Whether your team is fully remote or some sort of hybrid, becoming an excellent long-distance leader requires a different mindset than you may have had when everyone was all together. There are things you need to let go of (no, you can’t look over their shoulder to see what they’re working on) and things you need to do more of (set clear expectations).
In going through the updated version of The Long Distance Leader: Revised Rules for Remarkable Remote and Hybrid Leadership, I found a list of behaviors we need to let go, and others we should lean into.
Too many leaders have taken the return to office and the rise of hybrid work as a way of ignoring the importance of being an effective long-distance leader.
We need to let go of:
- The need for control. Micromanagement was never a good operating strategy. When we work apart from each other, it’s literally impossible.
- Our focus on activity. Worrying about the time it takes someone to change out their laundry while they should be at their laptop is folly. The amount of effort people have put into looking like they are working is time far better spent thinking about or doing the required work.
- Our skepticism. When we can’t see what’s happening, we often assume the worst. Those less-than-rosy assumptions create cynicism and erode trust.
On the other hand, we need to lean into:
- Trust. Leaders who trust their team members and work to build and maintain trust are more likely to build effective Long-Distance and Hybrid Teams.
- Empathy. When we are empathetic and understand not everyone is working under the same conditions or assumptions, we are more effective as leaders and can get more from our team members.
- Having clear expectations. When work expectations are mutually clear, greater success follows. Clarity supports better results, less rework, and higher levels of trust.
- Intentionality. If we remember to think “Leadership first, location second,” (Rule 1) then everything starts with thinking about what we do and taking intentional action. Sometimes leading at a distance requires us to act counter-instinctually. It might be our first reaction to fire off an email, but maybe a phone call will have better results. Whatever you do, know why you’re doing it and what the impact will be.
Successful long-distance leadership is not radically different from leading when everyone’s all together, but the differences require mindfulness and thought.
To learn more, the updated edition of The Long-Distance Leader, Revised Rules for Remarkable Remote and Hybrid Leadership is available for preorder now, and published September 17, 2024.
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