There is something we don’t talk about enough in this profession: fear.
There is something we don’t talk about enough in this profession: fear.
Not the surface-level worries about making a mistake or missing a meeting, but the deeper fear. The one Marianne Williamson captured when she wrote:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
For assistants, this rings uncomfortably true. Too many of you are not held back by a lack of skill, but by the weight of your own potential. You know you can operate at board level, yet you stay silent in meetings. You know you can coach your executive, yet you wait for permission. You know you can lead projects, yet you shrink into the background because you’re not sure if they’ll think you’re getting a lie yourself if you volunteer.
The system reinforces this. Outdated job titles, outdated mindsets, and bias can make it feel safer to stay small. But playing small serves nobody. Not you, not your executive, not the business.
So here’s the challenge. Use that fear as a springboard.
• If you’re afraid to speak up, that’s the sign you must.
• If you feel resistance before putting yourself forward, that’s the exact door you need to push.
• If the voice in your head says, “Who am I to…?” remind yourself, “Who am I not to?”
Fear is not the enemy. Fear is the compass. It points directly to the places where your growth, your influence, and your leadership are waiting.
Assistants are powerful beyond measure. The profession is evolving fast, but it won’t evolve fully until more of you dare to step into that power.
Your executive needs it. Your organisation needs it. And the next generation of assistants is waiting to see you show it can be done.
