Ways Executive Assistants Add Value

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?

The most important person who helped me get promoted was not only my sponsors and mentors. It was the Executive Assistant. In honor of Administrative Professionals Day, I want to share why we should never overlook the people who sit closest to leadership. Years ago, I recruited an Executive Assistant for the President of our division. She was brilliant, strategic, resourceful, three steps ahead. Only 3 years after leaving that role, we reconnected on LinkedIn. She had been promoted to an executive. I know firsthand that the Executive Assistant role prepares you for leadership in ways few others can. I held that role myself for about one year right after college. (Yes, I have had about 20 jobs in my life 😩.) The truth is: some of the fastest rising executives started exactly here. Behind the scenes. Managing the unmanageable. Building skills that most leaders wish they had. Learning how to lead without a title (knowing how to balance that influence without getting exploited with tactical work). If you are an Executive Assistant or you work with one know this: There is a blueprint to fast-track into leadership: • Identify your executive-level skills early (time, people, power dynamics) • Reframe your language to strategic outcomes (“executive prioritization” over “calendar management”) • Own a cross-functional initiative beyond your lane • Work in the language of the business (data, frameworks, decision impact) • Build executive communication across teams and leaders These are the roles Executive Assistants often move into: • Chief of Staff • Operations Director • Program Manager • Business Manager • Communications Leader • Strategy and Planning Lead • Executive in cross-functional leadership roles And if you are moving up yourself, do not overlook the power of having an Executive Assistant as part of your success cabinet. They can offer insights and strategic guidance few others can because they work so closely with the C-suite. This role is not a dead end. It is a launch pad. There are so many of you sitting in roles right now with an executive already inside you, even if no one else sees it yet. I see you. And you are closer than you think. #executivematerial —-

The Secret Ingredient to Executive Success: Creating the Right EA <> Exec Partnership Behind every high-performing executive is often a perfectly matched executive assistant. But what makes this partnership truly click? As an EA with years in the trenches, I've identified key elements of a great fit and ways to nurture it: 1. Adaptability: Can I flex my communication and work style to match theirs?   How to foster: Observe your exec's preferences closely. Adjust your methods proactively. 2. Clear expectations: Are their needs and priorities well-defined?   How to foster: Initiate regular check-ins. Ask specific questions about their goals and pain points. 3. Trust & autonomy: Will they empower me to make decisions?   How to foster: Start small. Demonstrate reliability and good judgment consistently. 4. Growth mindset: Do they support my professional development?   How to foster: Share your career aspirations. Propose ways your growth can benefit the team. 5. Values alignment: Do our professional ethics and goals match?   How to foster: Articulate your values through your work. Seek to understand the company culture deeply. Remember, it's not just about skills—it's about creating a symbiotic relationship where both parties thrive. Our ability to adapt is crucial, but we also play an active role in shaping a successful partnership. What strategies have you used to foster a great exec-EA match? Share below! #ExecutiveAssistant #CareerAdvice #ProfessionalGrowth #MakeKnowledgeSharingYourBitch

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.