The CEO's calendar was locked for six months.
Yet your colleague—same level as you—landed a meeting next week.
How?
They understood something most professionals miss: The people with the least status often have the most control.
They don't sign your promotion.
They don't sit in executive meetings.
They don't even show up in org charts.
But they can make or break your next career move.
That's the Gatekeeper Effect.
The Roles You're Ignoring (That Are Silently Judging You)
Receptionists: The first impression filter.
Executive Assistants: The human API to leadership.
Office Managers: The glue behind every ops decision.
IT & Security Support: See everything. Forget nothing.
HR Coordinators: Enforce policy, culture, and onboarding tone.
Junior PMs and Team Leads: Hold coordination power without titles.
These people track behavior patterns.
They see how you treat others when you're not "performing."
And they influence how you're perceived by those in power.
The Bill Gates Example
Even at Microsoft's peak, Bill Gates' EA was the unofficial Chief of Staff, controlling access, prioritizing information, and outranking many VPs in actual influence.
Gates trusted her judgment over numerous executives. Why? She filtered signal from noise without political agenda.
The lesson: The person who controls access often has more practical power than those with formal authority.
Why Gatekeepers Have Power Without Permission
Three reasons:
Proximity to Power
They spend more time with decision-makers than you do.
Unfiltered Access
They hear what leaders actually think when the Zoom ends.
Trust Over Titles
Leadership often trusts their judgment more than your resume.
Gatekeepers are early-warning systems.
They can slow down a rising star—or amplify a quiet one.
Real Talk: You've Already Been Evaluated
Every time you ignored an assistant, brushed off support staff, or acted like someone "beneath you" didn't matter?
It was noted.
In meetings.
In chats.
In the kitchen.
And if you're not getting traction in your career, this might be why.
The decisions about you often happen in rooms you're not invited to—by people you didn't even notice.
Free Subscriber Tactics: How to Work With Gatekeepers
Respect is default: Speak to them like decision-makers—because they are.
Observe the real org chart: Map who influences whom—watch proximity and attention.
Become useful: Help them solve small problems. No ask. Just give.
Consistency > Charm: A thousand small behaviors matter more than a single good impression.
Speak in filters: Think "What would this person pass on?" and tailor your message accordingly.
Quick Win: Next time you need something from a department, start by asking the coordinator or assistant: "What's the best way to approach this request?" Then follow their guidance exactly. You'll bypass weeks of bureaucracy—potentially landing that approval faster than colleagues who go straight to the top.
You win through the gate not by smashing it—but by being invited in.
Related Articles
Building a Loyal Following Without Trying Too Hard (Coming soon)
Detecting Puppet Masters: Who Really Calls the Shots (Coming Soon)
Sponsored
Sanjay Says
Join 10,000+ readers getting entertaining emails about managing your career 💰 and your life ❤️
🔒 Paid Subscriber Section: Tangible + Transforming
Here's how to translate this insight into influence:
The Influence Mapping Tool
Access Scripts
Build Your Gatekeeper Ledger
Your Gatekeeper Challenge
Subscribe to Founder to read the rest.
Become a paying subscriber of Founder tier to get access to this post and other Founder subscriber-only content.
Upgrade