I spent years studying business strategy. Frameworks. Models. Case studies. Then I became Chief of Staff to a Global COO, then CCO. Everything I thought I knew was incomplete. Here's what 6 months in the room actually taught me: Lesson 1: Relationships move faster than strategy Nobody teaches you that a 5-minute conversation with the right person moves more than a 50-page deck. What I learned: Map the people before you map the plan. Who influences whom matters more than having the right answer.