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Hello, and welcome to the Right Hand Talent newsletter! I’m Zaharo, and I write about all things Chief of Staff, talent, and career excellence.
In every post, you’ll get new CoS jobs that are on my radar, reqs we’re working on, my thoughts on growing in the CoS role and as a professional, top stories I’m following on X, and more.
We have the choice to opt in or out of The Matrix every day.
Burnout doesn’t happen suddenly, and it’s so insidious because of the very reason that it creeps up slowly.
The key to manifesting is being happy just sitting with the positive energy generated by your thoughts and feelings, vs being outcome-dependent.
Hello and welcome new readers!
A quick personal aside: I took a long break from writing over the summer, but I’m back now! Expect more regular posts now that summertime is behind us and we settle into our routine.
And now, onto our main topic…
League of Legends: A game that people love, hate, love to hate, and hate to love!
If you’ve played the the MOBA game League of Legends (LoL), I have two things to say:
I’m sorry for the inevitable pain you’ve experienced (gg — IYKYK)
The Support role in LoL is very much like a Chief of Staff
First things first: understand what the heck League of Legends is all about
LoL is kind of like capture the flag. Each team of 5 starts on opposite sides of a map, and the goal is to make your way across and destroy the enemy nexus.
It’s WAY harder than it sounds, and sometimes I wonder aloud how sadistic Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill actually were to go and create such a game, but I digress.😒
The soul-sucking Fields of Justice (the nexuses are near the bottom left and top right for each team)
In League of Legends, each role on the team serves a specific purpose:
Top Lane: The bruiser or tank. Absorbs a lot of damage during team fights.
Mid Lane: A late-game threat who controls the shortest path to the enemy nexus.
Jungler: Oversees global map vision and neutral objectives, affecting the game on a macro level.
Bot Lane: The main damage dealer (also called ADC, or “Attack Damage Carry”) who excels at taking down enemy structures like turrets.
Support: Plays alongside the bot laner, providing protection, healing, and utility to ensure the bot lane can scale effectively into the late game.
I can’t tell you how many games I’ve played where we’ve had totally OP (overpowered) mid laners or junglers on the team — where the odds of winning felt extremely in our favor — but ultimately ONE weak player on our team single-handedly sunk our chances at winning. Why?
Because energy is conserved in LoL: if you get killed, you don’t just fall behind (in gold, time, ability to threaten other parts of the map), but you give those exact advantages to the enemy. And there are fun terms that people use here, too: it’s called “feeding” if a single person keeps dying repeatedly, alluding to the fact that maybe they’re even doing so purposely (which is infuriating but does happen…also called “inting” or intentionally feeding)…and it’s “snowballing” if there’s a single enemy that’s getting those kills…NOT FUN if you’re the one falling behind.
Inting could result in a permanent ban which tbh is probably better for this person’s mental well-being.
All this to say that you can have a SUPER strong 4-person team, but if your Support is the one who’s feeding, for example, you can easily lose the game.
What else do Supports do that’s so important? They ward the map to provide vision in the Fog of War, they protect their ADC, and sometimes they even sacrifice themselves to keep the bot laner alive and “fed” with kills. It’s an underappreciated role, but without a good Support, the ADC can’t do his job.
(On the flipside, an incredible support can turn the tide of a game. Just listen to the passion in this guy’s voice 😂— and watch Nautilus, their Support that keeps hooking the enemy).
And now, to break down the Chief of Staff role:
The Chief of Staff provides strategic support to the CEO and the executive team, ensuring that strategic initiatives are executed smoothly.
They are a facilitator of success. Much like a Support in LoL, the Chief of Staff enables others — often the more visible leaders — to perform at their best.
They do “behind-the-scenes” work: The Chief of Staff operates behind the scenes, managing the flow of information, coordinating key initiatives, and making sure that the leadership team has everything they need to succeed.
They’re in the lead for crisis management: A CoS can step in to diffuse situations or provide solutions, much like a Support rushes in to save a vulnerable ADC.
Nuances between the Chief of Staff role & Support in LoL
There are rewards AND sacrifices to being a Chief of Staff or Support
In LoL, the Support often has to make sacrifices. They might give up kills to their ADC so they can scale faster, or they’ll outright put themselves in the enemy’s path to save them. Ultimately, a good Support knows that their job is to enable others to succeed. Same goes for a Chief of Staff — but in contrast, while a support’s effectiveness in-game always shows up in the game statistics as their “assist score”, a Chief of Staff’s sometimes doesn’t (unless their personal OKRs are tied well to those of the company).
Keria is a pro League of Legends support player — his K/D/A, or
“Kill/Death/Assist” score of 10 is god-like. As a Support, you’re mostly
assisting and you want the score to reflect that.
