Here are 20 ways to make yourself impossible to overlook as an assistant, by changing how you operate.
1. Stop listing tasks. Start talking about outcomes.
What changed because you were there?
2. Protect executive time like it’s your own.
Because in practice, it is.
3. Anticipate. Don’t wait to be asked.
Reaction keeps you busy. Anticipation will keep you employed and trusted.
4. Share how you think, not just what you’ve done.
Judgement is what builds credibility.
5. Learn the business, not just the calendar.
If you don’t understand the context, you can’t add value to it.
6. Turn noise into clarity.
Most people add information. Few add understanding.
7. Use data where others rely on gut feel.
Patterns, risks, timing. This is where influence starts.
8. Own the system, not just the process.
Anyone can follow steps. Strategic assistants design them.
9. Stay calm when everything else isn’t.
Composure is leadership.
10. Say no early and professionally.
Late yeses create bigger problems than early boundaries.
11. Understand how power really works.
Who decides, who influences, who needs to be kept close.
12. Frame the problem before jumping to solutions.
Executives listen to people who define issues well.
13. Think commercially.
Time, cost, risk, reputation. Learn to speak that language.
14. Close loops.
Loose ends destroy trust.
15. Build trust sideways, not just upwards.
Your influence shouldn’t rely on one person.
16. Spot risk before it’s visible to others.
Your real value is often in what never happens.
17. Be consistent under pressure.
Reliability is far rarer than talent.
18. Choose judgement over heroics.
Being indispensable isn’t about saving the day.
19. Hold standards.
Preparation, quality, respect for time. Don’t apologise for it.
20. Operate like a business partner before you’re called one.
Recognition follows behaviour. Always.
If you feel overlooked, it’s rarely because you lack skill.
It’s usually because your thinking isn’t visible yet.
That part is fixable.
