Books for Executive Assistants and Administrative Assistants

Founder Adam Hergenrother and his Chief of Staff, Hallie Warner, have worked side by side for over eight years. Adam brings the vision and Hallie follows through. They don't have it all figured out; they are far from perfect, and they've had their share of growing pains over the years. Throughout this book, they share what's worked for them, what they've learned along this journey, and some best practices that they recommend you implement immediately to get results. It is their hope that the lessons you learn here will help you find success and fulfillment in your business, your career, and your life as a whole.

Authors: Adam Hergenrother & Hallie Warner

Release Date: August 9, 2019

From Conan O’Brien’s longtime assistant and cohost of his podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, a completely hilarious and irreverent how-to guide for becoming a terrible, yet unfireable employee, spilling her trade secrets for minimizing effort while maximizing the rewards.

Sona Movsesian didn’t wake up one day and decide to become the World’s Worst Assistant. Achieving such greatness is a gradual process--one that starts with long hours and hard work before it eventually descends into sneaking low-dosage edibles into your lunch and napping on your boss’s couch.

Author: Sona Movsesian

Release Date: July 19, 2022

Entrepreneurs are bold visionaries, while assistants are diligent integrators. The right entrepreneur/assistant team is unstoppable. Delegation Nation is a blueprint for both parties on how to find each other, work together, and form a lasting, successful partnership to build a thriving business.

Through a deep understanding of the perspectives of both entrepreneurs and assistants gained from experience in both roles, Valerie Trapunsky teaches readers of Delegation Nation how to build strong delegation habits, navigate challenging situations as they arise, and establish impeccable communication—all to form the ultimate dream team.

Author: Valerie Trapunsky

Release Date: August 29, 2023

The mainstream nine-to-five work life is slowly but surely fading away. Having one job with one employer is no longer seen as the most secure or financially rewarding career option. Instead, we now know that a healthy work-life balance is crucial for success and the ability to thrive in life.

Whether you want to become a Virtual Assistant full time or as a side hustle to your primary job, this book provides clear insight and direction for setting up your VA business to start seeing clients within one month.

Author: Joanna Mitchell

Release Date: August 22, 2021

As a former EA, Tricia Sciortino knows how difficult it is to be an assistant to high-achieving leaders who are so busy that they don't want to slow down long enough to delegate. She knows how hard it is to watch them suffer from over-scheduling and over-promising. No amount of proactiveness can overcompensate for the lack of delegation.

In her book, Rise Up and Lead Well: How Leveraging An Assistant Will Change Your Life & Maximize Your Time, Tricia seeks to address that very dynamic, as viewed from both sides of the desk, so both leaders and assistants can maximize their productivity and strike the work-life balance they both deserve.

Author: Trisha Sciortino

Release Date: January, 2021

In this book, Joan Burge, the red-lipstick-wearing Rock Star, and pioneer of administrative excellence exposes the game-changing truths and unwritten rules you need to know in order to maximize your potential. In an unapologetic, uncompromising, no-holds-barred style, Joan shares never before revealed career stories and life lessons in a tell-all book that will challenge your perspective and teach you how to master your craft and triumph in today's business environment. What are you waiting for? The world is waiting for you.

Author: Joan Burge

Release Date: August 31, 2018

With humor, grit, compassion, and a calm demeanor, Linda McFarland imparts her wisdom to help assistants succeed in a rapidly changing role. The Wizard behind the CEO: Enchanted stories from the assistant with the magic WAND is about Linda’s adventures as an assistant in the intense world of Silicon Valley. This book is a great way to learn from a role model with insight to avoid the potential pitfalls we all face in our hectic business and personal lives..

Author: Linda McFarland

Release Date: June 25, 2018

This is a valuable handbook for anyone in the administrative or secretarial professions. It is rare for us to find information that can make a difference both in our professional careers and personal relationships in one easy-to-read book. Filled with thoughtful questions and answers, this book leads the readers on an exciting and well laid out journey to understanding what it takes to support their executive while rising to the top and reaching their career goals.

Author: Peggy Vasquez

Release Date: Re-released on September 10, 2020

From bestselling author and expert Sue France, The Definitive Executive Assistant & Managerial Handbook is the ultimate guide to management in the context of an administrative role. Placing an emphasis on both personal leadership and practical skills, this new edition of the award-winning book teaches readers to manage a team, develop the emotional intelligence to understand their colleagues, negotiate effectively and confidently manage a project. Equipped with these tools, readers will be ready to steer their teams to organizational success in any situation.

Author: Sue France

Release Date: November 30, 2021

There are numerous books about Nelson Mandela, but Good Morning, Mr. Mandela is the first by a trusted member of his inner circle. In addition to offering a rare close portrait, Zelda la Grange pays tribute to Madiba as she knew him—a teacher who gave her the most valuable lessons of her life. Growing up in apartheid South Africa, La Grange, a white Afrikaner, feared the imprisoned Nelson Mandela as “a terrorist.” Yet she would become one of his most devoted associates for almost two decades. Inspiring and deeply felt, this book honors a great man’s lasting gift.

Author: Zelda la Grange

Release Date: September 30, 2016

*This page is my attempt to curate an exhaustive list of all books written specifically for or about the executive assistant role. While many of these books are great reads and well worth your time and money, I have not read all of them, nor do I agree with everything written in the ones I have read. In other words, please do your own research. Read the Amazon reviews, check out the website of each author, etc. Additionally, some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I may get a small kick back from Amazon if you purchase them. Thank you for leading and reading!

– Jeremy Burrows