According to Wikipedia, the term “force multiplier” refers to a factor that dramatically increases the effectiveness of an item or group. And that’s exactly what great Executive Assistants, executive operations, and executive support professionals do.
Being a Force Multiplier is more than just a title. It’s a mindset. It’s a set of characteristics and behaviors. It’s a way of being and operating in the world. To become a true strategic business partner to your leader, you must adopt a Force Multiplier mindset and learn how to think like your CEO (or executive).
It may sound counter-intuitive. Afterall, you’re there to support the CEO, not be the CEO , right? Right. And yet…
If you want to become an influential leader, trusted strategic business partner, and confident professional, one of the best ways to get there is by adopting a Force Multiplier mindset and learning to think like a CEO. And all that really means is learning to think and act like a leader within an organization (regardless of your title). Because EAs and executive support professionals are leaders!
1. Aligning your thinking and “getting inside” your leader’s head only help you do your job better. In addition, it will help strengthen your strategic partnership and become a trusted advisor.
2. Thinking like a CEO can give you more visibility in your organization, which ultimately leads to more access and opportunity, as well as the opportunity for more challenging or higher profile projects.
3. Developing your leadership will build your confidence and help you participate in conversations and decisions at a whole new level.
4. Whether you’re looking for a promotion in your current company, or plan to search for a new opportunity all together, increasing your leadership and Force Multiplier mindset will only help to position you even better for the future.
The most critical step to become a more influential leader and Force Multiplier is aligning your thinking with your leader’s. Here’s how:
Because your primary responsibility as a Force Multiplier is to support your executive, you need to understand what they are trying to achieve. Once you understand their goals you can be proactive in searching for opportunities to further their agenda and help them get the results they’re after.
Please note: It’s never too late to go back and find out what your leader’s goals are! If you aren’t clear about what the goals are (or why they are the priorities in the first place) or have never had this conversation before, schedule it as soon as possible. The more clarity you have around what your leader is trying to achieve, the better you will be able to connect dots, find solutions, streamline processes, and be a trusted strategic partner.
One the most impactful (and fastest) ways to start thinking like your leader is to know what they know. Sounds simple, right? But it’s not always easy. This goes far beyond knowing their travel preferences or having their calendar memorized. This discipline requires some serious dedication (oftentimes reading or listening to books and podcasts in your “off hours”). But I think it is the most critical habit to develop as an Executive Assistant, and it’s something you can implement right away, no matter how new you are to the EA role.
This discipline will help you become an invaluable resource to your leader. If they mention a book they are reading, read it. If they are following a blog or podcast, so should you. Watch the movies, read the books, review the annual reports of charities they support, and listen to the podcasts they do. Why? Because the more you are able to align yourself with their interests and, more importantly, their knowledge, the more you are able to not just listen, but also to converse with your executive and participate in conversations that they are having with other leadership members or key business partners.
When your leader asks, “Who was that quote by?” or “What year did that company go public?” You’ll know. Your CEO won’t have to repeat themselves or fill you in on a critical article they read or a book that they would like to discuss at a company meeting—you’re already familiar with it. This will no doubt set you apart and help you align your thinking with your leader. Be ready and able to participate in and add value to the conversation.
If there is any secret to success, it’s having self-awareness. If you haven’t taken a behavior assessment before, or haven’t taken one in a while, go take one now! There are several free versions online, like the DiSC profile or 16 Personalities, as well as paid options, such as Myers-Briggs, CliftonStrengths, the Enneagram test, or the Working Genius Assessment.
There is no denying that understanding yourself can greatly enhance your effectiveness. Behavior and personality assessments are a great place to start. They help you understand how you operate under stress. How you address conflict (or avoid it). They help you better understand how you communicate and how you may come across to others. They help clarify how risk tolerant you are, how impatient you can be, how you process information, and much much more. From that baseline of understanding you can better operate in the world around you and communicate better with others, particularly in business.
But before you read too much into your behavior and personality assessment results, know this - they are not 100% accurate or fail-proof. Take the results with a grain of salt and use them as a tool for self-inquiry, reflection, and conversation. Use the assessments to guide a discussion with your executive or leadership team to get to know each other better and how best to work together for maximum results.
