Executive Assistant Training

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?

It took me 7 months and dozens of interviews to hire an executive assistant. Fortunately, I think we got it right with Tess Hokin. Here's my advice to any leader looking to hire an EA: First, let me empathize with you - this is a hard role to hire for! It's probably the first time you're interviewing EAs, and it's challenging to evaluate them in a traditional behavioral interview process. There are two things that matter most: 1) Remember that this is a deeply personal hire. It's important to find someone who gets you and you really like as a person (because let me tell you, you'll be spending a lot of time with them) . 2) As much as possible you should incorporate real world scenarios into your process. Here are two main things we did: During my interview, I did two role-plays with Tess. One was about booking a reservation for a team dinner. Most candidates approached this like... What type of food do you like? Let me look at some options. I'll send you 3 restaurants to choose from. Tess walked into restaurants in person to feel out the vibe, befriended the staff and then sweet-talked the GM directly to book a reservation! The other was about not getting sick during all my travel. Most suggested rest or vitamins. Tess built me a complete travel kit and process - specific teas for the hotel, preventative supplements, a whole system I wouldn't have thought of myself. The thoughtfulness and attention to detail and taste (so important!!) set her apart. But most importantly -- Tess and I really vibe! We're both pastry aficionados, feed off each other's energy, and say Okurrr too much. I get energy when I'm with Tess, not drained from it when discussing logistics. It's easy to lose energy when going through the minutiae of scheduling, find someone where it feels like fun. P.S. I linked the take home assignment in the comments below, if you want to copy it. P.P.S. I was once an EA myself so I have a lot of empathy (and maybe too high of a standard) for this role!

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?

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.

The most important person who helped me get promoted was not only my sponsors and mentors. It was the Executive Assistant. In honor of Administrative Professionals Day, I want to share why we should never overlook the people who sit closest to leadership. Years ago, I recruited an Executive Assistant for the President of our division. She was brilliant, strategic, resourceful, three steps ahead. Only 3 years after leaving that role, we reconnected on LinkedIn. She had been promoted to an executive. I know firsthand that the Executive Assistant role prepares you for leadership in ways few others can. I held that role myself for about one year right after college. (Yes, I have had about 20 jobs in my life 😩.) The truth is: some of the fastest rising executives started exactly here. Behind the scenes. Managing the unmanageable. Building skills that most leaders wish they had. Learning how to lead without a title (knowing how to balance that influence without getting exploited with tactical work). If you are an Executive Assistant or you work with one know this: There is a blueprint to fast-track into leadership: • Identify your executive-level skills early (time, people, power dynamics) • Reframe your language to strategic outcomes (“executive prioritization” over “calendar management”) • Own a cross-functional initiative beyond your lane • Work in the language of the business (data, frameworks, decision impact) • Build executive communication across teams and leaders These are the roles Executive Assistants often move into: • Chief of Staff • Operations Director • Program Manager • Business Manager • Communications Leader • Strategy and Planning Lead • Executive in cross-functional leadership roles And if you are moving up yourself, do not overlook the power of having an Executive Assistant as part of your success cabinet. They can offer insights and strategic guidance few others can because they work so closely with the C-suite. This role is not a dead end. It is a launch pad. There are so many of you sitting in roles right now with an executive already inside you, even if no one else sees it yet. I see you. And you are closer than you think. #executivematerial —-

The most successful admin assistants I've worked with didn't sit around waiting for promotion. They systematically redesigned their own role until the organization had no choice but to update the title. How to retool your assistant role into something much bigger: 1. Stop managing tasks, start managing outcomes - Don't just complete assignments. Take ownership of the business results those tasks are supposed to deliver. 2. Volunteer for cross-functional projects - Initiatives that cut across departments build organizational visibility and influence faster than any other strategy. 3. Become the information hub - Position yourself as the person leadership asks when they need to understand how things actually work across silos. 4. Learn the language of business - Take crash courses in finance fundamentals, operations, and key metrics. When you can credibly translate between daily execution and bottom-line impact, you've completely elevated your strategic value. 5. Ask for the title evolution - Once you're already operating like a chief of staff in everything but title, build the business case for the role you're performing and advocate for recognition. Don't wait for the title to magically appear. You build it through expanded scope, you live it through consistent delivery, then you claim it with evidence. Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights: https://vist.ly/4e7q6 #adminassistant #executiveassistant #careeradvice #careergrowth #careeradvancement #chiefofstaff #careerstrategy #professionaldevelopment #executiverecruiter #eliterecruiter #corporatelife

