The Missing Piece in Educational Leadership
The other day I spotted a book on my boss’s bookshelf and immediately recognised the author, Millikan, whose work I had recently referenced in a literature review.
It reminded me just how expansive the literature on educational leadership is. There are rich studies exploring the leadership roles of Principals, Vice Principals, teacher-leaders, and middle leaders.
Out of curiosity, I turned to the contents page, searching for any mention of 'support staff'.
But here’s the gap: very few studies explore the leadership of non-teaching staff.
Executive Assistants are often the backbone of organisations. We carry critical responsibilities, influence decision-making, and help shape school culture. And yet, the EA role identity within leadership has barely been explored in any research, not just within education but within any industry.
Yes, the EA role has evolved significantly over the past two decades, no longer limited to administrative support, but now operating at a strategic level. Perhaps due to this evolution is why our leadership capabilities are yet to be fully explored or validated. Or perhaps the under-recognition stems from outdated perceptions of the role.
Either way, when identity remains unrecognised, schools risk underutilising a key leadership resource, and EAs themselves are left feeling undervalued and underutilised.
That’s why my research is asking a simple but powerful question: "How do Executive Assistants to Senior Executives enact leadership within independent school settings?"
Exploring this question has the potential to unlock new insights - not only for EAs seeking recognition of their leadership identity, but also for schools looking to strengthen their leadership capacity.
Ultimately, the study will inform understandings of the diverse leadership applications of the EA role within independent school settings, and perhaps also be informative for other industries.
I look forward to sharing more on my research journey over the next 12–18 months.
