Leading Without the Title: A Seminar for EAs, Secretaries, and Assistants

EAs, secretaries or assistants are given the giant task of communicating. 

The role of today's executive and personal assistants and secretaries involves much more responsibility, skill,  and knowledge than ever before. More and more EAs and PAs are acting much more like managers and control everything from the processes by which their own tasks are performed to complex projects that previously would have been tackled by executives. 

One of the major challenges of an assistant's job is that they have to influence others (their boss, others in their department, etc.) yet they don't typically have the authority to make others do things. A key part of managing their boss (and others) is therefore developing their influence skills. This module includes an assessment and de-brief of a well respected model for understanding others. There is specific focus in applying the model to their job (keeping it out of the realm of theory).  The discussion is fun, informative, and extremely practical! 

EAs, Secretaries or Assistants have the responsibility of leadership whether directly or indirectly. In  the Leading Without the Title Seminar by Boris Joaquin, they will learn to command authority and secure cooperation of others to get work done and the objectives of their bosses met. 

This seminar will help them develop informal leadership skills to influence positive organizational success even without positional authority. Through hands-on, experiential exercises, they will create an integrated development plan that matches the organization's needs with individual achievement and success.

6 Benefits when your EA/Secretary join this workshop:
1.  Discover and test effective models for leadership success
2.  Understand the importance of personal influence
3.  Develop values-based leadership practices
4.  Find out how to facilitate groups more effectively
5.  Cultivate the art of positive interpersonal dynamics
6.  Learn to influence others without formal authority

Key Benefits

• Compliment their excellent qualities by applying servant leadership principles and skills in their profession
• Discover their influential role and value and how it will directly benefit them, their bosses and their organization
• Understand the EGO Diagram (problems with pride and fear) and how it is affecting their work and relationships
• Learn the skills of having FORESIGHT in their work and being PROACTIVE
• Learn to be value-driven and recalibrate commitment on those values on a daily basis

Who Should Attend

This workshop is highly recommended for Executive Assistants, Office Administrators, Department Assistants, and Chief-of-Staff.

SESSION 1. Blessings and Burdens on being an Executive Assistant/Administrator 

Discuss the mission and purpose of being an EA. What are their personal mission and values? Does it match? This will also elaborate the pros and cons of being an EA and what one can enjoy and avoid.

SESSION 2. Having Influence is Leadership 

Share the principles of Servant Leadership according to Robert Greenleaf and Ken Blanchard. Exploring the fact that they could have influence decisions that can affect the affairs of their organization. Citing examples of other EAs who have made a difference (unsung heroes).

SESSION 3. EGO Diagram (Discussing Pride and Fear) 

Edging God Out vs. Exalting God Only. Moving from self-centeredness to selflessness.

SESSION 4. What is Foresight? 

How to know what's happening and projecting when and where it will happen. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

SESSION 5. What does it take to be Proactive?

Teach participant the dynamics of good housekeeping and call reporting (taking minutes of the meeting). How checklist is an excellent organizing tool.

SESSION 6. From being responsive to being responsible

When your boss inverted the pyramid of your working relationship and decided to give you more responsibility among the staff and duties in the workplace, what will you do? Understand the dynamics of an inverted pyramid and embrace some skills that will be useful.

SESSION 7. Daily Habits

Recalibrating oneself according to their mission, values, and purpose.

Boris Joaquin

Certified Management Consultant®, Institute of Certified Management Consultants Philippines

Investors in People™ (UK) and Inspiring Partners Training Consultant

Certified Marketing Professional®, Sales and Marketing International Institute (Australia) 

Boris Joaquin is one of the country’s top-ranked public speakers and trainers for leadership programs and other soft skills.

He is a seasoned management and marketing professional, being involved in various industries (advertising, consumer goods, printing/publishing, fragrances, NGO, digital marketing, telecommunications, BPO and business solutions) and business sizes, from multinationals to locally owned enterprises for more than two decades now.

Presently, he’s the President & Chief Equipping Officer of Breakthrough Leadership® Management Consultancy (an affiliate of the UN group of companies). He also shares his expertise in the fields of customer service, social entrepreneurship, fund raising, and corporate social responsibility as a speaker/ trainer in conferences and for various corporations and NGOs

Boris is also the Master Trainer and Country Representative of the Lead Like Jesus (a program designed by Ken Blanchard) in the Philippines.

The other hats Boris wears find him serving as one of the executive lead for Saddleback South Manila, board of trustee for World Teach Philippines and The Bible League Philippines.

Because of the practice of his leadership gifts through these involvements, the University of Santo Tomas bestowed upon him the distinguished Manuel L. Quezon Leadership Award for 2 consecutive years.

He is married to Michelle Joaquin and has 2 daughters.