A chief of staff is traitionally the coordinator of the supporting staff of an important individual, usually a high-level politician, military leader or business executive. In some circumstances, the chief of staff may simply serve as the head of an organization who reports to a functionally remote or ceremonial executive. Recent years have seen a proliferation of the term, and it now can be used to refer to coordinative positions ranging from personal assistants (usually to junior politicians) up to the commanders of military formations. Chiefs of staff typically have no personal or positional power of their own, acting only on behalf and with the authority of their superior.