Falling Out of Love With My Business and Finding My Way Back to Force Multipliers
“… I keep on fallin’In and out of loveWith youSometimes I love yaSometimes you make me blueSometimes I feel goodAt times I feel usedLovin’ you darlin’Makes me so confused…”(Alicia Keys, Fallin’) No, no, I’m not talking about my husband here, but rather, my business! As a soloprenuer, entrepreneur, small business owner, founder, or CEO… I […]
Your Competence Isn’t the Problem: Why Executive Assistant/Chief of Staff Success Has More to Do with Signal Literacy Than Skill by Kristine Valenzuela
Today’s guest post is from Kristine Valenzuela, a career Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff, as well as the Founder of The Secret Executive. To learn more about Kristine and her work, visit The Secret Executive or follow her on LinkedIn! Everyone keeps encouraging Executive Assistants and Chiefs of Staff to get better at their […]
Training for Assistants, Chiefs of Staff, and Force Multipliers
These niche trainings will amplify and expand upon what you’ve learned in The Force Multiplier Academy. Haven’t joined The Force Multiplier Academy yet? Click here to learn more! The AI-Powered Assistant by Monique Helstrom Here’s the thing: executives don’t want to replace you with AI. They want you plus AI. That’s why Monique Helstrom teamed […]
Books for Executive Assistants, Chiefs of Staff, and Force Multipliers
A curated list of books for right-hand partners to entrepreneurial leaders. Check back often as I continue to add to this list! The Founder & The Force Multiplier (Second Edition) Author: Adam Hergenrother & Hallie Warner This is the essential read (yes, yes, we are biased) for Executive Assistants who want to strengthen their strategic […]
What’s an Associate Chief of Staff and Why You Might Need One
By Madeleine Niebauer, founder and co-CEO of vChief, a fractional executive talent network that helps organizations stabilize and scale through interim and fractional leadership. If you’re a Chief of Staff, you already know the drill: you’re in the trenches, juggling executive priorities, cross-functional projects, comms, board prep, strategy alignment, and about 47 other things that […]
Positive Psychology and Strengths-Based Leadership for Right-Hand Partners by Diana Brandl
Today’s guest post is from Diana Brandl, Founder of The Socialista Projects and host of the Executive Office Insights podcast. To learn more about Diana and her work, visit The Socialista Projects or follow her on LinkedIn! Positive Psychology and Strengths-Based Leadership for Right-Hand Partners Force Multipliers (i.e. Chiefs of Staff, Executive Assistants, Executive Support professionals, […]
R-E-S-P-E-C-T | Find Out What It Means to Executive Assistants
There’s a lot of talk about how Executive Assistants and Force Multipliers should be “respected as strategic partners.” And while I agree with the sentiment (yes, respect is critical for a successful working partnership), it’s not something that shows up on day one just because you do. Respect is earned. It’s built. It’s given by […]
Should You Stay or Should You Go? Balancing Job Demands and Resources to Find the Right Career Fit
Feeling burned out or bored? Have you maxed out your earning potential or promotion opportunities? Or perhaps you’re considering a change but you’re unsure if the grass is really greener on the other side. When you’re trying to decide if you should stay or leave your job, of course, it’s important to consider salary, benefits, […]
How Executive Assistants and Right-Hand Partners Build Social Capital
I get it. You’re wearing a lot of hats. Your calendar’s full, your inbox is overflowing, and your to-do list never seems to end. You’re busy! But here’s the truth: if you keep your head down for too long, just checking tasks off a list and staying in “doing” mode, you may be unintentionally limiting […]
What’s the Difference Between Business Administration and Business Operations?
