The Power Behind The Throne: Why Senior Leaders Need Skilled Executive Assistants

“Don’t get so busy managing the day-to-day that you forget to lead for tomorrow.” - John C. Maxwell, Author

When you start out in any profession, there is a realistic expectation that you do your own admin, and that makes sense professionally and commercially. But at what point, should you delegate admin tasks? 

Imagine a school head who spends 30 minutes putting out chairs for graduation, or 15 minutes drafting an email to remind department leads to get their news in for this month’s Head of School newsletter. Is she a hero, praised for her willingness to ‘roll up her sleeves’ or doubted because she’s occupying herself with routine tasks that could be done by others? 

In business, this is working IN the business, rather than ON the business, and business looks carefully at this because they’re watching the ROI on all hires. Senior leaders cost schools more than Executive Assistants after all. 

What’s Admin Then? 

It’s a long list. 

• General Office Administration - managing the diary and scheduling appointments, coordinating travel, screening and prioritizing emails and calls, drafting responses, digital filing, printing, scanning, maintaining and updating directories and contact lists.

• Meeting and Event Support - preparing agendas, minutes, and materials for meetings, booking meeting rooms and arranging refreshments, organizing and coordinating school events, open days, staff retreats, conferences, preparing and distributing reports, briefing papers, and presentations.

• Communication and Liaison - handling routine correspondence with parents, staff, and external stakeholders, sending out newsletters, notices, and announcements.

• Data Management - data entry, updating databases, maintaining accurate records, preparing statistical reports and information for management, supporting the collation of materials for regulatory compliance and inspections.

• Operational Support - managing incoming and outgoing post and parcels, monitoring and ordering office supplies, stationery, coffees and teas.

• HR Support - booking performance management meetings and ensuring paperwork is completed, assisting with onboarding and orientation for new staff. 

• Personal Admin - supporting with occasional non work related tasks, such as placing personal orders, making reservations, organising personal appointments, or assisting with event arrangements. 

There are usually three reasons that too many admin tasks creep into the weekly work of senior leaders: 1) Weak admin support or poor delegation skills, 2) Senior leaders who feel more comfortable with admin than with the strategic work so ‘hide’ in the admin. 3) The school culture doesn’t support delegation of admin due to a misplaced notion that great leaders can and should do it all.  

Is School Culture Getting In The Way?

This third culture consideration is important. Is asking someone else to handle admin seen as avoidance or weak? Do leaders feel judged for delegating admin? Are leaders confident enough in their abilities and well prepared enough for their roles that they’re clear which admin tasks should be delegated? Do leaders feel they need to compensate for their high salaries by doing ‘everything’? 

All of the above are problematic. School leaders are expected to be innovative, creative thinkers who are continually designing and implementing support for their educator teams. Senior leaders in schools are primarily responsible for designing future-focused curricula, maintaining their school's competitive status, and steering the school toward their shared vision internally and externally. It's no surprise then that school leaders may not have mastered the art of delegating admin. But delegation is transformative. The easiest, quickest, and most effective way to manage all of the admin tasks is to work with a highly-skilled Executive Assistant (EA). More on that topic soon. 

All Hail The Executive Assistant (or Virtual Assistant, VA)

The best EAs and VAs have outstanding organizational skills, excel at prioritizing, are masterful, tech-savvy communicators, are brilliantly effective at multitasking, and operate with the utmost discretion. Heads of school and senior leaders are not paid to do admin. Every hour spent on diary management, booking travel or drafting emails is an hour taken away from leading people, solving problems, and shaping the future of the school. By delegating routine and non-strategic tasks, senior leaders can remain focused on the work that truly requires their expertise: setting vision, building culture, and making the tough calls. Awesome!

When we look 5 years into the future, admin tasks will be spearheaded by an increasing number of Executive Assistants and even AI agents freeing up thinking and planning time for senior leadership. What is in your school’s budget for admin support next year? Who is down to receive support? Is there time to make this important fix of adding headcount in the form of an Executive Assistant or identifying a Virtual Assistant? Some EAs support multiple members of the leadership team. Another great fix. 

If your senior leaders have Executive Assistants already, what professional development have they received and what growth have they shown in the last year?

Helpful Resources:

EAs in Education online community

Zirtual (for US based VAs)

My Tasker (for a wide range of virtual support services)