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Good one Vicky. Your work as a student of power is evolving steadily, and this is something society needs. Since you embedded, these 20-somethings have actually worked out how to control their own destinies. They have exerted pressure to relocate Prime Chief of Staff (and perhaps others like it) in Washington. Prime, which now makes its money on placements, coaching and conferences, has positioned itself as the country’s most highly visible advocate for this growing position. Congressional staffers and their ilk have now co-opted the chief of staff role for themselves. Used to be, that title (whether in politics or business) denoted decades of expert experience (including publication) in multiple portfolios. It involved the thoughtful coordination of multiple complex agendas to keep everybody onside as the influence of the Principal kept expanding. Today, it’s being offered as a “role” (new word for “job”) to executive assistants or staffers who are burned out and about to walk off the job. Instead of chiefing the staff in a meaningful way, their day-to-day activities now seem to revolve around attending meetings as a proxy for their boss the puppet. One of the presentations I attended at a Prime conference, given by a heavy hitter in the tech industry who looked all of 23, had me writing “work wife” in my notebook. Hmm. Maybe Not a high priority investigation on par with Epstein and Maxwell but something to look into?

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