Being an administrative assistant is a challenging and rewarding position. It’s also one of leadership. While most will probably agree with me on the first two adjectives, not as many believe the third.
This is unfortunate.
Admins are crucial to the success of their executives, as well as their teams and colleagues. You keep the office organized and running smoothly. You coordinate schedules, plan events, and know what to do if and when something — anything — goes awry. You are extremely valuable. You are a leader.
You might not see yourself as a leader yet, but you can be and should be learning how to step into leadership. If you want to aspire to better job titles and positions, then you have to get your head wrapped around the concept of leadership as it relates to your admin role.
There are a lot of ways to develop and improve your leadership skills and become more comfortable with leading. Finding a mentor — someone who can act as a trusted and honest advisor — is a good start. You can also work with your executive to expand your role and figure out what you want to do next.
Another way to gain confidence with leadership is by becoming a better communicator. This week’s feature article on public speaking highlights why it’s important to be articulate in front of a large group, as well as smaller clusters of people and in one on one situations. It also includes tips on how you can get comfortable with and brush up your public speaking skills.
We’re continuing the conversation about admin leadership on social media this week, so check out our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages for more tips, advice, and resources. Then be sure to chime in with your thoughts, challenges, and experiences on this important topic. We’d love to hear from you!
One final reminder: If you still need help getting your office procedures binder launched (or finished), this is the last week to participate in the 5 Days to Better Office Procedures Challenge. All of the daily video tutorials and sample procedures will go away again after July 31. It’s the best way to put your office procedures project on the fast track with personal help from me and my team! I hope you’ll join us.
Supporting your administrative success,
Julie Perrine
© 2014 Julie Perrine International, LLC
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Julie Perrine, CAP-OM, is the founder and CEO of All Things Admin, providing training, mentoring and resources for administrative professionals worldwide. Julie applies her administrative expertise and passion for lifelong learning to serving as an enthusiastic mentor, speaker and author who educates admins around the world on how to be more effective every day. Learn more about Julie’s books — The Innovative Admin: Unleash the Power of Innovation in Your Administrative Career and The Organized Admin: Leverage Your Unique Organizing Style to Create Systems, Reduce Overwhelm, and Increase Productivity. And request your free copy of our special report “From Reactive to Proactive: Creating Your Strategic Administrative Career Plan” at www.AllThingsAdmin.com.
