Executive Assistant Insights

Most people are surprised when I share that in the early days of Google, nearly 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙀𝙭𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 on the Product Team had a master’s degree. This was by design. It was one of our drivers of growth. One of the things I see leaders get wrong in their critical growth window is treating support positions as low-level jobs. They are anything but that! When optimized correctly, your EAs, Senior EAs, Chief of Staff, and Executive Project Managers are not silent, reactive contributors – they are proactive, highly skilled, intellectual equals, sparring partners, and proxies. When hired and empowered correctly: -They are the ones who hold your executives accountable for deliverables. -They are the ones who can sit in a meeting and respond how you would respond. -They are the ones that are critical to translating your vision into trackable action items. -They are your eyes, ears, and heart connection to your team. -They are an extension of you and effective in a way you could never be for yourself. In fact, when I was Eric Schmidt’s Chief of Staff, he routinely tossed (quite literally) newspapers, magazines, and books to me while we traveled together. He was never looking for just a distillation or summary. He wanted me to read through them and see what correlations, insights, ideas, and recommendations he may not have gleaned at first glance. This intellectual partnership brought out the best in both of us and made each of us more effective at our jobs. Remember, your “support staff” can be the factor between a 2x C-Suite and a 10x C-Suite. Hire, train, and promote accordingly. #leadership #scale #culture #growth

An Executive Assistant (EA) can be a game-changing hire for a CEO. If you find the right person, set the right expectations, build the right relationship, give them the right authority and have them work on the right things they can make you 20% more efficient and effective. I know that a lot of CEOs, especially first time CEOs, don’t see the value in hiring a full time EA. They think calendly, an AI notetaker and a virtual EA can deliver the same things. I speak from experience when I say that the right EA will literally change your life as a CEO. Here are all the things that a great EA can and should be doing for you: - Calendar management - If you’re the CEO of a growing company your calendar will inevitably become crazy. A great EA will not only handle scheduling meetings but will be constantly moving things around (without asking you) to ensure that they’re removing or working around conflicts (including personal conflicts), prioritizing the right meetings, coordinating meetings that are a quarter or a year out (i.e. board meetings) and making sure that they schedule according to your preferences (i.e. back to back all day, 10 min breaks between meetings). - Coordinating deliverables - In an ideal world, everyone would get everything done the right way and on time, in reality that doesn’t happen. A great EA can be the air traffic controller for things like collecting slides for a board deck, ensuring that your team gets you their one on one topics 24 hours before your one on one, capturing follow up items from your weekly leadership meetings and ensuring they get completed by the agreed upon date, making sure that you’re adequately prepared for any presentations you’re doing. - Event management - Most companies will do things like all hands, leadership team offsites, company kickoffs, board dinners, team dinners, holiday parties, etc. Different companies have different people or departments owning these events but if you can find an EA that can own some or all of these events then the ROI on that person is extremely high. - Daily digest - This is the real unlock. I’ve attached an image of a real one that I received from Dani H. (my EA for many years at BetterCloud who taught me these lessons). This is an email that your EA should be sending you every day. She’d make sure I understood who I was meeting with, the context, the last time I met with them, their linkedin profiles. She would include the one on one agendas that she had to chase people down for. The presentations I was going to use for different meetings. She was able to give me a pulse on the sentiment of the people I was meeting with. And every digest had a list of to-dos or decisions I had to make at the bottom. Imagine that you never had to worry about any of the items listed above, imagine that you never had to context switch into your calendar, imagine that you didn’t have to remember and chase people for deliverables… how much better would you be at your job?

