Ask a Chief of Staff: Avoiding Burnout as a Chief of Staff
- Date
- 2025-10-30
- Host
- Personal
About this event
Chiefs of Staff are often the person everyone relies on, which can make it hard to tell when high performance has quietly turned into overextension. If you spend your days absorbing pressure, context-switching across priorities, and keeping leaders and teams aligned, this conversation is designed for you. Ask a Chief of Staff: Avoiding Burnout as a Chief of Staff is an in-person session focused on the real demands of the role and how to build a more sustainable way to do the work. This is a chance to step out of execution mode and talk openly about one of the toughest parts of the job: carrying a broad scope of responsibility without burning through your energy, attention, and judgment. The goal is not generic wellness advice. It is a practical, grounded discussion about how Chiefs of Staff can protect their effectiveness over time while still operating at a high level. About the Event This event is built around the kinds of questions Chiefs of Staff actually wrestle with but do not always have space to unpack during the workday. How do you stay strategic when your role pulls you into everything? How do you set boundaries in a job that often has none built in? How do you recognize the difference between a demanding season and a pattern that is not sustainable? The format centers on direct, honest discussion. Expect a conversational session where attendees can learn from the perspective of a Chief of Staff and from each other. Because the role is often isolating, one of the most valuable parts of the event is simply being in a room with people who understand the complexity, ambiguity, and emotional load that come with the work. This is also a community event, which means the emphasis is on shared learning rather than polished theory. You do not need to arrive with the perfect question. If burnout, capacity, boundaries, or role design have been on your mind, you will be in the right room. What to Expect You can expect a structured but approachable in-person meetup with space for insight, reflection, and connection. The conversation will likely move between individual experience and practical tactics, helping you think about both your immediate workload and the broader way your role is set up. Topics that may come up include: Early warning signs of burnout in a Chief of Staff role Boundary-setting with executives, teams, and cross-functional stakeholders Managing constant context switching without losing clarity Protecting strategic time when urgent requests keep stacking up Navigating emotional labor and invisible work that often comes with the position Building a support system when you are often the support system for everyone else You should also expect opportunities for peer connection. In many organizations, a Chief of Staff is one of one, which can make it difficult to compare notes or pressure-test what is normal. This meetup creates room for those conversations in person, with people who can relate to the role’s pace, ambiguity, and expectations. The tone is intended to be candid and useful. Rather than broad advice that could apply to any job, the focus is on the realities of this specific function: managing up, across, and around; holding context across multiple streams of work; and staying steady when priorities shift quickly. Why Attend Burnout in a Chief of Staff role is not just about being busy. It often comes from sustained ambiguity, high emotional bandwidth, competing demands, and the pressure to be endlessly responsive while still thinking ahead. Attending this event gives you a chance to name those pressures clearly and learn ways to respond to them more intentionally. You will leave with sharper language for what you are experiencing, which can make a big difference when you need to reset expectations, redesign your workflows, or have better conversations about capacity. Sometimes the most useful outcome is realizing that what feels personal is actually structural, and that there are practical ways to address it. This event is also valuable if you want perspective before things get worse. You do not need to be at a breaking point to benefit. If you are trying to maintain your effectiveness, protect your energy, and stay in the role without letting it consume everything else, this conversation can help you think more clearly about what needs to change. Beyond the content itself, there is value in meeting peers who understand the work without a long explanation. That kind of context-rich networking can be rare for Chiefs of Staff, and it often leads to better questions, stronger ideas, and an ongoing sense of community after the event ends. Practical Details Location: In person Date: Thursday, October 30 Time: 10:00 AM PDT Because this is an in-person event, plan to arrive with a few minutes to settle in and meet other attendees before the discussion begins. If you have a question you have been carrying for a while, bring it. If you are not sure how to phrase what you are dealing with yet, that is fine too; the session is meant to help make those challenges easier to articulate. This event will be especially useful if you value discussion that is practical, role-specific, and grounded in lived experience. Come ready to listen, contribute if you want to, and leave with a clearer view of how to do this job sustainably. If you work close to leadership, hold a broad and often ambiguous remit, and want a more durable way to operate, this meetup is a strong use of your time.
Who should attend
This is for people who want a more sustainable way to do high-trust, high-pressure work without stepping back from impact. - You are a **Chief of Staff** who is juggling executive support, strategic projects, and constant context switching, and you want practical ways to protect your energy. - You work in a **similar strategic, cross-functional role** and recognize the same patterns: invisible labor, broad scope, shifting priorities, and the pressure to always be available. - You have started to notice **signs of burnout**, reduced focus, or decision fatigue, and you want to address them before they become harder to reverse. - You want to get better at **setting boundaries and managing expectations** with senior leaders, teammates, or stakeholders without losing trust or momentum. - You are looking for **peer connection** with people who understand the role without needing a long explanation of what your day actually looks like. - You do your best learning through **honest conversation and real examples**, and you would benefit from hearing how others approach sustainability in a demanding role.