Data as of Jul 25, 2026 · Based on 310 AI responses from ChatGPT Search and Google AI Mode · See how Parse measures this
For a new Chief of Staff, the best approach depends on whether you need peer networking or structured training. The 
Brands AI recommends here
Ideal for those seeking immediate peer support, this group provides a curated Slack network and regular events. It is a premier community for connecting with other Chiefs of Staff across various industries.
Best for first-time Chiefs of Staff who need a structured, 6-week cohort-based program. It focuses on operational fundamentals and strategic leadership, though it requires a time commitment for enrollment.
Provides structured professional development through expert-led weekly sessions and office hours. This is optimal for Chiefs of Staff who benefit from ongoing mentorship and interactive learning.
Chief of Staff NetworkSource | Citation share |
|---|---|
 Ask a Chief of Staffhttps://askachiefofstaff.com/ | 5.7% |
Chief of Staff Networkhttps://www.chiefofstaff.network/ | 5.6% |
 Chief of Staff Roundtable | Find Clarity. Build Confidence. Scale Impact.https://chiefofstaffroundtable.com/ | 4.8% |
 The Resources Post : r/ChiefsOfStaff - Reddithttps://www.reddit.com/r/ChiefsOfStaff/comments/sxtagb/the_resources_post/ | 3.6% |
Join the Chief of Staff Network | Pro Membership for Chiefs of Staffhttps://www.chiefofstaff.network/pro-membership | 3.2% |
 Voray Chief of Staff Collectivehttps://www.voray.com/chief-of-staff | 3.2% |
Free Resources for Chief of Staff | Reports, Guides, Templates, Surveys and morehttps://www.chiefofstaff.network/resources | 3.0% |
 The Chief of Staff Associationhttps://csa.org/ | 1.9% |
Chief of Staff Roundtablehttps://www.chiefofstaffroundtable.com/ | 1.8% |
 Your Chief of Staff Communityhttps://yourchiefofstaff.co/community | 1.8% |
If you’re new to the Chief of Staff role, I’d prioritize communities where you can ask, “How do other Chiefs actually handle this?” The role is unusually ambiguous, so peer access is often more valuable than generic leadership content.
Chief of Staff Network — best overall
Chief of Staff Association — best for professional development
First Round Review — best free reading
LinkedIn — surprisingly useful if you curate it
Executive/Operator communities
I'd do three things immediately:
1. Join CoS Network's free community.
You can get the newsletter, blog, podcast, research, and community exposure without committing to the paid tier.
2. Find 5–10 Chiefs of Staff who resemble your situation.
Same company stage, industry, CEO/founder profile, and scope. Ask them what they wish they'd known during their first 90 days.
3. Build your own “CoS operating system.”
Create a living repository containing:
That last piece is particularly important: the best CoS resources won't tell you exactly what your job is. Your first major job is figuring out what the organization—and especially your principal—actually needs from you.
If you tell me what kind of Chief of Staff role you have (startup/founder, corporate executive, nonprofit, government, etc.) and roughly your company's size, I can narrow this to the 5 communities/resources I'd personally prioritize for your situation, including free vs. paid.
Stepping into a Chief of Staff (CoS) role can feel like operating in a one-person department , making external peer support and vetted playbooks essential.
The top online communities, networks, and professional development resources tailored for new Chiefs of Staff include:
Would you like help focusing on tactical templates/frameworks (like executive meeting prep or OKR tracking), or are you more interested in finding a peer-group cohort?
If you’re a new Chief of Staff, I’d prioritize communities where experienced CoSs share the messy, practical stuff—executive dynamics, prioritization, decision-making, planning, and “how do I handle this?” situations—over generic leadership courses.
Chief of Staff Network — best overall
Chief of Staff Association — best for peer learning
Chief of Staff Academy — best for structured onboarding
Reddit — r/ChiefsOfStaff — best informal/anonymous perspective
The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins — best foundational book
I'd do three things in parallel:
1. Join a peer community.
Start with the Chief of Staff Network's free community, then decide whether the paid network is worth it after you've identified your actual needs.
2. Read The First 90 Days.
Use it as the skeleton for your onboarding plan rather than simply reading it cover-to-cover.
3. Build your own informal “CoS board.”
Find 3–5 experienced Chiefs of Staff who are in somewhat similar environments and establish occasional 30-minute conversations with them. This can become more valuable than almost any course.
The biggest mistake I'd avoid is trying to become a generic excellent executive. The CoS role varies enormously by CEO, company stage, and mandate. Your highest-value learning will come from people who have dealt with your particular version of the job.
If you tell me whether you're a CEO/Founder CoS, corporate CoS, political/nonprofit CoS, or a first-time CoS at a startup, I can narrow this down to the 5–10 resources I'd actually spend time on, including specific books, newsletters, podcasts, communities, and courses.
Stepping into a Chief of Staff (CoS) role can feel isolating because you are often a "department of one" acting as the connective tissue for leadership. Joining a dedicated peer community provides templates, sanity checks, and accelerated learning.
