Leading at a distance – how to gain results at a distance

Leading at a distance is becoming very common nowadays. In 10 years from now do you think that the number of people working remotely will increase or decrease? Well, as you might have guessed – all signs lead to having an increased number of remote work organizations each year.

Based on this fact, as a leader you must think about the how in the leadership first, and about the location second. As the virtual teams continue to grow and become so common at both small, medium sized and large scale organizations, leaders must understand how to build virtual work environments that nourish focused, engaged, and high-performing teams.

Managing remote teams can be a challenging task. What makes remote leading different and what are the things that you as a leader should change, add or improve, we will share in this article.

Read along to learn what works best when leading at a distance, in order to achieve better results and greater team success.

It takes much more than using Zoom or Slack to operate effectively at a distance. Knowing how to establish the organizational culture remotely, how to conduct the recruitment and on-boarding process, create accountability in a virtual environment, build trust and create strong team unity, is a must if you want to gain results at a distance.

Leaders must master virtual work environments to keep geographically dispersed team members connected, engaged and productive. Most effective virtual leaders are those who have the characteristics of empathy, flexibility, humility and resilience.

1. Establish A collaborative virtual work environment

Encourage collaboration and support the creation of good working relationships between all team members, no matter their role and location. Encourage the use of collaborative software and video conferencing platforms to help employees communicate about work and non-work related matters to encourage open communication and teamwork.

2. Establish A trust-based work environment

Find ways to develop teamwork that is based on mutual trust and support. Trust is even more essential in online work environments. Trust creates belonging, determination and boosts productivity.

3. Empower employees to work independently

As an effective leader you should establish a system that will allow you to track progress without pressuring employees and infusing micromanagement style. Leading at a distance can be challenging. Find ways to delegate work in a way that increases employee effectiveness and creates accountability.

4. Motivate team members while leading at a distance

Maintain frequent communication among each employee, inspire them to achieve the set goals, talk openly about problems and manage conflicts effectively. Show the team that they have the freedom to talk openly about anything and make important decisions on their own. Empower each employee to make decisions but also act on it.

With remote working continuously increasing, and hybrid work arrangements definitely taking place at many organizations, leaders must adapt and conquer the most common challenges applicable to remote working teams. To boost team performance while leading at a distance, leaders must learn how to deal with the poor communication, lost context, and unresolved conflicts that are common in virtual environments. Research shows that trust is the foundation for team success. By committing to maintain open, productive and transparent communication, providing opportunities to build interpersonal relationships, and displaying a willingness to talk about anything, leaders can establish trusting virtual environments and boost team effectiveness.

Leading at a distance is here to stay. The location shouldn’t become a burden to the leaders that want to create high performing teams. Learning how to adapt to all the differences that come with managing remote teams is crucial. We often say that culture in remote work environments is much more important then the technology used. You can read more here about the importance of culture in remote work environments.