Think we’re just talking semantics? Think again! In every successful business, two major forces are at play: business administration and business operations. While they’re deeply connected and often overlap, they’re not the same thing. I think it’s a topic worth exploring because those in Force Multiplier roles, like Executive Assistants and Chiefs of Staff, often […]
How to Align Your Work with Company and Leadership Goals
As you’re evaluating your job, considering your career growth, and determining how you want to make an impact this year, it’s important to align your work with company and leadership goals. If the company (and your Principal) are hitting their goals, that’s good for everyone. And, it can be much more rewarding for you when […]
LinkedIn News 25 Big Ideas That Will Change Our World in 2025 – Force Multiplier Edition
LinkedIn News recently released their 25 Big Ideas report, sharing ideas they believe will change our world in 2025. As Force Multipliers, I think it’s important to read through the article and consider how these predictions may apply to your company, industry, and career opportunities. To get you started, take a look at how I […]
Not Just Support: Force Multipliers Taking the Lead on Career Change
Today’s guest post is from Katie Montbriand, Co-Founder & Storyteller, at Compass Rewire. To hear more from Katie, Compass Rewire Co-Founder, Samantha Mulcahy, and me, join us on Thursday December 12 at 12pm EST for a free webinar, More Than a Title: Building Identity Beyond Work. The past doesn’t have to dictate the future. At […]
Do You Have Any Questions for Me? 13 Questions to Ask During Your Next Interview
We’ve all been there before… you’ve landed an interview for a job that you’re really excited about. You’re meeting with the CEO to discuss their job opening for an Executive Business Partner. The interview is going really well. And then the CEO asks, “Do you have any questions for me?” And your mind goes blank. […]
The 4 Elements of a High-Impact Executive Assistant
Remember learning about the classical elements of nature in elementary school? Well, let me give you a quick refresher. The four elements, often referred to as the classical elements of nature, have been used in various philosophies and traditions to describe the fundamental components of the physical world. We can see the elements throughout ancient […]
What is the Difference Between Force Multipliers and Integrators?
If you’re an entrepreneur or building a career in an entrepreneurial environment, then you have likely come across the terms Force Multiplier and Integrator. While these roles are similar, in that they both work closely with a Visionary leader, they are not interchangeable. There are some key differences that are helpful to explore whether you […]
How to Actually Take Time Off From Work (Without the Guilt)
Whether you are the Founder of your own company, a Senior Executive Assistant, or the Vice President of Operations – and whether you have three weeks of PTO, have a flexible work from home schedule, or have unlimited vacation and paid time off policy – I venture to guess that you may not be taking […]
The 43 Best Quotes for Building a Strong Business Partnership
One thing you’ll always hear us talk about at The Founder & The Force Multiplier is partnership. Most leaders, Executive Assistants, Chiefs of Staff, and other entrepreneurs and Force Multipliers we talk to want the same thing: To build a strong strategic business partnership with their, well, partner. I think the most successful leader/Force Multiplier […]
11 Common Mistakes Chiefs of Staff Make With Executive Assistants
In my ten years as Chief of Staff (heck, in my 20 or so years of professional life), I’ve made plenty of mistakes. Now, many months removed from my role as Chief of Staff, I’ve had some time to reflect on some of the things I would have done differently as a leader, and more […]
The Power of Prosocial Skills for Leaders & Force Multipliers
In his book, Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things, organizational psychologist and New York Times Bestselling author, Adam Grant, talks about the importance of prosocial skills in the workplace. Grant writes, “Prosocial skills are the glue that transforms groups into teams.” Grant even goes on to assert that we should choose leaders with […]
No One Succeeds Alone: Revolutionary War Aides-de-Camps and Today’s Revolutionary Assistants
Whenever you’re in doubt about the huge impact, critical support, and strategic execution that Executive Assistants and Force Multipliers provide, just take a minute and think about virtually every successful politician, celebrity, business leader, founder, athlete, military leader, or CEO. More often than not they had an assistant by their side. No one succeeds alone. […]
9 Signs You Need a Force Multiplier
The role of leader covers a lot of ground. But, to sum it up and simplify, there are four key things that a leader must do: What is a Force Multiplier? These four focus areas make up a leader’s 20%. That is, the 20% of activities that will produce 80% of their results à la […]
Emerging Chief of Staff Career Trends
As of the publication of this blog, there were 697 Chief of Staff jobs listed on Indeed.com. For context, there were 1,593 COO jobs posted and 427 for CEO. Of those almost 700 Chief of Staff job postings, the scope of work, leadership responsibilities, projects, and even the team with which these Chiefs of Staff […]
Habits That Cause Burnout in Force Multipliers
As Force Multipliers (Executive Assistants, Chiefs of Staff), we live in a culture of hustle and bustle! The line between dedication and depletion can oftentimes blur together without us even realizing it. It’s important not to overlook the warning signs of burnout when they are staring us right in the face. Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. […]