The Backbone of Executive Success: Why Strategic Support Is the New Power Move

There’s a persistent myth in business that leadership is a solo performance. We envision charismatic CEOs commanding attention in boardrooms, founders pitching on stage, or VPs navigating high-stakes negotiations with ease. But the reality is far less glamorous, and far more human. No executive, no matter how visionary, operates in isolation. Behind every high-functioning leader is a system of support: operational, emotional, strategic, and more often than not, invisible.

One of the clearest examples of this truth lies in the story of Sheryl Sandberg’s early days at Facebook. When she joined the company as COO in 2008, Facebook was rapidly scaling, but it lacked the organizational structure to support sustained growth. Rather than focusing only on her direct reports, Sandberg made it a priority to build out a robust support system, delegating operations, empowering her executive assistant with high-level decision-making authority, and creating clarity across functions. That infrastructure allowed Mark Zuckerberg to remain focused on vision and product while Sandberg and her team stabilized the foundation underneath him. Her impact wasn’t just operational, it was transformative.

Consider another example: Jeff Bezos and his “shadow” advisors. For years, Bezos employed what Amazon insiders referred to as a “technical advisor” role, essentially a right-hand person who would accompany him to every meeting, help synthesize insights, and follow through on next steps. This wasn’t a glorified note-taking position. It was a strategic role, often filled by rising stars within the company who had the judgment, discretion, and pattern recognition to act as extensions of Bezos’ thinking. In many ways, these advisors became the operational conduit between Bezos’ visionary thinking and Amazon’s ability to execute at scale.

In both cases, executive success didn’t come from hustle alone. It came from leverage, from understanding that strategic support isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity. Still, support roles often go unrecognized. They’re seen as reactive rather than proactive, administrative rather than strategic. But look closer, and you’ll find they are often the ones holding the long view when others are stuck in short-term urgency. They are the ones catching miscommunications before they become mistakes. They are the quiet presence that enables clarity when complexity creeps in.

Take the story of Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo. Nooyi was known for writing personal letters to the parents of her senior executives, thanking them for raising such talented individuals. But what many people miss is that this gesture wasn’t just about gratitude, it was about reinforcing culture. Nooyi worked closely with her inner operations team to keep track of her leaders’ milestones, families, and stress points. She relied on her executive office staff to keep that web of context alive, not just to be nice, but because it helped her lead more effectively. Empathy, when operationalized well, becomes strategy.

We tend to think of strategy as big moves, grand pivots, or billion-dollar acquisitions. But often, strategy starts in the seemingly small decisions: how a leader’s calendar is managed, who has access to them, what information reaches them, and when. That’s why executives who invest in building the right systems of support aren’t weak, they’re wise.

A well-supported executive is not just more organized. They’re more focused. They make clearer decisions. They spend their time on high-value thinking rather than logistical firefighting. In essence, they become more of what they were hired to be: a leader.

It’s time to change the way we view support in executive contexts. The assistant who pre-reads all the briefing documents and distills them into a one-page summary? They’re a time strategist. The operations coordinator who notices that Tuesday meetings consistently run over because of a poor agenda flow? They’re a system optimizer. The business administrator who gently reroutes distractions away from the executive’s attention? They’re a focus protector.

These roles aren’t support, they’re infrastructure, and if we want to build businesses that are resilient, ethical, and scalable, we need to start valuing that infrastructure not as a back-office function, but as a leadership practice. So, whether you’re an executive navigating complexity or a support professional ensuring that leadership can lead, remember this: no one builds a legacy alone. Success is a shared outcome. And the people behind the curtain? They deserve just as much spotlight as the ones on the stage.