For a long time, I believed leadership flowed from authority. Titles, reporting lines, decision-making power — these seemed like the essential ingredients for influence. It took working in highly cross-functional, high-stakes environments to realise that leadership is rarely about the position you hold. Instead, it’s about the clarity you bring, the trust you earn, and the consistency of your communication.

There was a point in my career when I had zero direct reports, yet my responsibility was to coordinate and drive execution across a room full of senior leaders across EMEA — VPs, regional leads, seasoned executives. None of them reported to me. All of them had competing priorities. And yet the projects needed to move.

That experience reshaped my understanding of what leadership really is.

In the world of leadership, where the ability to inspire, motivate, and guide others is paramount, the skill of leading with consciousness and intentionality becomes a defining attribute that distinguishes exceptional leaders from the rest. I face this every day with my own team and the challenges we face. 

As the demands on leaders grow increasingly complex due to the fast-paced business environment. we live in, the need for a deeper understanding of oneself becomes crucial, enabling leaders to navigate their roles with clarity, empathy, and resilience.

We recently spoke about the difference between emotional intelligence (EI) and social intelligence (SI) - both crucial for the success of anyone, not just leaders. Today I want to show you a great video I came across about self-discovery as an integral tool for leadership and your EI and SI. 

Before we go into the video, let me cover a few important points.

In today's fast-paced and interconnected business environment, technical skills alone are no longer sufficient for achieving success. The ability to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics and effectively manage emotions has become more crucial than ever and I feel it every day in my work. This is where emotional and social intelligence come into play.

Understanding and leveraging these forms of intelligence can significantly enhance your ability to lead, collaborate, and drive business success.

Emotional intelligence (EI) and social intelligence (SI) are related concepts that both involve understanding and managing emotions but they focus on different aspects of interpersonal skills.

We delved into the power of social intelligence a few months back but today I want to go into the differences between emotional and social intelligence, and more importantly, provide actionable tips on how to leverage each in a business context.

By cultivating these skills, you can improve your interactions with colleagues and clients, foster a positive work environment, and ultimately, boost your career success. These skills can also help you in your personal life.

I've been a Chief of Staff for close to two years but I've held similar positions in the past without the title. 

People often ask me "What is it that you actually do?"

Chief of Staff roles have become popular over the last few years, especially in tech. Many of the big companies have a Chief of Staff for all of their SVPs and above, and some even for VP and above. 

I find the Chief of Staff role quite unique depending on who the executive is that you support. I'm lucky to have an amazing leader who I work with hand in hand which allows me to learn and grow. 

But back to the question about what is it that a Chief of Staff does every day. Let me go through a day in my life, however, before I begin I have to say that the Chief of Staff job is so versatile and frankly not every day is the same because the role itself relies on the ability to pivot, adjust and be flexible pretty much all the time as there are often last-minute fires to be put down. So I will focus on explaining the key daily responsibilities. 

A Day in the Life of a Chief of Staff in Tech

In a world increasingly driven by connectivity and relationships, social intelligence has emerged as a crucial skill for personal and professional success.

I first heard about social intelligence from Daniel Goleman's book "Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships" and wanted to write a piece that covers what social intelligence is, why it matters in both life and business and also share the key insights into developing and honing this invaluable skill, especially in the corporate world.

What is Social Intelligence?

Social intelligence can be defined as the ability to understand and navigate social situations effectively. It goes beyond traditional intelligence metrics and encompasses a range of skills such as empathy, active listening, communication, and interpersonal relations. It involves being aware of one's own emotions and the emotions of others, as well as adapting one's behaviour to different social contexts.