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.
Tag: assistant value
When Passion Meets a Pay Ceiling: The Hidden Cost of Undervaluing Assistants
What message are we sending when high-performing assistants are told the only way to earn more is to leave the work they love? This isn’t about lack of impact — it’s about lack of recognition. It’s time to change the system so excellence doesn’t lead to a dead end.