Unlike a Support, a Chief of Staff may not always get public recognition for their work. Even if they’re the ones who orchestrated a plan, they might have to step back and let others take the spotlight. A lot of the reward isn’t the glory of being in the limelight but the satisfaction of knowing that they’ve played a crucial role in their team’s success.
💡 Consider this my official recommendation that Chiefs of Staff need to create their own version of a K/D/A score — one that captures their impact and is visible to the team — or at the very least, ensure that their portfolio of projects include those that are explicitly tied to company goals.
Vision and awareness is mission critical
One of the most critical tasks for a Support in LoL is maintaining map vision. By placing wards in strategic locations, the Support helps the team gain valuable information about the enemy’s movements, which can prevent ambushes and enable the team to make informed decisions. Without proper vision, the team is essentially playing in the dark, which can be disastrous (PS: never face-check a bush).
The Chief of Staff plays a similar role in that they ensure that the leadership team has a clear understanding of the internal and external landscape. They’re the fact-gatherers, market-researchers, and simply the eyes and ears of the CEO within the org. By providing this "map vision," the Chief of Staff helps the executive team navigate challenges and seize opportunities, much like a Support guiding their team through the Fog of War in LoL.
The Fog of War.
Both roles require a deep understanding of the broader context. In LoL, a Support must be aware of the overall state of the game—knowing when to ward, when to engage, and when to retreat. This strategic awareness is mirrored in the Chief of Staff’s ability to anticipate challenges, manage priorities, and ensure that the CEO and executive team are always one step ahead.
You’d better know when to be aggressive or play it safe
A good Support in LoL knows when to play defensively and when to take risks. Sometimes, it’s better to stay back and protect the ADC, while other times, an aggressive play can turn the tide of a game. This kind of decision-making is crucial and often separates the good Supports from the great ones.
Importantly, champions have different strengths and weaknesses. For example, Zyra is one of the faster Supports in LoL, but she’s very “squishy” — if she gets CC’d (crowd-controlled) and can’t move, she’ll die quickly if attacked.
Other champs are tank-y, like Nautilus, so it’s OK if they’re slower — in fact, they use that to their advantage by stepping in between the enemy and their ADC and taking damage to help them secure a kill. Skilled Zyra players can certainly play aggressively, but it’s just riskier to pick that champ if that’s your preferred and more natural play style.
Mythmaker Zyra, a custom “skin”
Knowing when to strategically push forward — e.g. challenge the status quo or take a calculated risk — vs being a bit more passive is a skill that a Chief of Staff has to master. The ability to gauge accurately which situation calls for which play style is a hallmark of both a great Support player and a successful Chief of Staff.
Communicating and coordinating is both skill and art
Supports need to coordinate with their ADC, signal the team's intentions, and often act as the glue that holds the team together during chaotic moments. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked my “tilted” teammates off a ledge due to a bad play, someone feeding, or toxicity from another player. Knowing how and when to communicate is hard to execute at times, but can easily be the difference between a well-executed team fight and a disastrous loss.
Particularly for Supports who are really mobile (can roam the map) and who are constantly warding for vision and scanning the map for global threats, they may see things that others on the team don’t — and therein lies their responsibility to alert the team to enemy Jungler movement, planned “ganks” (gang kills), or neutral objective targeting, for example.
Baron Nashor, a neutral objective. Slaying the Baron (which requires help
from your team) gives your team the Hand of Baron buff, which enhances
nearby ally minions, reduces your recall time, and increases your damage.
Like Supports, Chiefs of Staff are also masters of comms. They ensure that everyone on the leadership team is on the same page, they bridge gaps between departments, and they facilitate the flow of information where and when it matters most.
They’re also chaos tamers, and that includes chaos that’s a result of poor communication in particular. Great Chiefs of Staff, like great Supports, are faithful interpreters of their leader’s intentions and the team’s needs (and sometimes, they are the leader themselves). They understand the motivations of others on their team, just as a Support understands the playstyle of their ADC, and can anticipate and course correct against misalignment before it even occurs.
Various “pings” available to communicate with your teammates, including
bait, assist, on my way, and all-in.
Ultimately, miscommunication can threaten to unravel a team’s cohesion, and Chiefs of Staff make sure that everyone knows they’re working together toward the same goals, and keep the team focused and coordinated.
Adaptability is the real name of the game
In League of Legends, the meta (the most effective tactics available) is constantly shifting. What works in one patch may be less effective in the next. Support players need to adapt to these changes, whether it's by learning new builds, adjusting their playstyle, or finding new strategies to support their team.
Going back to the Zyra example, how you build her is different game to game based on the enemy team comp. For example, if the enemy team has a lot of squishy champs, you can build for “burst” to help your team get quicker kills; if they’re tanky, you can build anti-tank to shred their armor.