Ever wonder why your EAs are always swamped but can’t seem to explain why? Here’s the real reasons: 💡Countless “it’ll only take a minute” interruptions. All. Day. Long. Tally up all those “just a minute” requests and you’ll see why their time disappears into a black hole of everyone else’s priorities. 💡The myth that if the boss isn’t there, there’s nothing to do. Wrong. If the boss is away (even momentarily), that’s the only time they have a clear runway to focus without interruption. It’s not an open invitation to pile on extra work because they “must have extra capacity.” 💡Being the safety net for many creates complacency. When there’s an oracle of all wisdom in the room, it's astonishing how suddenly everyone forgets how to be self-sufficient. Instead of looking for answers themselves or referencing what they’ve already been provided, they just… go to the EA. Every. Single. Time. 💡The boss contributes just a fraction of an EA’s workload. Surprised? The rest comes from managing organisational interdependencies, serving as a trusted advisor, anticipating needs before they’re voiced, and finding solutions when no one else has a clue what to do. Being an oracle is a full time job in itself.   💡 They can’t run, and they can’t hide. EAs are like tagged animals in the wild—everyone needs to know where they are at all times because things fall apart the second they’re out of sight. They’re expected to be ever-present, always visible, and a perpetually green dot on Teams. And here’s the kicker: When you’re constantly on, there’s no space left for deep focus or strategic work—the very things that make an EA invaluable. It’s a relentless cycle that keeps them reactive instead of proactive. This is the reality no one talks about. An EA’s role isn’t just misunderstood—it’s wildly underestimated. They’re not just “keeping things running”; they’re navigating the chaos, steering priorities, and creating order where there would otherwise be none. Next time you wonder what’s keeping them so busy, remember this: They’re not overwhelmed because they’re inefficient—they’re swamped because the entire organisation leans on them. ➡️ EAs: what did I miss?  📢 What do you wish others would understand about the complexity of your role, balancing many competing demands and doing it all with the requisite smile and can-do attitude? 💌 And because it's Valentine's Day - how about tagging the superstar in your team that your organisation cannot do without?

The Executive Assistant manages calendars, filters information, handles logistics, and serves as the critical interface between leaders and everyone seeking access to them. Today, #AI can automate perhaps 80% of these tasks with remarkable efficiency. But I believe automation will not eliminate this role, it will elevate it from #assistant to genuine partner. The future EA will spend less time on bookings and more time on judgment calls: deciding what deserves the executive's attention, prioritizing competing demands, analyzing plans before they reach the decision-maker, and anticipating needs before they become urgent. Throughout my career, my executive meetings were scheduled twelve months in advance, requiring thoughtful planning rather than reactive scheduling from assistants who knew what truly mattered. The qualities that make an exceptional EA cannot be automated: making #leadership possible, providing the human touch that keeps intense schedules bearable, and demonstrating the loyalty built through years of consistent judgment. These are delicate, well-compensated roles that are becoming more valuable as AI handles the routine and frees these professionals to focus on what truly differentiates them. What roles in your organization will AI elevate rather than eliminate?

The Most Misunderstood Role in Business Everyone thinks they know what an Executive Assistant does. Managing calendars, booking travel, taking notes. Right? Wrong. A great EA doesn’t just manage schedules, they manage capacity. They don’t just take notes, they track priorities. They don’t just handle logistics, they remove friction so decisions happen faster and goals are met sooner. The best EAs don’t just support, they orchestrate. They anticipate problems before they arise, connect the right people at the right time, and create the kind of efficiency that makes businesses actually work. An executive without a great EA is like a race car with no pit crew - capable of high performance but constantly slowed down by preventable obstacles. So here’s a challenge: The next time you meet an EA, don’t ask who they support. Ask what they make possible. #ExecutiveAssistant #Leadership #Efficiency #BeyondTheTitle 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑚𝑦 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑦𝑒𝑟.

📢 Can I speak to your boss, please? I have heard this sentence many times during my career. If you are an Executive Assistant or Chief of Staff, chances are high you have heard it as well. Being overlooked. Being underestimated. Being treated like a gatekeeper instead of a strategic partner. It happens in subtle ways, a decision you are fully empowered to make gets questioned. A meeting where you belong turns into a waiting room scenario. Emails addressed to your executive, even when YOU are the one handling the topic. Undermining your competence isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it’s silent. But the message is the same: You are not the person we are here to talk to. And yet, YOU are the person holding the threads together. So how do you claim your space without constantly having to explain your worth? Here are a few hands-on strategies that helped me while I was dealing with these ego behaviors: 📌 Lead with clarity and confidence. Instead of “I think,” try “Here’s the best course of action based on X.” Speak decisions, not doubts. 📌 Pre-empt the redirect. When sending an email or speaking to someone who might bypass you, say: "I’m handling this directly for [Exec’s name], and I’m the single point of contact for this matter." 📌 Make your boundaries and authority visible. Clarify roles. Ensure your executive actively backs your authority in meetings and correspondence. 📌 Build internal allies. Find champions across departments who understand your role and can reinforce it when needed. 📌 Stay unshakably competent. Do not just ask for a seat at the table - know your stuff. And if you don’t, know how to find it fast. Competence + presence = credibility. To all the EAs, CoSs, and strategic support professionals out there: ✔️ You are not “just” anything. ✔️ You are mission-critical. Don’t let anyone forget it. #executivesupport #leadership #competence #authority #chiefofstaff

