We interview Kate Steele, former Chief of Staff and Communications Director, Microsoft

Chief of Staff roles are highly sought‑after precisely because they’re so varied - evolving with the CEO, the business and what the organisation needs. And when uninspiring leadership and unhealthy cultures remain the quiet deal breakers for communications professionals, it’s management quality, trust and feeling valued that truly determine whether people stay or go.

Enter Kate Steele. With more than two decades across global organisations, including Microsoft, she’s known for building teams where listening is a leadership discipline, “soft power” wins over command and control, and joy (sometimes cake, sometimes cheese) is part of the job. From being discovered in a book shop to becoming a Chief of Staff who describes the role as “effectively becoming part of someone else’s brain”, Kate brings sharp insight, clarity and humour to what it really takes to lead, develop talent and keep people motivated at the top of their game.

1. Can you give us a brief overview of your career so far and what inspired you to pursue a career in communications?

I ended up in communications by accident. I graduated at the beginning of the 90s, there was a recession and very few jobs. I started working in a book store to pay the rent whilst doing bits and pieces for radio as a freelancer. I applied for an in-store PR and marketing role (actually, the Deputy Manager suggested I might want to do this and I am grateful to him to this day). I loved it! And kept coming up with new ideas for events, signings, window displays, publicity….I consumed a lot of content that was relevant to my job and wider culture, which helped. I then got headhunted by a former book publicist who had just moved to a PR agency. We'd worked on a couple of successful events together and he asked me to join his team. The salary meant I could afford to buy Aveda shampoo, which was a massive status symbol at the time, so I said yes. I ended up working on tech accounts because I knew how to demo a CD-ROM from my bookshop days and nobody else did. Cut to 25 years plus later and I was at Microsoft. I think the moral of the story is to be open to all and any opportunities. And if people find you good to work with and you do a great job, they will remember. I know it's a very different world right now and super-tough for graduates. Barriers to entry seem much higher. And if we're going to build inclusive organisations, it can't be about who you know. But I didn't get into PR through any connections…I was discovered in a shop! Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft said: "Don't wait for your next job to do great work" - he's right.

2. Lots of professionals are interested in a Chief of Staff role. What guidance would you give to anyone who aspires to become one at a global company?

I think any career move - so in this instance from comms to Chief of Staff - is slightly easier if you're already known in the organisation and have been delivering. Shadow a Chief of Staff if you can (I spent so much time with some brilliant Chiefs of Staff when I was at Microsoft) to really get under the skin of what the role is and what mindset and skills are required. If shadowing isn't possible, then find time to have a coffee or a call with people and talk with them about their work (I also did this and people are really generous with their time and insights). If you can, ask for stretch assignments where you're doing elements of a Chief of Staff role - you'll learn and also demonstrate your capabilities. Plus you'll also figure out if this is the right next step for you.

3. Microsoft is one of the biggest brands in the world. What’s it like to work there?

There are so many smart and impressive people at Microsoft but I found it to be a really collaborative environment. People were open to conversations, to giving feedback, to helping out. Given the scale and complexity of the company, it's so important to build networks to get things done quickly and impactfully. Think of it as 'soft power' versus command and control.

4. What’s the toughest part of the Chief of Staff role and perhaps the most surprising?

I'll go for surprising….So much of your ability to be effective as a Chief of Staff is based on your relationship with the executive or principal that you are staffing. If you don't have a strong, trusting relationship, with good chemistry and mutual respect, then you don't have anything. You also have to spend a lot of time with your principal to really get inside their head. Effectively, you become part of their brain (OK, that sounds very weird).

5. You’re recognised for building high-performing team cultures where individuals feel valued, developed, and heard. What strategies and leadership practices have you used to create this environment?

I think listening is still a massively under-rated leadership skill. But I've seen it in all the truly effective people I've worked for. It's still something I work on. But if you don't listen, you don't learn and you miss maybe something that's really insightful or inspirational.

Empathy is key. It's not about being best friends with everyone but you need to understand what makes people tick, where they are in their lives, when they are struggling. You have to genuinely care about the people in your team. Otherwise, why are you a leader? Be a high-performing Individual Contributor (which is also a great thing). I think being a voracious reader helped me. You need to be able to put yourself in someone else's shoes.

Being a good coach is critical. And coaching both formally and informally 'in the moment'.

