Become the Leader You’d Follow | Founder @ MGMT | CEO Coach | Advisor | Speaker | Trusted by 300K+ leaders. | Work with us: https://xitter.cf/t.co/6P5ZGqxCyc
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Joined March 2011
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Senior execs have Chiefs of Staff. Founders have EAs. Partners have associates. Managers have nothing. That's why you're drowning. Last month I built myself one using Claude Cowork. Here are 3 ways an AI Chief of Staff changed how I lead:
Exceptional leaders recruit:
- Anticipate needs 12 months out
- Proactively network with stars
- Create low-risk work trials
Mediocre managers hire:
- Wait for a position to open
- Post their role on LinkedIn
- Interview those available
Hire the best, not the best available.
An CEO I work with was about to pay a premium for a retained search, but he wasn't ready. The red flag: He told me he could be flexible on the profile. Here are 6 things I'd do BEFORE you pay a recruiter:
6. Make sure they have skin in the game.
Some firms run a hybrid: a little up front to cover their costs, the rest paid with the placement. Others get you a replacement if the person doesn't last.
Both help keep incentives aligned: not just a quick hire, the right addition.
The second most expensive mistake you can make is a bad hire. The most expensive is wrong partner helping you do it. Know what you want. And find recruiter knows how to help you get it.
RT and follow @dklineii for more practical management insights.
Dave Kline retweeted
Bad news for CEOs: You set the standard. Everything you do is scrutinized and copied. If you disrespect people, others will follow your lead. If you blow off commitments, others will see deadlines are just suggestions. What you do is who you are. It's also what your team becomes.
Dave Kline retweeted
Most valuable leadership skills in 2026:
1. Delegation
2. Imagination
3. Reliability
4. Relatability
5. Systems Thinking
6. Contrarian Thinking
7. Salesmanship
Most valuable leadership skills in 2026:
1. Delegation
2. Imagination
3. Reliability
4. Relatability
5. Systems Thinking
6. Contrarian Thinking
7. Salesmanship
Bad news for CEOs: You set the standard. Everything you do is scrutinized and copied. If you disrespect people, others will follow your lead. If you blow off commitments, others will see deadlines are just suggestions. What you do is who you are. It's also what your team becomes.
One executive I coach asks every candidate: “What would your last manager say you need to work on?” Self-aware people answer fast. Coachable people answer honestly. Everyone else says “I work too hard.”
Dave Kline retweeted
Before giving critical feedback,
ask if they met their own expectations.
Before telling them what to do,
ask how they'd proceed without you.
Before accepting a problem to solve,
ask for their recommendation.
It's often not wisdom they lack,
just the courage to use it.
Dave Kline retweeted
Most managers fall into the same 5 traps. Some come from good intentions. Others from our hardwired biases. Neither is your fault. But you and your team suffer if you don't learn how to avoid them. Here's your map:
Before giving critical feedback,
ask if they met their own expectations.
Before telling them what to do,
ask how they'd proceed without you.
Before accepting a problem to solve,
ask for their recommendation.
It's often not wisdom they lack,
just the courage to use it.
Most managers fall into the same 5 traps. Some come from good intentions. Others from our hardwired biases. Neither is your fault. But you and your team suffer if you don't learn how to avoid them. Here's your map:
5. Confusing your answer with the right answer
Probably the most dangerous trap. Someone says, "We've got a problem." It's 100% natural to want to solve it. So you act with less information than you need.
Worse, solving it for them makes them dependent on you.
The first step to staying out of these traps is knowing they're out there. The second is knowing that most come from wanting to help you team avoid failure vs building them up to succeed without you.
Helpful? RT and follow @dklineii for more practical management insights.