Zhonya’s Hourglass is a common Zyra build against high burst or assassin enemies who can quickly dive and kill her.
It’s almost eerie how Chiefs of Staff at startups face similar challenges. The moment-to-moment can change rapidly, whether that’s due to a new team member, a new strategy, a new product launch, a new fire to put out, etc. A successful Chief of Staff is one who can adapt to these changes by “building” themselves into what’s needed for that particular situation, for example:
There’s a new high-priority initiative: the Chief of Staff becomes the interim project leader and leverages their team leadership and project management experience.
Tension arises between two executives: the Chief of Staff acts as a mediator, leveraging their conflict resolution skills to facilitate productive dialogue, realign goals, and restore collaboration.
A key team member departs unexpectedly: the Chief of Staff steps in, leveraging their operational expertise, cross-functional knowledge, and ability to learn quickly to maintain momentum and keep projects moving forward.
A great Chief of Staff, like a well-built champion, knows how to double-down on certain strengths to meet the needs of the moment. The Chief of Staff is truly the ultimate utility player — morphing their role, skills, and focus to keep the company moving forward, no matter what the next "patch" of challenges might be.
Support in LoL = Chief of Staff IRL
Support is my favorite role in League because it demands an ability to think strategically, comfort with adapting to needs on the fly, and a high degree of selflessness, which I find fun and fulfilling.
As a Support, you’re not getting the pentakills (when a single player kills all five members of the enemy team in quick succession) and you’re not always getting recognition, but your role is absolutely critical to success.
Pentakills are pretty epic, though!
(Sidebar: Pentakill is actually a real, albeit virtual, metal band that Riot Games created. The band’s second album, Grasp of the Undying, reached Number 1 on the iTunes metal charts in 2017 😂).
For those who play LoL and embrace the Support role, it means you understand that true strength lies in enabling your team to succeed, and similarly, for Chiefs of Staff it means taking pride in the mostly behind-the-scenes work that keeps the org running smoothly and allows others to shine.
Whether you’re supporting your ADC in LoL or supporting your CEO IRL, remember that your “quiet leadership” and the impact of what you do is far-reaching and deeply valued, even if it’s not always in the spotlight.
Be mindful of "the space between” interviews.
Chief of Staff @ Tech Accelerator
Our client is working to bring manufacturing excellence and world-class technology to the US industrial base! You will have the opportunity to be an industry leader shaping what comes next in energy storage systems and critical minerals supply chains. 🇺🇲
Key Responsibilities:
Collaborate with the executive team to develop and implement program initiatives
Oversee day-to-day operations
Assist in budgeting, financial planning, and resource allocation to optimize company performance
Manage HR operations, including recruitment, employee development, and organizational culture and policy initiatives
Manage project risks and develop mitigation plans
The ideal candidate has:
4+ years of experience in a leadership or management role, with a background in venture capital, critical minerals, and battery technology sectors; prior federal government experience preferred
A Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred
Strong leadership and project management skills, financial and marketing acumen
Complexity management skills: Is highly organized and able to handle multiple projects concurrently.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
An ability to work independently and as part of a team
What They Offer:
💰Base Salary: $130-175k+
🏥 Health insurance (100% coverage)
💲 Retirement plans (401k)
💸 Performance bonus
📚 Opportunities for professional development
📍Location: Remote.
If you're interested and want to learn more about the company, just apply here! We’ll get back to you ASAP if your experience aligns with what they’re looking for.
Check out our job board for the full list of opportunities with our clients!
🔋Chief of Staff @ ChargeScape — EV charging
My thoughts: BMW, Ford, and Honda are forming ChargeScape, a jointly owned company aiming to create a unified, cost-effective platform connecting power companies, carmakers, and EV customers for energy services.
They’re still a bit under the radar (they don’t have a website yet), but they’re currently building out their team. The fact that a Chief of Staff is one of their first hires tells me that someone on the team has either been a CoS or worked with one before!
From the JD: The Chief of Staff will…
Spearhead ChargeScape’s efforts to form new external partnerships
Establish and run ChargeScape’s operating rhythm of meetings, reporting and analysis to drive performance excellence throughout the organization;
Work closely with the CEO to set, measure and report on company KPIs and financial metrics
Things that jump out at me about the ideal candidate:
Is highly pragmatic with an 80/20 mindset and a focus on levers that will drive results
Has excellent financial acumen and modelling skills;
Is humble and hard-working, willing to take on tasks both large and small
Pro tip: if you get an interview, you need to lead with the 80/20 mindset. For interview prep, imagine you’re being asked to give an “example of a time you did X” and it’s a question related to a bullet in the responsibilities list. Jot down your response to each. Then, go back to your responses and re-frame them and re-draft your responses as if you were tying them back to the 80/20 mindset. They will sound 10x better.
