The most common reasons why the relationship between the CEO and the Chief of Staff (CoS) fails are lack of clarity of roles, weak trust, and poor communication. If it is unclear what the CoS is allowed to do and not allowed to do, conflicts with other managers or with the CEO themselves easily arise. If the CEO does not trust the CoS, or if the CoS does not dare to provide honest feedback, the collaboration becomes superficial and ineffective. Poor communication leads to misunderstandings, duplication of effort, and missed opportunities. Resistance from other management levels can also undermine the legitimacy of the CoS role. To avoid these pitfalls, clear mandates, open dialogue, and active support from the CEO are required for the CoS role.