Leveraging Leadership
Leadership is messy. Most advice isn't built for the reality of competing priorities, difficult stakeholders, limited time, and imperfect information.
Leveraging Leadership is a practical leadership podcast for Chiefs of Staff, executives, founders, and senior operators who want to lead more effectively and navigate complexity with confidence.
Hosted by Emily Sander, former Chief of Staff and executive advisor, each episode delivers real-world lessons, practical frameworks, and candid conversations with leaders across business and beyond.
Topics include executive communication, leadership presence, decision-making, delegation, organizational influence, operating rhythms, team effectiveness, and the often-unspoken challenges leaders face behind the scenes.
If you're looking for thoughtful conversations, practical takeaways, and leadership advice you can actually use on Monday morning, you're in the right place.
Leveraging Leadership
Leveraging Familiar Concepts to Enhance Leadership
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In this episode of Leveraging Leadership, Emily Sander shares how using analogies can improve communication in leadership. She discusses examples like a soccer midfielder needing to "pass the ball" for effective delegation and a swimmer needing to "stay in their lane." Emily also emphasizes the importance of listening to the analogies others use and offering your own to help them explain their thoughts.
Links Mentioned:
Free Resources:
- Strategic Planning Checklist
- Chief of Staff Skills Assessment Checklist
- A Day in the Life of a Chief of Staff
- Chief of Staff Toolkit
Get in touch with Emily:
- Connect on LinkedIn
- Follow on YouTube
- Learn more about coaching
- Sign up for the newsletter
- Clarity Call with Emily
Who Am I?
If we haven’t met before - Hi👋 I’m Emily, Chief of Staff turned Executive Leadership Coach. After a thrilling ride up the corporate ladder, I’m focusing on what I love - working with people to realize their professional and personal goals. Through my videos here on this channel, books, podcast guest spots, and newsletter, I share new ideas and practical and tactical tools to help you be more productive and build the career and life you want.
Time Stamps:
00:25 The Power of Analogies in Communication
00:36 Delegation Through Soccer Analogies
02:16 Staying in Your Lane: A Swimming Analogy
04:28 From Circles to Spheres: Leadership Growth
06:05 Using Everyday Analogies
06:48 Client Stories and Visual Analogies
10:23 Creative Thinking with Shapes and Colors