💰 Salary: $150k - 200k
📍This role is remote.
📥 If you’re interested in this role, respond to this email with you resume and “Chief of Staff @ Chargescape — [Your Full Name]” as the subject line.
📷 Chief of Staff @ Topaz Labs — Gen AI models for creatives
My thoughts: Topaz Labs is “profitable with an infinite runway” and they offer “significant ownership that scales with the company's growth”. It looks like they’re structured as an LLC, so equity would likely come in the form of phantom equity (vs stock options) that has profit-sharing rights.
Taking a quick peek at their ratings on Glassdoor, one person shared that this is the best place for highly accountable top performers, at least as at 2021:
Pros
“The people here are diverse and awesome. From AI PhDs to MIT physics grads to people still in school. Multiple age groups and representatives from multiple countries and languages. Everyone is a high performer in some way, with their own unique skills that they bring to the table. There is no micromanagement. The company has an overarching objective and your job is to help move the company toward that goal regardless of the technical role you might have. Front line employees are free to decide how to move the company toward its objectives based on the actual challenges in front of them, not in spite of them. If you like moving the needle and doing great work without forceful top-down
direction, you will thrive here.”
Cons
“If you need someone to hold your hand to teach you how to work, or to dictate exactly what you need to do every day, this is not the place for you. You are purposefully given the freedom to look at the challenges in front of you and move the bar toward company goals by tackling the priorities at hand. The overall caliber of talent is high, and you will be held to high standards of work. By itself, this is not a con, but I'm including it here because many people may not like such an environment. This company is an awesome fit for the right people, but not all people.”
From the JD: The Chief of Staff will…
Refine the sales strategy and product positioning by talking with existing and prospective new customers.
Develop performance metrics to measure the success of initiatives and overall company performance.
Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including the media, enterprise partners, and customers.
Partner with the CEO in setting and executing the company's strategic goals. Oversee and drive critical projects and initiatives. Prepare and manage executive communications, including presentations, reports, and meeting agendas.
Things that jump out at me about the ideal candidate:
3+ years of technology product management, design, or consulting experience — I almost never see product management and have never seen design as desired experience for this role, but makes sense given their industry focus.
Extreme work ethic — I’d expect a difficult case study as part of the process.
Highly preferred: experience in filmmaking or creative industries — nice!
💰 Salary: Unknown. Would expect the person they need to come in around $150k.
📍This role is onsite in Dallas (5x/week)
📥 Apply here.
🔬Chief of Staff @ Arcadia Science — Open science
My thoughts: Showing some love to our subscribers who are scientists with this one 🤓 Arcadia is a biotech company that “applies an evolutionary lens to accelerate purposeful discovery of nature's greatest innovations.” They’re looking for a CoS to their Chief Scientific Officer, Prachee Avasthi, which is SUCH a rare role!
Something else that’s rare: a biotech company with a badass and beautiful brand (shoutout to their illustration team!). Behold ⬇️
From the JD: The Chief of Staff will…
Manage scientific operations across the organization on behalf of the CSO by embedding with scientific teams to identify blockers, track progress toward goals, and surface critical action items.
Lead special strategic projects at the CSO’s directive.
Manage communications between the CSO and internal leadership or external collaborators.
Optimize the CSO’s calendar to maximize efficiency and protect focus time for strategic work.Orchestrate process improvements for internal communication by leveraging modern automation tools.
Things that jump out at me about the ideal candidate:
[Required] Has a PhD in the biological sciences and has worked directly on scientific research programs within the last three years — I’d take a look at their Team page. Looks like ~80% of them are scientists, so it makes sense that this is a desired experience.
[Required] Possesses computational skills and practical experience in machine learning, computational biology, or evolutionary biology.
💰 Salary: $140-185k. Solid range.
📍This role onsite in Berkeley, California (5x/week).
📥 Apply here.
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Location: NYC🗽
Dates: 10/17 & 10/18
With this year’s theme – “Company Blueprints & Chief of Staff Toolkits” – the meeting will give you actionable takeaways on strategy and tactics, not just rose-colored-glasses stories and impractical theories (😅)!
Come learn from Chiefs of Staff at companies like Harry's Inc., Lattice, and GitLab as well as from operators who led firms like Google and Facebook through their early days.
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If you’re a candidate looking to get placed as a Chief of Staff with Right Hand, just submit this application.
If you’re hiring a Chief of Staff and need help accelerating your search with Right Hand, I’d love to talk. Just respond to this email!
Where else you can find me: X and LinkedIn, where I post daily on all things Chief of Staff, personal growth, and consciousness.
Finally, if you liked reading this, feel free to click the ❤️ button on this post so more people can discover it on Substack 🙏
Until next time, Right Hand fam! 👋
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