The president is at the top of the executive branch's bureaucratic pyramid. The cabinet is the second highest and leaders report directly to the president.
The United States federal executive departments are the primary units of the executive branch of the Federal government of the United States. The executive departments are the administrative arms of the President of the United States.
The heads of executive departments are included in the line of succession to the President, in the event of a vacancy in the presidency, after the Vice President, the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate.