We all know the job of an Executive Assistant (EA) is changing. They’re no longer just schedulers; they’re strategic thinkers, project managers, and tech whizzes. But here’s the problem: most C-Suite executives haven’t updated their own jobs to match.
If you treat your modern, highly capable EA like a traditional secretary, you’re missing out. You’ve hired a Ferrari and you’re driving it to the grocery store once a week.
The future of executive success depends on a single, crucial change: Executives must change how they delegate, communicate, and empower their EA.
1. Stop Delegating Tasks, Start Delegating Outcomes
What is the biggest time-waster for a smart EA? Micro-managing.
The old way of delegating is handing over a list of chores: “Schedule this meeting, book that trip, put these numbers on a slide.” This keeps your EA stuck in the weeds.
The new, effective way is to delegate outcomes.
- Instead of: “Prepare slides 1-10 for the board meeting using the Q4 data.”
- Try: “Own the Q4 Board Presentation. Make sure the narrative clearly explains our recent market shift and propose three key discussion points.”
When you delegate the outcome, you give your EA the mission, the freedom, and the authority to figure out the best way to get there. They stop being a pair of hands and start being a strategic brain.
2. Treat Your EA’s Time Like Your Own Strategic Investment
Do you think of your EA as a necessary expense? If so, you’re limiting your own performance.
Think of your EA’s efficiency as your own reclaimed time. Every minute they save on routine work is a minute you can spend on a $1 million decision, vision casting, or building client relationships. It’s a direct investment in your most important asset: your attention.
The Executive’s Job Here:
- Sponsor AI Tools: If an AI scheduler can take 30% of the calendar traffic off your EA’s plate, you get that 30% of their time back for project management. You, the executive, must champion these tools.
- Invest in Their Growth: Fund their courses in data analysis or project management. Why? Because the EA who understands your balance sheet can better prioritize your meetings and manage your initiatives.
A capable EA is the cheapest form of executive coaching you can buy.
3. Grant Authority to Match Access
Your EA likely has more insight into the organization’s current chaos, politics, and priorities than almost any other employee. They see all the emails, sit through crucial meetings, and hear all the whispers. They have unmatched access.
But access without authority is useless.
To truly be your partner, your EA needs the authority to:
- Say “No” (Strategically): They must be able to push back on a meeting request from a VP if they know it conflicts with a higher priority meeting you need to prep for.
- Represent You: Empower them to step into an operational meeting and manage up to your direct reports, speaking on your behalf within defined boundaries.
When you publicly recognize their authority to manage your time and prioritize your agenda, the entire organization will start taking your calendar—and your EA—seriously.
Final Thought: Your EA Is Your Co-Pilot
The days of the executive and the EA having a strict, hierarchical relationship are fading. The future belongs to the Executive-EA Partnership, where you function as a single, powerful unit.
You handle the vision and the ultimate decisions.
Your EA handles the systems, the data flow, the organization, and the execution.
Stop seeing your EA as someone who takes things off your plate, and start seeing them as the co-pilot who helps you steer the entire plane. Are you ready to trust them with the controls?
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