Confidante. Consultant. Convener. The chief of staff (COS) role sits at the intersection of leadership and support. It also comes with enormous responsibility, opportunity, and influence. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey senior partner Andrew Goodman joins editorial director Roberta Fusaro to discuss the highs and lows of this consequential job—and how to do it right.

After, meeting with CEOs felt daunting when McKinsey senior partner Carolyn Dewar started her consultancy career until she realized: CEOs are people, too.