You’re an executive. There isn’t enough time in the week to do the things you need to do (much less the high-leverage work you actually want to do). You are teetering on the edge and need a lifeline.

Should you hire a Chief of Staff or an Executive Assistant?

Given the choice — always hire an assistant first.

Your world will change for the better tomorrow if you bring in someone who is supremely competent in managing the details of your day-to-day.

Period. Full stop.

Without an assistant, you spend time on your calendar, scheduling appointments, booking travel, preparing expense reports, etc etc etc.

These are not high-leverage activities for you. And, executives tend to be kind of bad at these tasks, so you are also being inefficient.

Rant over. I love assistants. They are the hidden gems within an organization.

The key difference between an Executive Assistant and a Chief of Staff is the type of support they provide.

An assistant takes over certain aspects of your day-to-day and makes the logistics effortless. The range of influence for an EA is you, your calendar/schedule, and your immediate team. An assistant creates leverage by managing details and making your days efficient.

A Chief of Staff becomes necessary when things are a little more complex and you need help thinking about how your organization works on a systemic level.

The sphere of influence for a Chief of Staff spans the entire ecosystem. A Chief of Staff offers strategic thought partnership, optimizes how work is done, and ensures things are moving towards milestones.

Additionally, a CoS can work as an extension of you, giving time back in your day as they coordinate projects and interface with your leadership team and the broader organization.

Both roles are incredibly high-value. Don’t expect someone to do both — let each role be its own thing.

And, if you aren’t already blessed with a great assistant, go find one ASAP!