6 Leadership Skills Administrative Assistants Need

Great Careers Start Here
  • Hidden
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

In business, you don’t need to be an executive to be a leader. You can take ownership of your responsibilities and demonstrate leadership skills, as an administrative assistant. In fact, there are several leadership skills, such as initiative and effective communication, that can help you achieve, succeed, and rise above. Do you possess all six of the leadership skills you need to excel?

1. Administrative Assistants Must Show Initiative

To be a leader, you need the drive to succeed. Part of that drive comes from showing initiative. Instead of waiting for someone to tell you what to do, find a task and do it well. When you can perform without oversight you’ll be given more responsibilities and more opportunity to prove how valuable you are to your boss and the entire organization. And when you take initiative, you set a good example that could inspire others to do the same.

2. Administrative Assistants Need Problem Solving Skills

How you discover, address, and solve problems says a lot about the kind of leader you could be. With good problem-solving skills, you can quickly and efficiently handle any issue that comes your way before it escalates to your boss. For example, if you find the internet is glitchy, you can wait until it affects the whole company, OR you can figure out the cause first. It might be a simple fix, or you may need to call IT. Either way, the more quickly the problem is addressed, the less downtime for all involved.

3. Technology and Computer Skills

Speaking of technology—you need a basic proficiency with technology no matter what career you choose. You don’t need to have IT-level skills, but you should be able to send emails, conduct basic research on the Internet, and keep up with the software used in your office. You’ll need to be familiar with software like Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat, and comfortable with video conferencing tools like Zoom and collaborative tools like Google Docs. Good tech skills make you more efficient, productive, and needed.

4. Business Communication Skills for Administrative Assistants

As an administrative assistant, you’ll be one of the key personnel that people go to for information. Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, are critical to your role. You’ll respond to emails and answer phones and manage the office’s incoming and outgoing mail. You might also be asked to draft speeches and memos for your boss or respond to some of his or her emails.

An important aspect of communication is listening, a skill that will also come in handy throughout your career. You’ll need to listen to your boss’s requests and feedback and be able to respond professionally to everyone you encounter in the workplace.

5. Organization Is an Important Administrative Skill

Organization is one of the most important skills you’ll need as an administrative assistant because all your other duties will rely on you being well organized. You’ll manage office files, both physical and digital, and you may also take meeting minutes or notes for the office’s records. You’ll keep track of office supplies and order more when the stock is low. If you manage your boss’s calendar, they’ll also depend on your organizational skills to help them keep track of what they need to do, where they need to be, and at what time.

6. Administrative Assistants Need Time Management Skills

Time management skills allow you to juggle many responsibilities at the same time. They’ll help you prioritize your tasks so you can accomplish them by a given deadline and adjust your schedule when something unexpected comes up. This is also a skill that can help you balance a healthy work/life balance.

Do you need to hone any of these leadership skills? At Charter College, you’ll have the opportunity to develop the skills you’ll need to work as an administrative assistant through our Certificate in Business Office Administration. You’ll learn about business communication and leadership, and you can complete the program in as few as 10 months. Call 888-200-9942 or fill out the form to request more information.