Founder of Chief of Staff Roundtable Phil Burns
Phil Burns didn’t plan to become a Chief of Staff. It just happened—because he was the person who kept things running when others couldn’t. That real-world experience shaped how he leads and why he built the Chief of Staff Roundtable. In this conversation, he breaks down what the role means, how it’s evolving, and what he learned the hard way.
Key Takeaways
The Chief of Staff role is often unclear at first—for the leader, the team, and even the CoS.
Many Chiefs of Staff start from other roles like EA, PM, or admin, and then grow into it.
Organic peer conversations often teach more than books or articles.
Notable Quotes
"You're in the exact same meetings with the exact same people talking about that same project, but the way you contribute is wildly different. You're asking questions at a different level."
"As chiefs of staff, we often think, what's the big thing, the big rock I can move today to make impact. And we realized that there's not very many of those because there's probably a leader who's responsible for that big thing. So we're flipping the script to what are the little things that only I am well positioned to do."
"For whatever reason, I just always felt my leader was like a magnet where I was just always ended up right beside them and always usually compelled by some version of their vision and wanting to make that a reality. Little did I know I was really in the chief of staff headspace for most of my career."
Real-World Applications
Expect a learning curve:
Example: Phil had a reputation as a problem-solver, but stepping into the CoS role still hit hard—he had to learn in real time.Start support groups from scratch:
Example: After failing to find resources, Phil cold-messaged 300 people on LinkedIn and hosted monthly peer calls—eventually creating the Roundtable.Define the role for your org:
Example: Phil and his CEO had different ideas of what a CoS should do. They had to sit down and agree on expectations.
Phil Burns’ story proves that CoS is a role you grow into, not one you master on day one. His work with the Roundtable shows how shared experience and honest talk can make the role clearer—and help more people succeed in it.
01:21 Phil's Path from EA to Chief of Staff to Founder
06:59 Challenges and Realizations in the Chief of Staff Role
12:45 The Birth of the Chief of Staff Roundtable
14:05 Growth and Evolution of the Roundtable
22:01 Membership and Offerings of the Roundtable
27:18 Understanding the Tools of the Trade
28:42 Membership Benefits and Access
30:19 Networking and Peer Learning
31:25 Diverse Membership Base
32:41 Role Clarification and Career Pathing
47:49 Strategic Conversations and Trends
53:25 Connecting and Learning More
Links Mentioned:
Chief of Staff Roundtable Website: https://chiefofstaffroundtable.com/
Connect with Phil Burns on LinkedIn: / philipiburns
About The Author
Emily Sander is an ICF-certified leadership coach with more than 15 years of experience in the business world and the author of Hacking Executive Leadership. She’s been featured in several print publications, online articles, and podcasts, including CEO Today Magazine, Leading to Fulfillment, and Leadership Powered by Common Sense.
Emily has a passion for helping business leaders reach their full potential. Go here to read her story from seasoned executive to knowledgeable coach. If you want to send Emily a quick message, then visit her contact page here.