The Executive Personal Assistant: A Creative Catalyst

They are just secretaries, they only make the coffee, they are poorly paid and they don’t have any business skills are just a few of the myths often perpetuated about Executive Personal Assistants (EPAs) but the reality is very different.

EPAs have to work at the highest level and to the highest standards, be able to influence and communicate well, operate with limited supervision and use their initiative whilst under pressure in order to optimise their time to meet demanding deadlines. They must also be analytical, smart, confident, entrepreneurial, trustworthy, a problem solver, a decision maker, a change agent, think strategically and possess strong leadership skills whilst upholding confidentiality and acting as a close confidante. In truth, they are Creative Catalysts and operate in continuous roles of indispensability in that they are strong business stakeholders in the purpose and mission of the organization and they are called upon to fill many different roles from writer to stage manager to director. They are therefore both managers and leaders, with a comprehensive and complex responsibility which requires both offensive and defensive posturing whilst operating with insight, speed and clarity.