💬 Quote of the Week

💼 A Personal Note from Joshua

🧠 Feature Insight

Why EAs Remain Invisible Without a Strategy

You can be the hardest worker in the room and still be overlooked if you don’t have a strategy. Here’s why:

1️⃣ Executives Value Frameworks, Not Effort Alone

In business, recognition doesn’t come from hours worked; it comes from measurable impact. McKinsey reports show executives rely on frameworks to guide decisions, align teams, and measure ROI. Without a framework, assistants get trapped in the “execution only” category, no matter how brilliant they are.

2️⃣ The 100-Year Gap in the Profession

For over a century, the assistant role has evolved faster than the frameworks built to support it. While executive education has scaled, Executive MBAs requiring 2,000–3,000 study hours, assistants have lacked comparable structures. This gap has led to a widespread perception problem: EAs are seen as “support,” not “strategy.”

3️⃣ The Result: Career Stagnation

Without a clear structure, most assistants plateau. According to Forbes, over 80% of assistants report feeling undervalued, even when contributing at high levels. They get passed over for raises, title changes, and influence; not because they’re undeserving, but because executives can’t see their impact.

4️⃣ The Breakthrough: A Proven Strategic Framework for EAs

There is a game-changer arising from the shadows, though: a tested, research-backed framework built for assistants to prove and position their value.

After more than 6,000 hours of research and development, more than an Executive MBA program requires. (See the coaching corner section below, if you’re interested in learning more about this solution to your increasing problem.)

This isn’t about working harder. It’s about mastering the frameworks that executives already understand and respect.

🔥 Final Call: Breaking the Career Ladder - Last Live Session!

This isn’t just another training; it’s your opportunity to redefine what’s possible in your role.

The EA profession is shifting fast. AI, automation, and changing executive expectations are rewriting the playbook. The old rules—“Be efficient, stay behind the scenes”—are breaking.

The new standard?
“Can you think with me, advise me, and help lead across the business?”

If you’re not proactively reshaping your role, you risk being shaped by a version of it that’s already outdated.

🗓️ Tuesday, September 3rd at 11:00 AM EST
Join us for the final session of the Breaking the Career Ladder Summer Series.

You’ll walk away with:

✅ A proven framework to shift from task executor to Strategic Assistant™,
✅ Tools to align your role with what your executive actually values,
✅ Strategies to make your impact visible where it matters most.

This is your last chance to join before the series ends, and before another quarter passes without the growth, recognition, or influence you’re ready for.

🛠️ Valuable Resources

1. McKinsey’s 7‑S Framework: Why Soft Elements Drive Real Strategy - Explore how this classic model shows that true organizational transformation isn’t just about structure; it’s about aligning values, skills, and systems to move strategy forward.

2. Boldly: Top Executive Assistant Trends: 2025 Salaries, Skills & Shifting Role - Executive assistants are rising as strategic leaders—see the latest stats on pay, hybrid roles, and evolving skills.

3. From HBR’s On Leadership podcast: Learn the ABC of influence, Advanced preparation, Body language, and Conversation, to win respect and shape decisions even without direct authority.

✉️ P.S.

If you’ve ever felt overlooked despite your hard work, it’s not your effort that’s holding you back; it’s how your value is perceived. You have time to fix this exact gap; don’t wait for another year to pass without elevating your value.

Joshua Washington,

Senior Executive Coach