Remote/Hybrid Leadership

Challenges / Opportunities

The virtual workplace is no longer a trend; it’s an inevitability that has become our new reality, creating new challenges and opportunities for leaders.

In recent years leaders have become more adept at leading from a distance, but the evolving dynamics of work create shifts in the on-site workplace and how leaders manage both on-site and remote team members. These dynamics restructure the workplace to include increasingly hybrid work teams. While it seemed challenging in the recent past to manage the occasional telecommuter, the random remote team member, or the one-off geodispersed team, hybrid teams add a layer of complexity to the mix. Fortunately, leaders can use fundamental leadership skills to lead hybrid teams effectively, with appropriate adaptation for these new workplace and work-team circumstances.

Leaders must now continually address the needs of team members who are sometimes remote, sometimes in the office, and rarely all together in one place. Leaders need to leverage “virtual presence” skills and build trust within dispersed teams; communicate without the benefit of in-person interaction; share information, collaborate, and innovate via digital tools; coach from a distance; hire and onboard remotely; inculcate cultural values virtually; and achieve performance targets in new ways.

These skills are essential for the new era of leadership that is required in a wide range of organizations and in shifting circumstances. Understanding how to adapt leadership skills to effectively support remote team members and hybrid teams is essential for leaders now.