The most valuable team members are often the most invisible ones... 10 Things that could quietly fall apart if your human Assistant stepped away... (Managers and executives-you won’t see this on a CV when you hire an Assistant but you’d feel it once they started in the role) 👉 You translate business goals into action You’re not just managing a diary. You’re connecting the dots between ideas, decisions and outcomes. 👉 You read energy, not just emails When a message says “Noted” you already sense what’s beneath the surface. That’s not luck. That’s skill! 👉 You remove friction before it surfaces The tech glitch, the missed flight, the diary conflict? You’ve fixed it before it reaches anyone else’s radar. 👉 You challenge gently but effectively You don’t need to be the loudest voice. But you know how to influence outcomes with calm clear thinking. 👉 You protect thinking time You carve out the space your execs need to make smart decisions. That’s strategy, not "admin". 👉 You coach without calling it coaching You support, reframe, and guide. Quietly. Powerfully... And it changes how people show up. 👉 You humanise the workplace You remember names, notice shifts in mood, and bring emotional intelligence into every interaction. 👉 You stay curious and one step ahead Whether it’s a new tool, a smarter process, or a fresh perspective, you’re already on it. 👉 You see what others miss You notice inefficiencies, people dynamics, or communication gaps that others walk straight past. 👉 You don’t wait for permission to lead You take initiative, invest in your growth, and shape the future of this role your way 💥 ❓Question for leaders: What's the most valuable "behind-the-scenes" thing your assistant does that others never see? ❓Assistants: Which of these resonates most with your daily reality?

What Really Matters in the Executive Assistant Role? One Word: Integrity.  After more than 25 years as an Executive Assistant—supporting leaders in everything from small, fast-moving startups to global powerhouses like Revlon and Spotify—I’ve learned this truth over and over again: Skills matter, but character matters so much more. Yes, mastering complex calendars 📅, coordinating international travel ✈️, and anticipating needs before they're spoken 🔍 are all essential parts of the job. But those skills will only take you so far. What truly makes an EA exceptional is integrity, grounded in empathy, self-awareness, and compassion. We’re often called the gatekeepers, the force behind the scenes, the calm in the chaos—but more and more, executives don’t just need someone to lead quietly in the background. They need a partner by their side. Someone who sees the big picture, aligns with their values, and helps carry the weight of leadership with trust and consistency. In this role, we’re entrusted with the confidential, the emotional, the strategic, and the deeply human sides of business. And without a rock-solid foundation of doing the right thing—especially when no one’s watching—we can't truly deliver at the highest level. And this is exactly why AI will never replace the Executive Assistant. 🤖❌ AI can schedule meetings, generate reminders, maybe even draft emails—but it can’t read the room. It can’t sense when your executive is overwhelmed, when a team dynamic is off, or when a quiet check-in will make all the difference. It can’t offer emotional intelligence, loyalty, nuanced discretion, or the irreplaceable sense of "I've got you" that a trusted EA brings to the table every single day. So to all the rising EAs out there: Keep refining your systems. Keep sharpening your tools. But never forget—what sets you apart is how you show up. Be someone your leaders can count on, in every sense of the word. Because that’s what makes the role indispensable. And that’s something no algorithm will ever replicate. ✨ #ExecutiveAssistant #Integrity #LeadershipPartner #EAlife #ProfessionalGrowth #BehindTheScenesAndBesideYou #TrustMatters #AIvsHuman #EmotionalIntelligence #CareerDevelopment #LeadWithHeart #Spotify #Revlon #AI #AdministrativeProfessional #Empathy #Compassion

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