Have you ever had your executive’s back in a way they didn’t appreciate?
Many years ago, I worked in the private wealth management space for the only non-family member of a family office.
During my time there, my executive decided to leave, which required her to sign several documents removing her from entities set up as investment vehicles.
Upon faxing (totally dating myself here) these documents to her vacation home for her to sign and return to me, I received an extremely annoyed and exasperated phone call.
“Annie, why didn’t you just fax me the signature pages?!”
I pointed out to her that she was signing away a 20 year relationship with this family office and she needed to read and understand what she was signing before she signed it.
I also explained to her that I had her back whether she realized it or not.
Whether she realized it or not…
I had a sturdiness in that moment that served to anchor my executive, and remind her of the bigger picture.
Sturdiness in your role is important for so many reasons:
- Sturdiness will help you show up more strategically.
- Sturdiness will help keep you out of people pleasing territory.
- Sturdiness will keep you anchored in what you can control, and release you from the things you can’t.
- Sturdiness will help you hold space for a frustrated executive while simultaneously showing up in service of them.
Here’s the secret to becoming sturdier in your role…
**Decide to serve the work, not your executive.
If I had chosen to make my executive “happy”, and just sent her the signature pages, she may have signed something that wasn’t in her best interest.
I wouldn’t have been showing up strategically for her.
When you decide to serve the work, your contribution will no longer be based on the whims of someone else’s shortsightedness or mood (Can I get an amen!), but rather on the long game.
When you serve the work, decisions will be made with much more clarity and sturdiness.
Annie helps executive assistants unlock their badassery.
To schedule your complimentary coaching discovery call, click here.
To learn more about Annie please check out her website WholeAssistant.com.