I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes an exceptional Executive Assistant. Not just a good one. But the kind of assistant who transforms the way an executive operates. Who quietly (or not so quietly) holds the rhythm of an entire organisation in their hands. And I keep coming back to this: EA = (S + T + P + EQ + AI) × V Where: S = Strategic Thinking T = Technical Proficiency P = Proactive Initiative EQ = Emotional Intelligence AI = Agility in AI and Tech Adoption V = Value Multiplier (Trust × Communication × Business Impact) The administrative profession has outgrown the box it’s been kept in. This isn’t just a clever formula. It’s a framework to define the full scope of a modern Executive Assistant. One that goes far beyond tasks and dives into the strategic core of what the role can be. This formula reflects the real job - the one that rarely makes it into a job description. S = STRATEGIC THINKING You’re not waiting for instructions. You understand your executive’s goals and anticipate what comes next. You think in terms of business priorities, long-term impact, and operational rhythm. You don’t just react - you lead. T = TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY You don’t just use the tools. You master them, whilst keeping one eye on emerging technologies which could help you perform even better. From calendars and CRMs to project platforms and travel apps, you operate with fluency and confidence, often training others in the process. P = PROACTIVE INITIATIVE You see the fire before the smoke. You solve problems before they escalate. You step in without being asked and add value that others didn’t even know was needed. EQ = EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE You navigate difficult personalities. You influence without authority. You handle pressure, feedback, and complexity with grace. Your diplomacy and empathy are strategic advantages. AI = AI AGILITY You’re not afraid of the future - you’re building capacity with it. You understand how AI can streamline workflows, analyse data, and reduce repetitive work. You’re no longer doing the admin. You’re using AI to manage the admin, creating more time for high-value, strategic support. V = VALUE MULTIPLIER But it’s the Value Multiplier that changes everything. When an assistant is trusted, heard, and strategically aligned, they don’t just add value. They multiply it. That’s why so many executives will tell you their assistant is their competitive advantage. And why so many businesses miss the mark when they treat the role as purely operational. If you’re still measuring assistants by how many meetings they book or how well they take minutes, you’re looking through the wrong lens. This profession is evolving - fast. And the assistants who are growing with it? They’re not asking for a seat at the table. They’re building new tables entirely. Download my full EA Formula Explainer below. 🔁 Repost to share 👉 Follow me Lucy Brazier OBE for administrative profession related content and inspiration.

