Administrative Professionals as Leaders

It’s Administrative Professionals month and I’ve been thinking about how admin professionals are so much more than just “assistants.” Having the mindset of a leader has been a key in my development over the almost 20 years that I’ve been working as an administrative professional.

What does it mean to have the mindset of a leader?

It means constantly learning. When you remain open to new ideas, you remain agile and able to shift along with a changing economy. People who are always learning can remain flexible enough to be invaluable even as automation feels threatening to some administrative positions.

Leaders take initiative and get creative. Admins are always coming up with a new template, document, or process as a result of brainstorming meetings with entrepreneurs who are brimming with ideas but no understanding of how to move forward.  That’s leadership.

In the virtual assistance world, personal leadership and integrity is incredibly vital. If you don’t have the mindset of a leader, you won’t be able to deliver on your promises to clients when you’re working from your living room or coffee shop. You are often, quite literally, your own boss, so you have to get in the mindset of a leader.

Leaders make great admins! This may seem counterintuitive since the admin profession is seen as playing a support role. And while it’s true that admins aren’t the ones in front communicating vision and creating culture, the admins that will be best able to support your vision are the ones who understand what it takes to be a leader. Since we are on board to support you, our leadership skills are tuned to help herd others into your vision, to bring order to the visionary’s ideas, and to help smooth your path.

What are your thoughts? Are you looking for these kinds of skills when looking to bring someone on the team?