In this episode of The Doctor's Den, Dr. D. Leitner interviews Aaron Kalman, Chief of Staff at Lightricks. They discuss Aaron's personal journey, his professional growth, and how he is applying politics, strategy, and leadership in his roles.

Aaron Kalman shares his professional journey that spans various sectors, including journalism, working as an emissary for the Jewish Agency, public service, and the high tech sector. He discusses his initial years with the Times of Israel, and his stint as an Emissary in Sydney. Bringing the focus on the latter part of his career, he elaborates on his tenure as a staff member of senior politicians in Israel, working for the Ruderman Family Foundation, and his return to public service during the election turmoil and COVID. Today, Aaron serves as Chief of Staff to the CEO at Lightricks.

In the conversation Dr. D. and Aaron discuss the job description and responsibilities of a Chief of Staff and how the role can vary broadly but can best be described as a vital extension of the CEO's productivity. They focus on different ways to understand strategy, strategic decision making, operative focus, and tactical engagement.

They discuss balancing strategic and tactical outlooks as crucial to successful leadership. This balance gives you the flexibility to solve immediate problems while staying focused on the end goal. A key takeaway - Successful leadership in public policy, business, and non-governmental work starts with strategic thinking.

As part of that discussion, Dr. D. highlights the importance of questioning base assumptions and identifying root causes in strategic decision making. Aaron highlights the importance of the 'and then what?' questioning strategy during the planning process. And together they conclude that there is this bridge between the why of strategy, the what ifs, of operative thinking, and the "and then what" of tactics.


Aaron Kalman is the Chief of Staff at Lightricks, a technology company specializing in developing mobile apps for photo and video editing. Born and raised in Jerusalem, he currently resides there with his wife Shakar and their three children. Before joining Lightricks, Aaron served as an emissary for the Jewish Agency in Sydney, Australia, and went on to work for the Times of Israel as one of its first employees. He has also held advisory positions in government, working with Naftali Bennett, the former Minister of Education in Israel and Diaspora Affairs, as well as Orit Farkash-Hacohen, the Minister of Strategic Affairs, and later the Minister of Tourism.

In addition to his governmental experience, Aaron worked with the Ruderman Family Foundation, a Boston-based philanthropy focusing on Israel's relationship with the American Jewish community and inclusion of people with disabilities. With a Master's degree in Diplomacy and Strategy from Tel Aviv University, Aaron brings valuable strategic thinking to his role at Lightricks.

This podcast is part of the work done by Dr. David Leitner to continue educating about strategy and leadership.

You can find out more about him on his website:

www.drdleitner.com