Forget the Prada, says Josh Bondoc; this film nailed the invisible labor, emotional intelligence, and power dynamics that define executive support
“All right, everyone! Gird your loins.”
The Devil Wears Prada sparkles with fashion and drama, but I discovered something unexpected when I finally watched it. I came across this movie when there were assigned readings for my Executive Assistant Development Program at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), and I will admit that I put it off for a while. I thought it would be all Prada heels and office melodrama. But after completing the program and sitting down to watch the movie, I kept finding myself nodding at the screen. The high-stakes, behind-the-scenes work felt comfortably real.
There is a sequel hitting the theaters on May 1, 2026. Miranda Priestly returns to face Emily Charlton, her former Assistant turned rival, as they battle for advertising revenue in a shifting media landscape. Last month’s teaser showed Miranda walking through Runway’s halls in red stilettos. When Andy steps into the elevator and slides on her black sunglasses, Miranda delivers that classic line: “Took you long enough,” complete with her signature growl.
Nearly 20 years after its release, the original film still hits close to home. What critics wrote off as just a glossy fashion story has become one of the most accurate depictions of administrative professional life. Not because of the Chanel boots or that cerulean sweater monologue. It is the relentless pace, the invisible responsibilities, and the emotional labor that define what we do.
Excellence and the Reality of Power
“That’s all.”
Miranda Priestly says this line constantly, and it is one of her quietest. Andy finds it dismissive at first, this cold way to end conversations. Those of us in the field recognize it immediately.
Senior leaders have a gift for concise communication. They juggle multiple high-level decisions and priorities simultaneously, operating at a pace that keeps you sharp. They think ahead, confident you will connect the dots alongside them. These fast-paced environments teach you to become incredibly perceptive and proactive, skills that become second nature over time.
Andy’s early struggles are not about lacking intelligence or work ethic. They come from misunderstanding how power works. When Miranda asks for an unpublished Harry Potter manuscript for her daughters, Andy hears an impossible task. Miranda hears a test of resourcefulness.
This is not just cinematic exaggeration. In the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) 2021 Administrative Professional Survey, of 680 administrative professionals and 772 of their colleagues, 92% agreed or strongly agreed that administrative professionals are central to a team’s success. The data backs up what high-performing Assistants know instinctively: our work, though often behind the scenes, directly impacts organizational outcomes.
Nigel explains this reality with his usual bluntness when Andy complains about the job: “You think this has nothing to do with you? … Everyone wants this.” He is not just talking about ambition. He is talking about access. Roles close to leadership are demanding precisely because they matter.
Excellence in these roles is not about perfection (thank goodness, because that is very exhausting). It is about being reliable under pressure, answering questions before they are asked, fixing problems before they surface, and staying composed when the stakes are high.
“The details of your incompetence do not interest me.”
People quote Miranda’s line for its sheer cruelty. But there is a truth underneath that many of us learn quickly, sometimes painfully. In high-performance environments, explanations are far less valuable than results. Leaders want solutions, not stories about why something went wrong.
Andy begins to succeed when she stops trying to justify herself and starts simply delivering. She learns that feedback, even harsh, cutting feedback, is information. Not a judgment of her worth as a person. A signal about expectations.
This shift in perspective is essential for administrative professionals. Growth happens faster when you treat criticism as data instead of defeat. Emotional resilience becomes just as important as knowing how to work pivot tables or manage complex calendars.
Emotional Intelligence and Invisible Leadership
“I never thought I would say this, Andrea, but I really, I see a great deal of myself in you. You can see beyond what people want, and what they need, and you can choose for yourself.”
Andy has no formal authority, but watch her influence grow steadily throughout the film. She controls Miranda’s access, manages information flow, and keeps everything around her running smoothly. This is not by accident. It is administrative leadership in action.
Since 2020, the American Society of Administrative Professionals (ASAP) has conducted one of the largest benchmarking surveys of administrative professionals. The ASAP 2025 State of the Profession Report, based on responses from 3,710 administrative professionals, reveals something striking: we manage an average of 24 distinct responsibilities. These include organizational communication, executive operations, task and project management, and process improvement. Much of this work is critical to organizational success, yet it often occurs completely behind the scenes, enabling leaders to focus on strategy and results. (I answered the 2026 survey, and I cannot wait to receive the latest report!)
