How Executive Assistants Support Leadership

An Executive Assistant (EA) can be a game-changing hire for a CEO. If you find the right person, set the right expectations, build the right relationship, give them the right authority and have them work on the right things they can make you 20% more efficient and effective. I know that a lot of CEOs, especially first time CEOs, don’t see the value in hiring a full time EA. They think calendly, an AI notetaker and a virtual EA can deliver the same things. I speak from experience when I say that the right EA will literally change your life as a CEO. Here are all the things that a great EA can and should be doing for you: - Calendar management - If you’re the CEO of a growing company your calendar will inevitably become crazy. A great EA will not only handle scheduling meetings but will be constantly moving things around (without asking you) to ensure that they’re removing or working around conflicts (including personal conflicts), prioritizing the right meetings, coordinating meetings that are a quarter or a year out (i.e. board meetings) and making sure that they schedule according to your preferences (i.e. back to back all day, 10 min breaks between meetings). - Coordinating deliverables - In an ideal world, everyone would get everything done the right way and on time, in reality that doesn’t happen. A great EA can be the air traffic controller for things like collecting slides for a board deck, ensuring that your team gets you their one on one topics 24 hours before your one on one, capturing follow up items from your weekly leadership meetings and ensuring they get completed by the agreed upon date, making sure that you’re adequately prepared for any presentations you’re doing. - Event management - Most companies will do things like all hands, leadership team offsites, company kickoffs, board dinners, team dinners, holiday parties, etc. Different companies have different people or departments owning these events but if you can find an EA that can own some or all of these events then the ROI on that person is extremely high. - Daily digest - This is the real unlock. I’ve attached an image of a real one that I received from Dani H. (my EA for many years at BetterCloud who taught me these lessons). This is an email that your EA should be sending you every day. She’d make sure I understood who I was meeting with, the context, the last time I met with them, their linkedin profiles. She would include the one on one agendas that she had to chase people down for. The presentations I was going to use for different meetings. She was able to give me a pulse on the sentiment of the people I was meeting with. And every digest had a list of to-dos or decisions I had to make at the bottom. Imagine that you never had to worry about any of the items listed above, imagine that you never had to context switch into your calendar, imagine that you didn’t have to remember and chase people for deliverables… how much better would you be at your job?

Let’s clear something up: the Executive Assistant (EA) role is not clerical. It’s not menial. And it’s definitely not “just the help.” Too often, even with all the great advancements in the profession that have been made over the past ten years, the title is still misunderstood. But I know one thing for sure....anyone who has worked with a truly great EA knows this: they are one of the most critical, strategic roles in any organization. Here’s what exceptional EAs actually do: 🧠 Strategic Decision Support EAs often sit closest to executive decision-making. They manage the flow of information, understand business priorities, and ensure that leadership is focused on the right things. They're a second brain for the executive — not just managing calendars, but managing focus. More times than not, alongside any successful executive is an amazing EA. 🧩 Organizational Glue EAs communicate across departments, teams, and stakeholders. They bridge silos, reinforce culture, and connect dots that others miss. They know who’s doing what, when, and why — and that visibility is powerful. 📈 Operational Efficiency Experts From managing key projects and logistics to anticipating roadblocks before they happen, EAs drive productivity in tangible ways. A good EA doesn’t wait to be told what to do — they see what needs to happen and make it seamless. They just get things done to keep the rhythm of business flowing in a positive direction. 🔐 Trusted Advisors EAs are often entrusted with sensitive information and high-stakes decisions. That requires discretion, emotional intelligence, and an unshakable sense of judgment. They don’t just handle access — they earn trust. 💡 Force Multipliers Great executives say the same thing: “I couldn’t do this without my EA.” That’s not a throwaway line — it’s a fact. A skilled EA multiplies the impact of those they support. They’re not in the spotlight — but they’re always in the driver’s seat with you. So let’s stop calling EAs “just the help.” They are leaders in their own right, running point on strategy, people, and execution — all without needing credit or applause. To all my fellow EAs making magic happen every day — thank you. Never forget that you’re not behind the scenes....you’re behind the success! #ExecutiveAssistant #Leadership #BusinessOperations #StrategicSupport #WorkplaceExcellence #EAExcellence #LeadershipSupport #CareerGrowth #ForceMultiplier #EALife #AdministraviteSupport

I hired an Executive Assistant a few months ago, and it changed my life. 🤘🏻 I’m not going to tag them because they’re superb, and I don’t want anyone getting any ideas. 😉 Here’s how they’ve truly helped me out with my day-to-day: ✅ I can be more present on calls. We utilize Fathom - AI Meeting Assistant, so all calls are recorded anyway. But, they watch the recordings, extract key action items, and add them to ClickUp or tag others to assist. I used to be distracted taking notes during meetings (Fathom solved this), but having someone who ensures those action points are followed up has been a game-changer. ✅Accountability. If I’m late on something or a task has been sitting too long, they constantly remind me to either get it done or check it off if it’s no longer a priority. This constant accountability has been huge for keeping me on track. ✅ Forces me to delegate. I’m the type who could easily take on a hundred tasks myself because I don’t want to burden others. But I know that’s not the most efficient way to achieve the best outcomes. They always offer to take things off my plate, and even the reminder forces me to think more strategically about what I should focus on. ✅Attention to detail. Whether it’s the monthly marketing budget, spreadsheets, paying invoices, travel arrangements, or managing the calendar, I know someone is looking after all these details so I can focus on solving larger company issues. Bottom line: Bringing on an Executive Assistant has made a significant impact on my productivity and ability to focus on what really matters. If you’ve been on the fence about hiring an EA, take it from me - it’s worth it.