After 6 years of working together, my boss is moving on and I will be left behind. You'd probably agree that assistants get very attached to the Executive they're supporting... more so when they are great leaders. There's respect and a kind of hero-worship and a fervent desire on the EAs part to meet the boss's expectations. That's why it's very hard when they leave.
If I am asked if I think I'm a good EA, I'll say of course. My boss wouldn't have tolerated anything less. He never fails to remind me that giving 100% doesn't make you a great worker - it only means that you're doing what you're supposed to do. To exceed expectations, you have to give 110%. It is that extra percentage that stretches our capabilities. When you're stretched to your limits, you can never go back to your former shape and you grow and improve.
It is his mentoring and high expectations that moved me to up my performance. But more than that, it's because I believed in his goals and that I was playing an important part by assisting him. If we do not believe in our bosses, the everyday demands on our time will be unacceptable. If you believe, then you'll be happy to do what you can whenever you're needed. You know your purpose and you welcome every opportunity to assist.
Great leaders make great EAs - I truly believe that. We are a reflection of our bosses and their effectiveness. I'm exceptionally blessed to have been mentored by a boss who expects me to be independent and allowed me to manage his office and his business life with utmost trust. Showing patience when I made mistakes and constantly teaching me how to do things better. An EA may be super skilled and super efficient, but if the boss doesn't empower them and give them the space to practice those skills - what's the use?
Related Article: Executive Assistant: Can you handle this?
A great leader doesn't necessarily have to be a saint... but they are good men.Those who don't know my boss are frightened of him cause he has this military stance and looked serious all the time... and he can be really frightening when he's mad. His voice goes all soft like Don Corleone in Godfather when he's about to have somebody whacked - you can tell he's trying to be very patient. :) What kept me on my toes is my dislike of hearing that voice addressing me. It means I've done something that disappointed him and I really really hate that. So, I do my best - and maybe sometimes my best will still fall short of expectations, but at least I know that it was my best. That frame of mind kept me from developing the habit of accepting mediocrity... and it kept me sharp all these years.
This article is dedicated to him and all the great leaders we EAs/PAs are privileged to assist. Without their tutoring and patience, how can we ever grow to be more than what we are? They deserve our gratitude and appreciation for that. At the end of the day, you'll see that the kind of EA you've become, can be traced back to the kind of leaders you served. Blessed are the EAs/PAs and Admins who are mentored by these exceptional men and women.
The only problem that I see is this... after serving a great boss, you will now have higher expectations of what a leader should be... how will this affect you in the future?
A job is a job, but a passionate EA who totally believes in what he/she is doing is a formidable member of an organization.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please feel free to share your thoughts and views.