Oh and you need to be able to have fun. Work can be tough and demanding. So set aside time to…find joy (I know that sounds really cheesy). Whether that's pausing to have lunch together in the canteen. Or celebrating a great project you've delivered on a virtual call where everyone applauds. Or making silly happy birthday videos for colleagues. Or bringing in cake (I prefer cheese, just so you know). There's not enough joy a lot of the time. Bring it back.

I learned a lot about leading and managing cross-cultural teams from the work done by Prof. Erin Meyer who teaches at INSEAD. Her book 'The Culture Map' was a revelation and changed the way I did things. If you are working with people from different countries you must, must, read this. It will change how you operate.

6. Coaching and mentorship is clearly a priority in your leadership approach. Can you tell us the impact your support has made on the individuals you work with, and the wider organisation?

I think you'd have to ask the individuals concerned! Personally, I've been really lucky to be coached and mentored by some incredible people at all stages of my career and they've taught me so much. There's a great book by Michael Bungay-Stanier called 'The Coaching Habit' and I think that's a great place to start if you're interested. Organisations that invest time in coaching and mentoring really develop people, who perform better at work, it's a win-win.

7. What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?

There have been lots of challenges over the years - it's how you learn and grow. But the one that comes to mind immediately is from the early 2000s. I was asked to lead a global team to launch a new blockbuster drug for a major pharmaceutical company (I was agency-side). I'd never worked in healthcare. I'd never led something on that scale, with millions of dollars of budget. I'd never run a team across multiple time zones. But I was confident that I had a lot of skills and experience that would help me succeed. It was scary and a huge step up but I pulled it off. A big factor in this was working with some brilliant people, deep subject matter experts, who didn't want to lead the project but respected what I could bring to the assignment. I listened and learned a LOT. I started to ask for help and input and realised I didn't have to have all the answers. We had each others' backs, trusted and supported each other. I'm glad I said yes.

8. What would you say are your three key attributes that have contributed to your career success?

I'm intellectually curious, I'm good at collaborating with others and I always said yes to lateral opportunities, stretch assignments and weird projects.

9. What’s the best professional advice you’ve been given along the way, and from who?

I've been so privileged to have worked with and for some amazing people who have role-modelled what good leadership, management and work looks like. The 'red thread' that runs throughout is that they were all, at heart, kind and had a good moral compass.

As for advice, in no particular order:

- Don't serve the tea and biscuits in a meeting as a junior person (but you can do this as a senior person) as people will see you as just there to pass around cups and saucers.

- Always prepare for every single meeting, call, interaction. However smart you are, nobody's great at doing things off the cuff and it's rude and disrespectful to people you're dealing with. You end up wasting time, energy and losing impact.

- Listen. Really listen. Don't be desperate to get your point across. Listen and you'll learn something and it will be a much more productive encounter.

- Enjoy what you do. That's not about being happy every single second but if you're not getting something out of a role, then it's time to move on.

PS My mum told me not to do the typing exam at school as it wouldn't benefit me in my future career and so I still type (fast) with four fingers. She's given me very good advice on other things, though!

10. If you weren’t working in communications, what would you be doing now?

I started my career (way, way, way back in the 90s) in radio, making quirky packages on everything from snowboarding to female barbershop choirs for a variety of outlets, including the BBC. And I had a very brief stint co-presenting a breakfast show with Graham Norton (whatever happened to him?) on an indie station that didn't in the end get granted a licence. I love the intimacy of the medium. So obviously I'd be hosting my own podcast, like everyone else on the planet.

11. And finally, what do you do outside of work to de-stress?

I make sure I get enough sleep and to do that I don't look at any screens at least 30 minutes before I go to bed. No amount of expensive face cream, botox or light-diffusing foundation can make you look better than a good night's rest. Believe me, I've tried everything and…nope…it's sleep.

Being around family and friends - the people I love - gives me energy. As does a long walk on Hamsptead Heath (or even a gritty urban London crawl).

Other than that, I'm coming up for a 3,000 day Duolingo streak (Swedish and French). I love cooking, eating, reading, talking and thinking about food. I am quite a greedy person. And reading. I ended up having physio for several months the other year thanks to straining my arm muscles reading a particularly engrossing hardback novel. I can get lost in words. And injured.

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