The Right Hand

We all know the names: Jacinda Ardern, Kamala Harris, Tony Blair, Justin Trudeau, John Howard, Sanna Marin, Nelson Mandela, and Julia Gillard. But what about the people standing just behind them?

In The Right Hand, Missing Perspectives founder Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks interviews the chiefs of staff to some of the most influential presidents and prime ministers of our time. The stories they share are nothing short of extraordinary:

• Supporting Nelson Mandela as he emerged from prison and stepped into power
• Being sent home from Balmoral by the Queen
• Fielding offers of assistance from Vladimir Putin on the day of the September 11 attacks
• Being shown projected death tolls in the COVID-19 briefing room
• Boarding a blacked-out train into Kyiv at the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
• Aiding Kamala Harris during one of the most anticipated elections in history―and then navigating a devastating loss

(Also, Justin Trudeau doesn’t drink coffee.)

In this book, some of the world’s most powerful chiefs of staff open up about leadership, loyalty, power, and pressure. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to operate inside the highest corridors of power, this is your all-access pass.

Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks is the founder of Missing Perspectives, a media startup platforming female storytelling worldwide. Established in June 2021, Missing Perspectives currently reaches more than 3 million people a month, and launched an app that connects newsrooms with young female journalists. Prior to founding Missing Perspectives, Phoebe was a policy adviser, working stints at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Australian Human Rights Commission, the United Nations Secretariat and in the private sector. Her work sits at the intersection of media, power and gender.