Chief Strategist: A Day in The Life
A sneak peek into my role, my calendar, and my projects
My mother is really impressed with my job. She tells me my title is really cool and looks important. Then, she asks, “now, what is it you do?”
She isn’t the only one. I get this question often.
That is because unlike better-known roles such as Chief of Staff and Chief of Operations, a Chief Strategist is less common. Equally important, strategists are whatever a CEO needs them to be depending on the business life cycle and strategic aims of a company.
There are some common skills and traits: mastery of a particular industry domain, unique and deep access to industry players, and superior business skills, especially managing transformational efforts affecting the fundamental trajectory of an enterprise. This person gives the CEO an opportunity to do more than just keep the ship steady. The Strategist and her team drive the CEO’s agenda through signature initiatives that help define the identity of the CEO’s tenure.
For my part, I own three distinctive lanes of activity for the Woodfin administration: strategic communications, strategic planning, and major initiative stewardship, especially regional and national public-private partnerships. I also have a role as Senior Advisor. That role involves significant relationship management, political and policy advocacy as well as some good old-fashioned brotherly perspective and support. Think Valerie Jarrett.
So, how does all of this translate to my day-to-day job? Well, that is the purpose of this post.
Here, I offer readers a behind-the-scenes look at my calendar, projects, and major themes that emerged in the month of February. I hope this helps you understand the flow, feel, and impacts of my team’s efforts, big and small, on the Mayor, our team or the City at large.
I would value your feedback to know if this format is helpful or if you have recommendations to help me demystify my little corner of the world. Enjoy!
February 2022
This list does not include every single meeting for the sake of brevity and keeping some information confidential.
Major Themes:
- Birthdays, birthdays, birthdays. Mine, my family, and what feels like EVERYONE else’s in the Mayor’s Office.
- Settling. The municipal election of August 2021 was the beginning of a long transition period for leadership across the City. It feels like we are just now finding our groove as a high-powered functional team.
- Public-Private Partnerships. More than a dozen in development or launching with my teammate, Amelia Muller, and others.
- Mentees. I met one-on-one with at least one mentee or young professional (under the age of 30) per week this month. Very gratifying investments in new horizon leaders.
- One-on-one meetings. I was very intentional and proactive about connecting with people in February (because March will be very heavy with project work.) I will not meet with anyone I don’t need to support or lead in the execution of my current projects. I will re-open my general networking calendar in April.
- Meetings. This month I hosted or led a handful of recurring internal and external convenings on behalf of the Mayor: Strategic Planning Executive Committee, Transition Team, One Voice Communications, Department Heads, Mayor-Chiefs Planning.
- National Partnership Discussions. We advanced projects through coaching staff and hosting calls and meetings with national partners, including FUSE, MasterCard, Brookings Institute, AmeriCorp, Casey Family Programs, New York University, Accelerator for America, among others.
- Local Projects. There are a handful of initiatives I wholly own or play a key role in guiding or advocating, including Mayor’s Transition Team, World Games, Strategic Planning, the Academy of Civic Engagement, and a handful of communications efforts.
A Week in the Life
February 7 — February 11
- Monday. Reconnected with colleagues from previous chapters of my life today and this week. A Leadership Birmingham classmate, a former client from my time as an entrepreneur, former Chamber of Commerce colleague. Coffee, lunches, cocktails.
- Wednesday. Met with UAB President Dr. Ray Watts to discuss blight efforts with his UAB Grand Challenge team and our blight and revitalization team at the City.
- Wednesday. Met w/New York University Chair of Sports Management and graduate students for a potential business case project for Mayor’s Office.
- Wednesday. Served as guest on Uplifting Impact podcast. The host is from my hometown of Milwaukee. He and his wife, Deanna Singh, are doing tremendous work in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
- Thursday. Two-hour World Games Board meeting. Major updates on upcoming roll out of commercials, public art installations, tiny homes for homeless residents, and major artists performing in opening and closing ceremonies.
- Friday. Field visit with Mayor’s staff visiting new housing developments across multiple neighborhoods. Kelvin Datcher briefed our team on the upcoming sale of new homes in Bellevue Heights through Mayor’s efforts.
The month ended with Birmingham on the world stage. Russia launched an unprovoked attack on the sovereign nation of Ukraine in late February, triggering a geopolitical crisis that put Birmingham in international headlines. I spent the better part of three days serving as a liaison and advisor to the Mayor and Birmingham Organizing Committee as they engaged international partners, local media, and other stakeholders. Senior Advisor stuff.
Personally, I think the most impactful thing I do most days is navigation — putting our residents in touch with people who actually do the bulk of the work. The Mayor describes me as the coach in the booth of a football game, high above the field, sharing what I see from the top.
My role is big, but small in the big scheme of things. We owe so much of our success to the people closest to the daily issues impacting our residents, business owners, and visitors.
Top 5
I spend a lot of time in coffee shops with my headphones. My taste varies greatly, but sometimes I get stuck in a “groove”. Here are the songs that inspired my best work last month. Find these on YouTube.
- The Other Side (live video), Jazmine Sullivan
- I’m Dope, David Michael Wyatt Mix
- Please Don’t Go, Boyz II Men
- How Much Can a Heart Take, Lucky Daye w/Yebba
- My Sub, Big K.R.I.T.
Honestly,
Ed.
I am a poet, essayist, and civic strategist in Birmingham, Alabama. Get to know me better here.
