At two recent roundtables on stepping into leadership without a title, the potential in the room was extraordinary — bold ideas, sharp insights, the kind of thinking that could transform organisations. But fear and hesitancy kept much of it unspoken. The truth is simple: no one else can empower you. Leadership isn’t a title, it’s a choice. And the choice is yours to make today.
Category: AI & Automation
Defining the Future of the Administrative Profession: Updating the Global Skills Matrix
From Dallas to across the globe, leaders are asking the same questions: how do we structure administrative roles for maximum impact, move beyond outdated job descriptions, and prove ROI? With hybrid working, AI, and digital-first operations reshaping the landscape, administration has never been more critical. That’s why I’ve partnered with the World Administrators Alliance to relaunch the Global Skills Matrix in 2026 — to bring clarity, credibility, and career pathways to the profession.
Assistants Are Not Accessories: Why Outdated Mindsets Are Dangerous in 2025
When a CEO transition prompted someone to suggest an EA should “go with the pharaoh,” it revealed the persistence of a dangerous mindset: that assistants are disposable. In reality, assistants are infrastructure — holding institutional memory, guarding relationships, and ensuring continuity no handover can replicate. With AI accelerating change, organisations that still view assistants as replaceable risk burning out leaders, losing knowledge, and undermining business performance. It’s time to end the stereotype and start recognising assistants as critical strategic assets.
Administration Isn’t Dying — It’s Evolving Into Strategic Partnership
AI will take the clerical tasks, but that’s not the death of the administrative profession — it’s the rebirth of it. Assistants have long been operating at a strategic level: translating ideas into action, safeguarding client relationships, and enabling leadership. The fastest-growing skills for assistants are project management, data analysis, financial literacy, and change management — not clerical, but business-critical. The risk isn’t AI, it’s outdated perception. Recognise assistants as strategic partners, and you’ll unlock one of the most cost-effective assets in the business.
From Firefighting to Foresight: Why Scenario Planning Elevates Assistants into True Business Partners
Assistants don’t just manage diaries — they keep businesses steady when disruption strikes. From cancelled trains to failing tech, scenario planning is the underrated skill that turns chaos into continuity. AI can schedule, but it can’t improvise. Strategic assistants map out Plan B (and C) before the crisis even hits — and that’s what makes them indispensable.
Why “Task-Based” Assistant Roles Are Disappearing — And What’s Replacing Them
AI is transforming the assistant profession faster than many realise, automating repetitive tasks like scheduling, travel booking, and inbox management. The future belongs to those who adapt — aligning with strategic goals, leveraging AI as a partner, and focusing on uniquely human skills like judgment and foresight. The choice isn’t between “strategic” and “task-based” anymore — it’s between staying relevant or being left behind.
Executive Assistants Aren’t Just Supporting Projects—They’re Leading Them
68% of administrative professionals are already driving cross-functional initiatives—but their contributions are often mislabeled as “helping out.” It’s time to call it what it is: project management. With communication skills, operational precision, and strategic oversight, Executive Assistants are quietly delivering business-critical outcomes. If companies want more efficient, agile project delivery, they should start by recognising the project managers already in the building.
The Formula for an Exceptional Executive Assistant: Beyond the Job Description
What truly sets world-class Executive Assistants apart? It’s not just their skills—it’s their strategic mindset, emotional intelligence, and adaptability to technology. In this article, we introduce a modern formula that defines the full impact of the role:
EA = (S + T + P + EQ + AI) × V.
More than a clever equation, it’s a framework for understanding how today’s assistants aren’t just supporting the business—they’re multiplying its value.
Why Are Administrative Professionals Being Left Out of the AI Conversation?
Despite being early adopters of AI tools, most administrative professionals are navigating this shift without support, strategy, or inclusion in company-wide plans. With CEOs banking on AI to drive profitability, it’s time to stop excluding assistants from digital transformation and start recognising their role as strategic operators, not just support staff.
Executive Assistants Are Already Strategic – stop Pigeonholing the Role
Despite persistent myths, Executive Assistants are not just tactical support — they’re already playing strategic roles in high-performing companies. With AI automating logistical tasks, EAs are shifting toward project management, data analysis, and internal communications. It’s time we stop reducing them to booking systems and start recognising their true value as strategic partners.