Your Influence Changes Everything

The Skill No One Trains You For (But Every Great EA Has)

AuthorAuthor

Catherine Heiter & Wendy Ganey
October 20, 2026

What you do matters.

We honor the everyday impact of executive assistants.

One Reminder of Your Impact.

This series reflects a truth you already live.
It may be invisible.
But it changes everything.

Stay Sharp - Stay Intentional - Stay Indispensable.

A Moment of Context

Because every story begins in a real moment you already recognize.

Your executive steps out of back-to-back meetings and says, "Can you send that file to the board before 5?"

You already sent it. Twenty minutes ago.

Because you noticed the board meeting got moved up. Because you saw the email thread they didn't have time to read. Because you quietly connected three dots they didn't even know existed yet.

They don't say thank you — not because they're ungrateful, but because they don't realize there was anything to thank you for. In their mind, it simply... worked.

That's the moment.

Not applause. Not recognition. Just a problem that never had the chance to become a problem — because someone was already three steps ahead.

This is the unspoken rule no training manual captures: the best EAs are measured by the crises no one ever sees.

Resource Spotlight

Executive Support Magazine

(by the team behind Practically Perfect PA)

What it is: A digital publication created specifically for EAs and PAs, packed with real-world insights on the exact things formal training skips — anticipation, discretion, emotional intelligence, and building executive trust.

Why it fits: This isn't theory. It's written by EAs, for EAs, often featuring interviews with top-tier assistants who share the unspoken habits that made them indispensable — the "warm meal" moments no manual ever covers. Most EA training resources teach process. This one teaches presence — the instinct to read a room, sense a need, and act before being asked.

It's the kind of resource that doesn't just inform — it validates the invisible work your audience already does, and gives language to skills they've never seen named before.

From One EA to Another

The "Pre-Mortem Prep" technique

Before any high-stakes meeting, spend 5 minutes asking: "What will my exec need in the next 2 hours that they haven't asked for yet?" Water, notes, a rescheduled follow-up, a briefing doc.

This is Mira's warm-meal instinct, systematized.

The Power of Intuition by Gary Klein

At times in our careers, we've all been aware of a "gut feeling" guiding our decisions. Too often, we dismiss these feelings as "hunches" and therefore untrustworthy. But renowned researcher Gary Klein reveals that, in fact, 90 percent of the critical decisions we make is based on our intuition. In his new book, THE POWER OF INTUITION, Klein shows that intuition, far from being an innate "sixth sense," is a learnable--and essential--skill.

Worth Watching

"The Puzzle of Motivation" — Dan Pink, What truly drives excellence beyond rules and rewards.

18 Minutes 37 seconds
→ Watch it Here 

What all this says about the EA Effect

The EA Effect isn't measured in tasks completed. It's measured in crises that never happened because someone anticipated them first.

It's invisible by design. That's exactly what makes it powerful.

Why The EA Effect Matters

Because leaders don't remember the meeting that was scheduled correctly.

They remember the one time someone made space for them to simply be human — tired, hungry, overwhelmed — without having to ask.

That memory becomes trust. Trust becomes loyalty. Loyalty becomes influence far beyond the job description.

This is the effect. Quiet. Cumulative. Irreplaceable.

This Week's EA Effect in Action

Your Challenge: Once this week, anticipate a before it's spoken — and tell no one.

Don't mention it. Don't flag it. Just notice, and act.

Then notice how it feels to build trust in silence instead of in spreadsheets.

Now on to other stuff

Podcast: The Tim Ferriss Show — general peak-performance strategies

Tool: Notion templates for executive briefing docs (link in community thread)

The Dream Desk

Steam rises from the teacup as I sit with a problem instead of rushing past it. No pinging Slack, no three tabs open. Just one scroll, one thought, fully formed before moving to the next. There's something clarifying about writing by candlelight — it forces you to finish the sentence before starting another.

Grounded. Like the work matters because it's given space to matter.

Unrushed. The quill doesn't move faster than the thought behind it.

Anchored. Stone walls, old books, a view of something older than any deadline — a reminder that good work has always required patience.

Where's your dream office this week?

Reply to this email with your idea or your own image.

Ambient Luxuries

Your desk might be covered in to-dos, but your mind? That deserves a view. Each week, we’ll drop a dreamy background and soundtrack to help you through the day like the behind-the-scenes wizard you are. Headphones in, magic on.
Note: These links are publicly available and not affiliated with us just something we love and want to share.

The EA Effect is not just a newsletter.
It's a weekly reminder of your influence.

If you’re curious to explore other issues on influence, prioritization, emotional intelligence, and leading without a title you’ll find them all on the website.

Browse when you have a moment.
We’re so glad you’re here!

TheEAEffect.com  ·  See you next week.

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