Effective EAs influence calendars, information flows, and first-impression moments with clients and stakeholders. Dr Michelle Gibbings, author and workplace expert, explores why many still frame their contribution as administrative efficiency rather than commercial opportunity.
With automation and AI eroding routine clerical work, that’s risky positioning. The World Economic Forum predicts that, on average, 39 per cent of today’s skills will be obsolete or transformed by 2030, with administrative jobs among the fastest declining.
To thrive in this new landscape, it’s time to adopt a different approach. This isn’t about starting your own business or walking away from the role you love. It’s about approaching your work through a different lens – an entrepreneurial one – to position yourself as a value creator, problem-solver, and driver of progress.
Let go of the ladder
Most of us were taught to think of our careers as a single, linear ascent, but the future requires a portfolio of transferable skills, relationships, and results. Entrepreneurs understand this instinctively. They don’t wait for permission. They look for needs, gaps, and friction points – and then find clever, resourceful ways to solve them.
For EAs, the entrepreneurial approach means asking:
- Where am I already creating value that goes unnoticed or under-recognised?
- Where are the inefficiencies or pain points my leader or team struggles with, and how
might I address them?
- What could I create, initiate or improve that would make a real difference to the way
we work?
The answers don’t need to be revolutionary. Sometimes, it’s a redesigned reporting process, a sharper team communication rhythm, or a digital dashboard that saves your executive time
each week.
From tasks to ownership
Entrepreneurs take ownership. They don’t simply do what’s asked – they ask better questions and take initiative. That same principle applies inside organisations.
Instead of waiting for someone to hand over a challenge, claim one. Treat each project like a micro-venture: define the problem, propose a solution, test it, refine it and measure the impact.
Don’t just do more – do differently
One of the biggest myths about entrepreneurial thinking is that it’s about hustle and constant motion. But the best entrepreneurs aren’t just busy – they strategically add value and stay one ahead.
In line with this, you should prioritise professional development so you can think one step ahead. Learn to read the signals – what’s changing in your industry, organisation, and technology stack.
Think of it as compounding career capital. Every skill you build, every tool you master, every insight you sharpen makes you more valuable, mobile, and resilient.
Act like you’re in business – because you are
Even if you never start your own company, you are still the CEO of your career. So, understand your market, define your personal brand, and demonstrate a clear return on investment.
Ask yourself:
- What do people come to me for?
- What problems am I uniquely good at solving?
- What outcomes can I point to that show how I’ve made things better – faster, smoother, more strategic?
Here’s the real kicker: entrepreneurs tell their story. They don’t assume people know what they’ve achieved. They learn to articulate their impact in a way that aligns with organisational goals and speaks the language of value.
As an EA, you don’t need to brag – but you do need to be your own advocate. When you tie your achievements to organisational outcomes, you help others see your work not as purely administrative but as strategically valuable.
Build your community
This mindset shift doesn’t mean you have to operate in isolation. The best entrepreneurs build communities. They learn from others, seek mentors and surround themselves with people who challenge them.
If you want to grow this way, connect with others who share that drive. Join professional networks. Say yes to cross-functional projects. Put yourself in rooms where different ideas, tools and ways of working collide.
Crucially, look for sponsors – the people who advocate for you when you’re not in the room. When you act like an entrepreneur, solving problems that matter and showing up with solutions, you earn that advocacy, and it’s often the catalyst for the next big step in your career.
Redefine security on your terms
We often chase stability as if it lives in the structure around us – the job title, the salary, the team. But real security doesn’t come from what you’re given. It comes from what you’ve built.
Adopting an entrepreneurial way of thinking means you’re no longer waiting for the system to protect you – you’re creating value that makes you relevant, respected and ready for whatever’s next.
If the future feels uncertain, don’t retreat. Get curious. Think like a founder. Lead like a partner. And take bold, intelligent steps that shape the career and contribution you want.
Dr Michelle Gibbings is an award-winning author and global workplace expert who helps leaders, teams and organisations unlock strategic influence to accelerate their progress.
