successful in their posts.