Executive and Administrative Assistants are some of the most underrated, misunderstood, and overlooked experts in the workplace. And I’ve heard every excuse in the book for why assistants are seen as “less than." 🙄 So today, we’re clearing up 5 common misconceptions once and for all. 🔹 Myth #1: "Assistants Are Just Assistants." Oh, you mean the person who: ✔️ Manages multiple executives’ time, schedules, and priorities ✔️ Serves as the gatekeeper for high-level decisions ✔️ Runs the office like a Fortune 500 CEO without the title ✔️ Puts out fires before anyone even smells the smoke If that sounds like “just” anything, it’s just essential. 🔹 Myth #2: "Assistants Don’t Need Leadership Skills." An assistant who can’t lead, influence, or manage stakeholders won’t last long. ✔️ We navigate egos and office politics like a chess master. ✔️ We problem-solve before anyone realizes there’s a problem. ✔️ We rally teams, keep things moving, and drive results. You might not see the title but make no mistake, assistants ARE leaders. 🔹 Myth #3: "Assistants Don’t Need Career Growth." Assistants are not office furniture—we don’t just sit in one place forever. ✔️ We develop expertise in operations, project management, and business strategy. ✔️ We transition into roles like Chief of Staff, Operations Manager, and beyond. ✔️ We should have access to the same professional development as everyone else. A great assistant doesn’t stand still. They evolve. 🔹 Myth #4: "Assistants Just Manage Calendars and Emails." Oh, really? Let’s talk about the actual job description: ✔️ Event planning? Handled. ✔️ Budgeting and expense management? No problem. ✔️ Vendor negotiations and contract coordination? Done. ✔️ Executive-level decision support? Every single day. If you think an assistant is “just a calendar manager,” you’re not paying attention. 🔹 Myth #5: "Anyone Can Be an Assistant." If anyone could do it, why do so many companies struggle to find a great one? ✔️ Not everyone can anticipate needs before they arise. ✔️ Not everyone can handle high-pressure situations with grace. ✔️ Not everyone can juggle 37 priorities without dropping a single ball. Being an assistant is a profession that requires expertise. It’s time to start recognizing it as such. Share this post and let’s set the record straight! #evolvedassistant #administrativeassistant #executivesupport #administrativeprofessional #executiveassistant

The impact of a great Executive Assistant is often invisible — until they’re gone. From the outside, the role can look operational: managing calendars, coordinating travel, organizing meetings. But at its best, the Executive Assistant role is far more strategic. A strong EA doesn’t just support an executive — they amplify them. They understand priorities at a deep level. They anticipate challenges before they escalate. They safeguard time and attention — two of the most valuable leadership assets. They manage relationships with discretion and intelligence. They act as a trusted partner in moments that require judgment, not just execution. Over time, something powerful happens: alignment becomes instinctive. Context doesn’t need to be explained. Decisions move faster. The executive operates at a higher level because someone is quietly protecting focus and flow. That kind of partnership cannot be duplicated with a handover document. You can fill a vacancy. You can redistribute tasks. But you cannot quickly replace: • Earned trust • Institutional memory • Political and cultural awareness • Nuanced decision-making • The rhythm built between two professionals working in sync Exceptional Executive Assistants are not administrative overhead. They are force multipliers. And when you find one, you don’t just value them — you invest in keeping them. #ExecutiveAssistant #Leadership #ChiefOfStaff #BusinessOperations #StrategicPartnership #WorkplaceCulture #OrganizationalExcellence #PeopleStrategy #OperationalExcellence #ProfessionalGrowth

As an EA, I’m a lot of things. A ‘task-dumping ground’ isn’t one of them. Here’s the thing: as Executive Assistants, we know a lot about what’s going on in the business. We have the connections, the insights, and yes—the ability to get things done. But somewhere along the way, this has led to a misconception: That we have unlimited time. That we can—and should—handle everything. When someone doesn’t know who to ask, they come to us. When something is urgent and chaotic, they come to us. When no one else wants to do it, they still come to us. And when we dare to say, “I can’t take this on right now,” the response? Frustration. Annoyance. Maybe even passive-aggressive comments like, “I thought this was your job.” It stings. It makes you feel undervalued, like you’re just there to clean up everyone else’s mess. But here’s the truth: Being an EA doesn’t mean being a catch-all for every random task. It doesn’t mean we’re the default problem-solver for everything that falls outside someone else’s scope. It means we are strategic partners—enabling leaders and teams to succeed by focusing on what matters most. If we’re constantly bombarded with tasks that don’t belong on our plate, we’re not doing our best work. And saying “no” isn’t a failure. It’s a boundary. So, how do we handle this? 1️⃣ Communicate your workload clearly. People often don’t realize what’s on your plate until you tell them. 2️⃣ It’s okay to say, “This isn’t within my scope,” and redirect them to the right person. 3️⃣ Regularly remind others of the value you bring—and that your time is best spent on high-impact work. Remember, as EAs, we don’t need to justify our worth by saying yes to everything. We show our worth by doing the right things well. How do you handle this challenge in your role? I’d love to hear your strategies. #ExecutiveAssistant #BoundariesMatter #EAPower #WorkplaceRespect