Did you know that your leadership style dictates what personality your Executive Assistant must have for a harmonious work relationship?
First and foremost, you might be thinking: What is an Executive Assistant? I’ve learned they are an essential part of most entrepreneurs to keep things held together. They’re often referred to as an “EA” or “VA” (virtual assistant), sometimes a “PA” or Personal Assistant.
When hiring a virtual assistant, you must find someone who complements your leadership style and personality.
Which would you rather have- a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a banana-flavored pizza?
For your company and business to become more efficient, it makes total sense to have a virtual assistant support your kind of leadership.
What Kind of Leader Are You?
Action-Oriented
Is your favorite phrase ‘Let’s do this!’?
Then you’re probably an action-oriented leader.
You want to get things done as soon as possible but at a reasonable timeframe. You love to get hands-on with your team members and see how they progress through tasks.
Go-getters lead by example as they may have done great work before on their own. You inspire the people around you as they see you as the ‘key achiever’ in the bigger picture.
This leadership style ensures a high success rate in completing projects, but you tend to take on more work. With this in mind, you’ll need a similar-minded virtual assistant who’s hardworking and can take some of the extra load off your hands.
An assistant who won’t mind being reminded every now and then of the tasks ahead and can learn new things quickly will be a great fit. Between the two of you, no project is too difficult!
Open and Participative
You’re the type of leader who loves new and refreshing ideas every now and then.
In fact, you probably have a weekly brainstorming session where your team members can speak their minds on how to accomplish a project!
This open and participative environment is nurturing as it shows your EAs that they’re more than just assistants. You have no problems delegating tasks and giving a certain degree of authority for the greater good.
An EA who’s creative and trustworthy should be the perfect fit for your company. This partnership only gets better with time!
Supportive
You see your EA as someone who’s more than an employee. You’re empathic, approachable and flexible in the way you manage your team.
Team members who are under this type of leadership feel cared for, and in exchange are loyal, hardworking and productive. Unfortunately, some may think of this as ‘weak’ and may even take advantage.
You’ll want your virtual assistant to be independent and know what they’re doing. Moreover, he or she should be proactive, have a high integrity and most of all, be respectful of your leadership and the benefit it brings.
Directive
Are you a hands-on leader who loves working with team members in the front line?
You’re probably a directive manager. Say yes if your favorite quote is ‘if you want it done right, you’ve got to do it yourself!’
Taking a directive approach is great when you need to resolve an urgent situation, or when you’re at the helm for a new endeavor. There won’t be any doubt as to what your team members’ roles are how they fit in the big picture.
You love to see what your EA is doing each day while completing what you need to do. That said, the EA support you want is someone who is very collaborative and wants to work closely with you.
These people don’t mind getting pushed to their limits with the possibility of getting a bigger role in the near future!
Achievement-Oriented
An achievement-oriented leader is somewhat like a jack of all trades. You strive for continuous improvement and expect your team members to do the same.
Your goals for the company is set in stone and you empower your virtual assistant with what they need to succeed.
This leadership style is a bit more relaxed compared to a directive approach. Therefore, the EA you want is someone who’s hardworking and doesn’t need to be told what to do.
You give him or her the tools to accomplish the goal and they’ll be more than willing to get down to business!
The Executive
For you, it’s all about organizing team members and EA’s where they can be the most productive.
The goal is clear, and you know the strengths of your team and how to make the most out of it. If things aren’t going well you tend to direct the show yourself.
You love the value of hard work and expect everyone to do the same!
If you nod and agree to these things, then the right pick will be an assistant who’s industrious and a go-getter.
The Architect
You’re independent and like working long hours with absolutely zero interruptions.
You understand how meetings, training and business processes are important, but you’d rather have it done minimally. What’s important is that each member knows what to do and how to do it the best way they can.
As far as hiring a EA is concerned, the phrase to use is ‘birds of the same feather’. An intelligent assistant who can grasp processes and tasks quickly will become an invaluable partner in your endeavor.
Remember how personality tests were so much fun and revealed insights about yourself in a refreshing way? To make the most of finding the perfect EA, you can take this test to see what kind of leader you are. https://www.16personalities.com/
Upon discovering your leadership style, you’ll know the exact EA you’re looking for. The right team member can help your business run as smooth as possible. Check out our virtual assistant services rates and get the Robin to your Batman today!