Why executive support matters more now than it did five years ago

Leaders aren't working less. They're being pulled in more directions: more channels, more meetings, more decisions that need a person in the loop.

The calendar fills up before the thinking does. Studies of how CEOs spend their time, including Harvard Business Review's tracking of 27 CEOs, put meetings at roughly 70% of their working hours. That leaves little room for the strategy, hiring and partnership work only they can do.

Attention is the scarce resource. Microsoft's Work Trend Index found that 68% of people say they don't have enough uninterrupted focus time during the workday.

Remote and global teams widen the gap. Work now crosses time zones and tools. Someone has to hold the thread between them: the follow-ups, the briefs, the decisions waiting on an answer.

AI helps. It doesn't own the outcome. Tools can draft, summarise and schedule. A good executive partner decides what matters, spots what's slipping, and makes sure the work actually lands.

What good executive support looks like

• A calendar built around priorities, not requests
• An inbox triaged so only what needs you reaches you
• Briefs and follow-through before and after every meeting
• Systems that keep the team moving when you're not in the room

It's not a luxury role. It's how a leader protects the one thing nobody else can supply: their judgment.

If you're stretched thin, start by listing what only you can do. Everything else is a candidate for support.