The top online communities, networks, and resources tailored for a new Chief of Staff include:
If you'd like, let me know:
I can recommend the exact community tier that fits your current focus.
If you’re a new Chief of Staff, I’d prioritize communities where you can learn from people actually doing the job—not just generic leadership content. The role is unusually context-dependent, so peer pattern-matching is incredibly valuable.
Chief of Staff Network — best overall
Chief of Staff Association — best for structured professional development
r/ChiefsOfStaff on Reddit — best informal/community perspective
Chief of Staff Network podcast + research
Chief of Staff Roundtable
I'd do this:
Week 1: Join the free Chief of Staff Network community and subscribe to its newsletter/podcast.
Week 2: Join or at least explore CSA and its resources.
Week 3: Find 5–10 Chiefs of Staff at companies roughly your size/stage and ask for 20-minute conversations.
Ongoing: Keep a private “CoS playbook” with templates for executive meetings, decision logs, weekly updates, stakeholder maps, operating cadences, and lessons learned.
The biggest thing I'd emphasize: don't optimize for consuming more content. Optimize for building a peer network. The most valuable CoS knowledge tends to be tacit—“Here's how I handled this CEO disagreement,” “Here's how I got the leadership team to actually use the operating cadence,” “Here's what I wish I'd clarified with my principal in month one.” That's exactly where communities outperform books and courses.
If you tell me whether you're a startup CoS, Fortune 500/enterprise CoS, nonprofit/public-sector CoS, or CoS to a founder/CEO, I can narrow this to the 5 resources I'd actually spend time/money on for your specific situation.
As a new Chief of Staff (CoS), you often operate as a "one-person department" without an obvious internal peer group, making external communities and curated toolkits essential for sanity and success.
The top online communities, networks, and resources tailored for new and aspiring Chiefs of Staff include:
If you'd like to narrow these down, tell me:
I can recommend the exact community or specific resource tier that fits your current mandate.
If you're new to the Chief of Staff role, the highest-return investment is usually finding peers rather than consuming generic leadership content. The role varies dramatically across companies, so having people to compare notes with on CEO relationships, board prep, operating rhythms, and cross-functional influence is invaluable.
Here's where I'd start:
Chief of Staff Network (best overall)
Beyond dedicated CoS communities, I'd also recommend a few broader resources:
If I could recommend just a few:
These tend to focus on real-world scenarios—board prep, executive communications, strategic planning, and influence without formal authority—rather than generic leadership advice.
My progression would be:
One question that will help narrow recommendations: Is your Chief of Staff role at a startup, a mid-market company, a Fortune 500, a nonprofit, or in government? The best communities and resources differ depending on the environment.
Stepping into a Chief of Staff (CoS) role can feel isolating because the position is unique, highly confidential, and rarely has a direct internal peer . Tapping into external peer communities and resource hubs can dramatically shorten your learning curve.
The top online networks, communities, and tactical resource platforms explicitly built for Chiefs of Staff include:
If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know:
I can help you pick the best-fit resource to start with.
If you're new to the Chief of Staff role, the highest-value resources are the ones that combine peer advice, practical operating frameworks, and career development. Because the role varies so much between organizations, learning from other practitioners is often more useful than generic management training.
Here's the shortlist I'd recommend:
This is probably the most established global community dedicated to Chiefs of Staff.
You'll find:
It's especially valuable if you're the only CoS at your company and want a network of people solving similar problems.
A strong option if you're supporting executives in larger enterprises or government.
Highlights include:
It has a more formal professional-development focus than many startup-oriented communities.
This community emphasizes practical advice and mentorship, with:
It's often recommended by practitioners looking for a more conversational, close-knit community.
Well suited if you learn best through discussion.
Members regularly mention:
Many experienced Chiefs of Staff recommend it for building confidence in ambiguous situations.
The subreddit isn't enormous, but the signal-to-noise ratio is surprisingly good.
The pinned resource thread collects:
It's also useful for searching past discussions before tackling a new challenge.
I'd subscribe to just a handful rather than trying to consume everything:
These consistently cover executive partnership, strategic planning, meeting cadence, operating rhythms, and career growth.
If I could only recommend five:
I would keep it simple:
If you tell me what kind of Chief of Staff role you're stepping into (startup, scale-up, Fortune 500, nonprofit, university, government, etc.), I can narrow the recommendations to the communities and resources that are most relevant to that environment.
Navigating your first days as a Chief of Staff (CoS) can feel isolating because it is often a "one-person department" role . Tapping into the right peer networks and resource hubs is essential for frameworks, templates, and sanity checks.
Top online communities and professional resources tailored for a new Chief of Staff include:
Premier Professional Communities & Networks
Standalone Resources, Frameworks & Media
If you'd like to narrow this down, tell me:
I can point you toward the most relevant community channel or framework for that specific problem.