Andy’s experience brings this to life in vivid detail. She does more than manage schedules and logistics. She manages moods, expectations, and reputational risk. She absorbs stress so Miranda does not have to. This emotional labor is exhausting because it is constant and largely invisible. Staying calm when others are upset, remaining professional when pressure rises, staying composed when mistakes happen. It is just part of the job description that nobody writes down.
Her early overwhelm reflects what many new Assistants experience: that sudden realization that the job is not just about completing tasks. It is about navigating people. Their egos, bad days, and power dynamics.
Over time, Andy learns when to engage emotionally and when to step back. This balance? Critical for sustainability and long-term success in the role.
Miranda herself demonstrates a different kind of emotional control. She rarely raises her voice or explains herself. Her authority comes from consistency, not volume. Her line “I don’t understand why it’s so difficult to confirm an appointment” reveals a mindset where competence is simply assumed, not debated.
Working for leaders like Miranda requires advanced emotional intelligence. You must learn to separate tone from intent, urgency from disrespect. You need to understand that pressure is often situational, not personal, even when it feels deeply personal in the moment.
Andy’s transformation gets described in terms of fashion (the hair! the accessories!), but it is really about adaptability. She learns the language of her environment. She listens carefully, prioritizes effectively, and aligns her presence with expectations.
By the time Miranda begins to truly rely on Andy, it is not because Andy has become submissive or lost herself. It is because she has become dependable. Reliability, more than charm or blind compliance, is what earns influence.
[HEADING] Boundaries, Identity, and the Courage to Choose
“No, no, you chose. You chose to get ahead. You want this life. Those choices are necessary.”
As Andy grows more capable at Runway, the cost of excellence becomes painfully clear. Her friendships strain under the weight of missed plans and last-minute cancellations. Her partner feels increasingly sidelined. People accuse her of changing and losing herself.
Andy’s choice to leave Runway gets interpreted as failure, as her not being tough enough to handle the pressure. I see it differently. It is a moment of profound clarity: she leaves not because she cannot handle the work, but because she can and chooses not to continue.
That distinction matters.
In her 2022 Harvard Business Review article, “Is Executive Assistant the Right Career for You?”, Bonnie Low-Kramen states that the EA role highlights the importance of boundaries, identity, and the courage to choose. EAs occupy a high-impact position that requires clear boundaries, a strong professional identity as strategic partners and organizational glue, and the deliberate courage to weigh the role’s rewards and challenges against personal values and goals.
The film’s final exchange between Miranda and Andy is subtle. No apology, no grand speech, just a small nod across the street. In Miranda’s world, that’s respect. Andy leaves with a clearer sense of her standards, her limits, and her capabilities. She knows what excellence demands and what it costs.
For today’s administrative professionals, this is the lasting lesson of The Devil Wears Prada: the role is not about being close to glamour or simply enduring hardship. It is about mastery, judgment, and the courage to make deliberate choices about your career and your life.
Beyond Runway, Beyond Titles
“Don’t be ridiculous, Andrea, everybody wants this… everybody wants to be us.”
The Devil Wears Prada endures because it tells the truth about work. Not the sanitized version we see in corporate brochures, but the real, complicated truth. It recognizes the invisible labor that keeps organizations running and the emotional intelligence needed to thrive in demanding environments.
For administrative professionals, the film offers something rare: genuine recognition. It validates the complexity of a role that’s often misunderstood and chronically underestimated. It shows that administrative excellence is not accidental or natural talent alone. It is learned, earned, and ultimately chosen.
Beyond the runway lies a profession built on quiet leadership. The kind that does not get headlines or corner offices, but shapes outcomes in profound ways. Those who excel in it are not just Assistants following orders. They are architects of effectiveness, shaping outcomes long after the credits have rolled.
And yes, we are still waiting to see what Miranda does next!
