For years, I thought leaders were the ones in charge, or the ones with important titles. It turns out, everyone has influence and is a leader to those around them – even if they don’t acknowledge it.
Does your assistant see themselves as a leader?
Today’s post is an open thank you letter directly to my fellow assistants, encouraging them to see themselves as leaders.
Source: My iPhone
So if you’re an executive, manager, or pastor, would you take a few minutes to read the letter below, then pass it on to the assistants you know and work with? I would love to reach assistants all over the world with this simple letter of encouragement.
But before I begin, here’s a quick review…
I’ve published two open letters to executives.
In the first letter, I asked executives to respect assistants.
In the second letter, I thanked all the amazing executives I’ve worked with for respecting and empowering assistants like myself. I’ve received so much encouraging feedback for sharing those letters, and I’m grateful to have reached so many people!
But today, it’s the assistant’s turn…
A Letter to Assistants
If you’re an Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant, Physician’s or Dental Assistant, Pastor’s Assistant, Office Assistant, Virtual Assistant, Administrative Assistant, Coach’s Assistant, or a combination of all of the above, this is for you!
My Fellow Assistants,
Thank you for replying to that email.
Thank you for picking up lunch, creating that slide deck, and booking that flight – all at the last minute.
Thank you for fixing a typo that would’ve made your boss look unprofessional.
Thank you for taking out the trash and ordering more toilet paper. Thank you for cleaning that coffee spill off the conference room carpet.
Thank you for helping that new hire figure out the office printer.
Thank you for drafting that proposal while your manager was out sick.
Thank you for scheduling meetings, re-scheduling meetings, taking notes in meetings, cancelling pointless meetings, and getting the best snacks for meetings.
Without you, things fall apart. Without you, there’s chaos. Without you, your boss’ growth is stunted.
You are a go-getter, task-doer, copy-maker, travel-booker, get-things-done rockstar assistant.
Executives, managers, vendors, janitors, and other assistants are grateful for the things you do!
You Are A Leader
I want to take the rest of this note to talk about who you are, not just what you do.
You are crucial to the success of your organization and your direct supervisor. In fact, you are one of the most valuable members of the team, and the things you do make up just a fraction of that value.
You are what I like to call a “Leader Assistant.”
Take a few minutes to look past your to-do list full of menial tasks and think about your others-first mindset, your decision-making skills, and your key tribal knowledge. Your ability to anticipate where the executive team is headed. Your confidence. These are just a few of the leadership skills you possess as an assistant. I could list many more, but I’ll save them for another post. Instead, I want to encourage you to be a confident leader!
In closing, here is a quote on leadership to get your mind stirring…
“…for me, the most fundamental thing about leadership is to have the humility to continue to get feedback and to try to get better – because your job is to try to help everybody else get better.”
– Jim Yong Kim
You are a leader. Go lead!
Sincerely,
Your Fellow Leader Assistant
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Are you an assistant who wants to become a better leader? Join assistants from around the world in the 30-Day Assistant Challenge email course here.
If you’re an executive who wants to hire a leader assistant, send me a note and we can set up a time to talk about my coaching process.