Leaders and Force Multipliers should review their assessments together. Figure out where you align and what areas could create conflict in the future. Perhaps your leader is incredibly impatient and likes to charge ahead, while you are more cautious and like to have time to process before taking action. That is really great information to have! You will better understand where your leader is coming from when working on projects, and you can clearly ask for what you need (1 hour or 1 day!) to come back with a plan of action. It may also give you a road map for how you need to adjust your communication style or prioritization to better match your leader’s natural style. In addition, knowing how your Executive prefers to communicate will help you help guide them with projects and decisions.
Once you do the hard inner work to understand yourself, you are able to operate from a completely different place - a place filled with confidence and clarity, a combination that makes you a Force Multiplier.
To be an invaluable asset to your leader and align with their thinking, understanding the business and industry that you operate in, is critical.
One way to go about learning the business is by studying each major division and understanding how they operate. How does the company make money? What is the lifecycle of a customer? What are your target markets? Does the company plan to expand their operations any time soon? If so, how and where? What are the current operational challenges? How does the Human Resources department manage career development and create an engaging culture?
Learn the industry and learn the business, and more importantly, how your role plays into the overall success of the division or company. Couple that with a clear understanding of your Executive’s thought process and communication style, and you will be unstoppable.
One of the most important parts of being a strong strategic partner and Force Multiplier is understanding how your leader or Executive thinks and makes decisions. And because many of our leaders are visionaries and have brilliant ideas on the daily, it is also our responsibility to help them prioritize those ideas and determine which are the most important ones to act on and which ones can wait.
So, while it would be nice to be able to read their mind, that’s just not possible (yet). In lieu of mind-reading capabilities, you can get better at understanding your leader’s thinking and decision-making process with some key practices, and, of course, by asking really great questions.
Asking powerful questions helps drive clarity in the conversation, helps to prioritize projects, and ultimately, helps us all understand not only why we are making a decision, but who we will need to help execute, and how we’re going to get it done. One key component of the Force Multiplier mindset is challenging your Executive’s thinking and what better way to do that, then by asking questions that helps them see a different perspective and strengthen their thinking? Click here for 10 questions to ask to help your leader prioritize and execute projects.
When you’re having these conversations with your leader you're learning how they think, how they make decisions, what information they are triangulating, how long they wait before moving ahead, and more. You can help move that process along by having a series of questions at your fingertips.
While it helps move the decision-making process along or helps clarify points for the rest of the team, it also is an excellent practice to help you hone your leadership skills and learn how your leader thinks and makes decisions, so you can be one step ahead in the future.
Adopting a Force Multiplier mindset will help you create a strong strategic business partnership. You don’t need a title to learn to think like a CEO, to make a positive impact, or to thrive in your career. Leadership is influence. And you can do that starting today.
Grab a copy of the book, The Founder and The Force Multiplier: How Entrepreneurs and Executive Assistants Achieve More Together and sign-up for The Inner Circle, a weekly newsletter for leaders and their right-hand partners.
Hallie’s Bio
Hallie Warner is the Founder, as well as a consultant and coach, at The Founder & The Force Multiplier, and previously served as Chief of Staff for over 13 years to serial entrepreneur, Adam Hergenrother, working side-by-side with him to build a billion dollar organization. Hallie is also the co-author of the Amazon best-selling books The Founder & The Force Multiplier: How Entrepreneurs and Executive Assistants Achieve More Together and The 200% Life: Your Guide to Spiritual Growth & Business Success Without Meditating on a Mountaintop.
After more than 15 years of providing executive support, strategic counsel to internal and external stakeholders, and leading special projects focused on the growth of the organization, Hallie started her entrepreneurial journey in 2024 and now provides coaching and online courses to help leaders and Force Multipliers (AKA: Executive Assistants, Chiefs of Staff) find the right strategic partner, enhance their communication, navigate change, grow companies and careers, and lead better together.
To learn more about Hallie, please visit her website: The Founder & The Force Multiplier or connect with her on LinkedIn.
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