What Great Executives Look Like Through the Eyes of Their EA

Over the course of my career, I’ve had the honor of partnering with some of the most brilliant, visionary executives in the room. People who led with intention, curiosity, and trust.

I’ve learned that a great executive doesn’t just have sharp instincts about strategy. They have equally sharp instincts about people, including the person sitting right outside their door.

Nobody talks about this part enough, though: the view from the EA’s seat. So let me show you what greatness looks like from where I sit. Great executives — the ones who truly get it — look like this:

They’re curious. They ask questions — not just about the business, but about what you’re seeing, hearing, and sensing at ground level. They communicate openly and share information because they understand that knowledge is currency, and an EA without context is an EA flying blind.

They listen. Not to respond, but to actually hear you. They create space where your voice matters, your observations land, and your expertise is taken seriously. When you flag something, they don’t dismiss it. They lean in.

They’re collaborative. They see the relationship as a partnership, not a hierarchy with a one-way street. They make space for their EA to lead up, to manage stakeholder relationships, to problem-solve, to anticipate, to protect, to organize, to execute, and to shine in their expertise.

They operate with integrity, behind closed doors and in front of a crowd. You never have to wonder who you’re getting today. What they say and what they do are the same thing. And as someone who sees everything, that consistency means everything.

They don’t micromanage the craft. They trust the process and let you work.

They check in, not just to get a status update, but because they genuinely care how you’re doing.

They give credit. Publicly.

And perhaps most importantly, they invest. In the relationship. In the growth. In the two-way trust that makes both of them better.

Here’s what many executives miss: Your EA is not an order-taker. They are a force multiplier. When you align well, when there’s trust, communication, and mutual respect, you don’t just get a great support system. You 10X your own effectiveness. You get someone who thinks ahead of problems you haven’t had yet. Someone who guards your time like it’s their own. Someone who moves with you, not behind you.

To every new executive stepping into your role: the partnership you build with your EA can be one of the most powerful professional relationships of your career. But it requires you to show up in it, curious, communicative, open, and humble enough to let an expert be an expert.

The best executives I’ve worked with didn’t just lead their organizations well. They led our partnership well. And that made all the difference. THANK YOU to these amazing people. You know who you are.