In this edition:
- Thursday Thoughts – Who Taught Your Executive to Lead?
- Weekly Top 5 – EA to Chief of Staff, “Good” Chief of Staff Roles, CEO’s Unsung Partner, Don’t Be Evil, & What to Wear to the Office Quiz
- Language of Business Series – Marketing & Branding
- Reading Recommendations – Smart Brevity, Trust Me, I’m Lying, & For Immediate Release
THURSDAY THOUGHTS
Did you know… 85% of new people managers receive no formal training before stepping into leadership roles?
Wharton cites another stat that’s just as alarming: 60% of new managers fail within their first 24 months, with lack of leadership and management training playing a major role.
Companies tend to promote people to leadership roles because they are great at sales, a subject matter expert (SME), a top performer in their department, or the most tenured person on the team.
Then suddenly they’re responsible for communicating clearly, giving feedback, delegating, identifying priorities, developing people, navigating conflict, achieving results through other people (instead of their own efforts), and creating a high-performing team. [Side note… these are all topics we dive into in The Force Multiplier Academy.]
Not all SMEs or highly skilled independent contractors should be leaders (or even want to be!). Top individual performance is not enough of an indicator of leadership potential.
So, this is my PSA to anyone deciding who is ready for leadership: do better than promoting your best performer and hoping they figure it out.
Look for leadership potential. Be clear about what leadership actually entails. Ask whether they want that responsibility. And then give them the training, coaching, accountability, and support to do it well.
And if you want to move into leadership, don’t wait for the title to start developing those skills.
Being great at your job might get you noticed. But the skills that made you a great individual contributor are not necessarily the skills that will make you a great leader.
Leadership is a different job. A promotion shouldn’t be the beginning of your leadership development.
WEEKLY TOP 5
- Is Chief of Staff the next career step for an Executive Assistant? Nope. And Rachael Bonetti agrees. Or, I agree with her. Either way, we are very aligned with this common question and discussion. Click here for Rachael’s insights. What’s your hot take on this topic?
- Now, if you do decide that the Chief of Staff role is right for you… then let’s make sure you identify a “good” Chief of Staff role. Not all are created (or marketed) equally. Check out this framework from The Chief of Staff Network to assess whether the advertised role matches your expectations.
- Who doesn’t love a story of a leader publicly acknowledging their Executive Assistant? In this LinkedIn article, Nitin Nohria, former dean of Harvard Business School, shares that one of the most important people he worked with during his tenure was his EA, Susan Deavor. He goes one to write about the importance of the EA role for every CEO and how much his leadership relied on her. Thank you for sharing this, Nitin!
- I just added this one to Audible… because I love insider accounts from well-known companies. The juicer the better! Don’t Be Evil: Bad Bosses, Fake Promises, and My Escape from Big Tech by Claire Stapleton, ex-Googler, is described as a, “A whip-smart, darkly funny, and timely memoir of one woman’s twelve years inside Google and her transformation from insider to dissenter as the company’s ideals begin to unravel from within.” We all know there are three sides to every story… and I’m looking forward to hearing this one.
- Workplace dress codes have shifted dramatically in the last decade or so, particularly post-2020. But while the dress code may have shifted, have our opinions about what’s okay or not changed that much? The Wall Street Journal asks, “What Do You Think is Acceptable to Wear at the Office?” Take this quiz to find out how your personal dress code stacks up against others who have taken this quiz. What’s your office’s dress code?
LANGUAGE OF BUSINESS SERIES – MARKETING & BRANDING
- Branding vs. Marketing vs. Public Relations: What’s the Difference? [DCM Communications] – Understanding the difference will help you make smarter decisions about where to invest time and resources.
- We Tested the Top Email Marketing Platforms. These 7 Are Worth Your Money in 2026 [Inc. Magazine] – Email marketing is powerful and my personal favorite way to market. And, like with any tech tool, make sure you understand the problem you’re solving for before choosing a platform.
- How to Write a Press Release: A Step-By-Step Guide [SEMRUSH] – Yes, people still write (and read) press releases! It’s a great way to get in front of news outlets and journalists to increase brand awareness, share company news with the public, announce new hires, and more. The guide includes great examples, as well.
- Demystifying Business Marketing: A Guide for Non-Marketers [The Actionable Things No One Told Me] – This is a very handy guide from Sharon Buechler that describes the different types of marketing and what they are used for.
READING RECOMMENDATIONS
- Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz | The book has great tips for effectively communicating via email, presentations, meetings, and more. Incredible resource for Force Multipliers who want to elevate their ability to communicate with busy leaders and help their companies capture attention in today’s world. The Core 4 framework alone will make a positive impact on your career. If you’re looking to become a more strategic partner and communicator, you’ve got to get this book.
- Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator by Ryan Holiday | Before his Daily Stoic days… Ryan Holiday was the Director of Marketing for American Apparel and the founder of a media and marketing agency. This book pulls back the curtain on how the media (from blogs to journalists) really works. It’s an entertaining read, if nothing else!
- For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations by Ronn Torossian | For Immediate Release will show you how to: Frame the debate and control the conversation; use new and old media in tandem to find your audiences and create highly personal, relevant impressions tailored for them; promote the interests of your brand or business; deter or potentially stop what is not in your interest; build on great press, and avoid or minimize bad press; ensure the first thing people see about your business or brand during an Internet search is exactly what you want them to see; handle a crisis in the most effective and efficient manner; and more. This is a great reference book to have on your shelf!
“If social media is the cocktail party, then email marketing is the ‘meet up for coffee’. The original one-to-one channel.”
Erik Harbison
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When someone understands the language of business, they can connect their work to: revenue, profitability, growth, efficiency, risk, priorities, customer experience, organizational goals, and strategic tradeoffs. We aren’t talking about memorizing corporate jargon here! But we are talking about understanding how businesses function, what leaders care about, how decisions get made, and how work impacts the bigger picture.
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From articles and podcasts, to book recommendations, courses and conferences, and insights and advice, we’ll dive into one key topic each month.
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