Before I led M&A integrations, built strategic workforce plans for Fortune 100s, or advised CEOs on board-level initiatives… I worked as an executive assistant.
Not the glamorous kind. Think: inbox triage, answering the phone, deck formatting at 1 a.m., coordinating calendars with six time zones and three executives, and the not un-often run to the kitchen to “get me a banana.” And yet, in hindsight, it was the most foundational role I’ve ever held.
Back in the day (or so I'm told) this used to be a prime entry point to a successful career in many industries.
* Bob Iger, current CEO of The Walt Disney Company: started as an assistant.
* David Zaslav, current CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery: started as an assistant.
* Ursula Burns, former CEO of Xerox: started as an assistant.
* Barbara Corcoran, founder of The Corcoran Group (yes that Corcoran): started as an assistant.
* Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO of Netflix: started as an assistant.
* Dara Khosrowshahi, current CEO of Uber: started as an assistant.
* Anne Finucane, Vice-Chair of Bank of America: started as an assistant.
* The list goes on....
Here’s why assistant is still a fast track to the C-Suite:
* Assistants Have a Front Row Seat to Power
As an assistant, you learn who really runs the room. You see how decisions are made, not just the polished announcement after the fact. You learn that influence isn’t about title: it’s about trust, timing, and clarity. Proximity to value creation accelerates your own, and assistant roles offer unparalleled visibility into executive-level decision-making.
* You Learn to Manage Up, Down, and Sideways
Being an effective assistant means sensing what your executive needs before they know it. It means aligning stakeholders who don’t talk to each other. And it means delivering when the stakes are high and the brief is vague.These skills translate directly into boardroom-level effectiveness, and early trust and access allow assistants to build strong internal networks.
* It Teaches You to Translate Strategy into Execution
You start to intuit the unspoken priorities. You see how a 2-minute hallway conversation reshapes a billion-dollar strategy, and how that shows up in a calendar, a slide, a phone call. Execution is influence. And assistants are often the first to translate vision into motion, and demonstrating strategic insight and initiative in these roles often leads to accelerated promotion.
* You Stop Confusing Activity with Impact
You learn quickly that effort doesn’t equal effectiveness. What matters is leverage: what can you uniquely do that unlocks results for others? And focus on the work that makes you vital, not just functional.
* And Finally, You Understand the Real Meaning of Service
Not servitude, but service. Being in service of an outcome that is bigger than yourself. Supporting someone else’s vision so effectively that you become indispensable to them. Some people say ego is the enemy… and that’s how most indispensable people earn their seat at the table. They deliver value first, and gain visibility second.
So to anyone early in their career, or pivoting into a new arena, don’t underestimate the assistant role, or those assistants in your life. It might just be the fastest way to build judgment, influence, and access in your org.
And to those already at the top: remember where real leverage starts. It’s not always in the boardroom. Sometimes, it’s the person who fixed your calendar while you closed that deal, and delivered your salad during a last minute lunch call, all with a brilliantly white smile and a quick flip of the wrist.
If you've been an assistant as a launchpad for your career, I want to hear from you. Drop a comment below!
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