Most assistants don’t see themselves either as influential or leaders. But this couldn’t be further from the truth, and to become an administrative business partner to your manager,
you absolutely have to become both. But that means a change in mindset
An assistant’s job is to lead up, but there is a misconception that leading up is bad.
This is usually for one of these three reasons. Firstly, you are concerned that if you try to lead up, the manager might take offence and think you are getting above yourself.
Or, you worry that they might think that you are trying to micromanage them because you don’t trust them or their ability to do certain things properly.
Or it could be that it simply hasn’t been how it is done in your company; maybe there has always been a culture of assistants being reactive and waiting to be told what to do.
This is usually because nobody at your company has ever seen the benefits of a proactive assistant and it has never occurred to them to use you differently. But that is all about to change.
As a CEO myself, having an assistant that you trust, who leads up and allows you to get on with the things that you are good at, can’t be undervalued.
My company is still really small. We are still only 10 people. Can you imagine if my EA had to ask me for permission before she did anything? Or if she was waiting to be told what to do? I would not have a business.
Germaine runs everything whilst I am away and keeps me informed of what I need to know.
The trust is total – to such an extent that on one occasion when I had been travelling non-stop for two months and was extremely tired, I went to London Heathrow to catch yet another flight. The woman behind the counter at British Airways asked me where I was going – and do you know, I had no idea. I knew it was America, but I also knew that when I looked in my travel pack, every minute detail would be there, and I had no need to know it.
Imagine for your manager what an incredible resource that is.
My strength is standing up in front of audiences of assistants and inspiring them. I want to do that for as many assistants as I possibly can, so having a team that does everything else is not just a preference but essential.
I sometimes feel like one of those plastic penguins that gets wound up and pointed in the right direction and off it goes. 😂
My EA conducts the orchestra for me and makes sure everyone knows what they are meant to be doing and that it all happens at the right time.
I was heading to Phoenix, by the way, in case you were interested.
Please know that you are not ‘just support’; you are leaders in your own right. Embrace the mindset shift required to become an administrative business partner. Lead up, be proactive, and show your managers the immense value you bring to the table. When you take the initiative and manage effectively, you don’t just make your manager’s job easier—you help drive the entire organisation forward.
