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How Strategic Assistants Become Their Executive’s Secret Weapon

The Strategic Assistant Revolution Continues

Author

Joshua Washington
April 17, 2025

When you understand someone deeply, you can lead them powerfully.

Joshua Washington, The Strategic Assistant

Hey EA-Pros Community,

Let’s talk about the most overlooked advantage in any assistant’s playbook:

No one - no one - is positioned to understand their executive’s mind like you are.

But here’s the real power: when you truly understand how your executive thinks, leads, and makes decisions, you don’t just support them… you sharpen them.

This week, I’m sharing insights from Commandment 4: Know Thy Partner - a core pillar in our soon-to-be-released book The Strategic Assistant: Four Commandments That Will Elevate Your Value and Transform Your Role.

This isn’t about becoming someone you’re not. It’s about using your insight to amplify the leadership you’re already beside every day.

Let’s dig into the next big evolution of your strategic growth.

Joshua

✍️ Feature Article:

How to Think Like Your Executive (So You Can Lead Like One)

There’s a strategic superpower only elite assistants unlock:

The ability to anticipate, not just what your executive needs, but why they need it.

This skill is what separates great assistants from the strategic few who are seen as essential partners.

Here’s how you start developing it:

1. Understand Their Decision-Making Pattern

Executives don’t all make decisions the same way. Some move fast and instinctively. Others want to see every data point.

Ask yourself: “What information helps them say yes quickly? What triggers a delay?”

Track and document it - this becomes your influence map.

2. Identify Their Top Business Drivers

What does your executive care about most? Revenue? Innovation? Team alignment?

Your initiatives and suggestions must speak directly to their top 3 priorities.

3. Speak Their Leadership Language

Listen to how they present strategy in meetings. What words do they emphasize?

Adopt those cues into your communication.

When your executive hears their own thinking echoed back with clarity and precision, trust skyrockets.

4. Develop a “Partner POV”

When reviewing a project, ask yourself:

“If I were leading this company, what would I need to know to make a fast, confident decision?”

Then offer that perspective proactively. You’re no longer reporting, you’re collaborating.

This is the path to becoming the person your executive leans on when the stakes are highest.

And it all begins with learning to see through their lens… and helping them see more clearly because of you.

💬 Executive Coaching Corner

Weekly Wisdom: 

“How do I become the person my executive relies on when it matters most?”

Answer: Proximity isn’t the same as partnership. Position yourself as a trusted thinker, not just a doer.

Here’s how to bridge that gap:

Be Their Pattern Recognizer

Executives often repeat behaviors unknowingly. Recognize and reflect patterns back.

📌 Example: “I noticed we’re often adjusting this type of meeting. Want me to build a better template?”

Bring Clarity Before They Ask

When a situation feels messy, be the one who organizes the chaos.

📌 Example: “Here are three options with pros and risks. I recommend Option B for speed and alignment.”

Think Bigger About Your Role

Every task is a window into a broader system.

Use what you manage to spot inefficiencies, anticipate needs, and offer solutions that scale.

Trust isn’t built on time. It’s built on results that make their job easier, faster, and more effective

💡 Inspiring Resources 

Book Pre-Order: The Strategic Assistant

🔥 Launching April 23rd - just in time for Admin Professionals Week!

⌛ Pre-Order Bonuses (Limited-Time Only)

• Bonus #1: Access to our exclusive live training: How to Elevate Your Value and Transform Your Role in Just 3 Months!

Closing Note

Don’t wait for someone to give you permission to step into that role.

Claim it. Practice it. Master it.

This is your season to be seen - and more importantly, to see yourself through a more powerful lens.

We’re building something bigger than a book or a program.

We’re building a movement, and you’re already part of it.

To your success!

EA-Pros Team