Remote Leadership 2.0 In A Post Pandemic Work Climate

How I virtually lead others all over the country while I travel the world

We all know how work shifted once COVID-19 hit. Some of these shifts toward hybrid and fully remote work setups were already starting. I think the pandemic just accelerated what was already going to come.

I feel, through my observations and conversations, that workers adapted pretty well to this new normal. With digital tools like Zoom, Teams, Slack, and others, it’s incredibly easy for employees to stay connected to work and collaborate from wherever they have internet access. 

Now that we’re a couple of years into post-pandemic life, we’ve entered into version 2.0 of remote work culture. It seems to be going pretty smoothly for employees as they enjoy the flexibility and convenience of the virtual environment. However, I’ve noticed one area that is struggling in this new model: the ability of leaders and managers to effectively support their teams.

It’s one thing for employees to work on a project together from afar. It’s another for executives to provide strong leadership, establish a management structure, and develop a culture within a company that is somewhere between half and fully digital. 

My 2024 has been filled with a lot of exciting travel for work and play. But whether I’m in Chicago, Ireland, or anywhere else, I still have a responsibility to lead others through my Leadership Groups, Advisory Boards, Life Is Sales program, and 1-on-1 coaching. 

Here are a few ways I practice remote leadership to provide the most value to the individuals and organizations I work with.

Create culture, intentionally

Culture will develop in teams, departments, and companies whether we mean for it to or not, so we better do our part to intentionally build it. Without face-to-face interaction, it is more challenging, but there are ways it can be done. 

In my Leadership Groups, we have WhatsApp chats where members are free to post about whatever is going on in their lives, both professionally and personally. I jump in to share words of encouragement and offer support, but much of it comes from the other members. This helps us create a strong community where everyone feels like a valued part of the team and knows they have others rooting for them, in good times and in bad. Consider something like this for your organization to build a “tribe” atmosphere.

Small actions make a big difference

My Leadership Group meets virtually every three weeks, and we aim to meet in person every 6 months. But between these meetings, I’m not halting communication with the members. 

If I know someone has an important work presentation or personal event coming up, I will send a text to say good luck as well as check in after. It’s a small action, but I want the individual to know they are supported and that I am a resource for help, along with also keeping them accountable. In turn, they know I am a present leader throughout our journey together, not just for those couple hours during our meetings. It takes a minute to send a text, but the meaning behind it is incredibly valuable. 

Develop and utilize emotional intelligence and empathy 

This is so simple, yet so powerful. I ask my people, “How do you want to be led and supported?” Everyone has different needs, wants, personalities, and communication preferences. The best leaders adapt their style to fit their individual employees. I want to know exactly how to motivate and communicate with individuals in order to help them be successful. 

Members of my Leadership Groups send weekly recaps to the group via email. When one individual missed a few, he was asked how we could help. We found out that he just had a tough time doing it in an email because it caused too much overthinking and overanalyzing. We found a solution for him to send video recaps instead, and he has been thriving ever since. 

Also, remember to apply your emotional intelligence and empathy skills to check in with employees outside of work. Ask people how they are feeling overall, and about what’s going on in their lives from time to time. This will help you understand them better as a person and let them know you care about their well-being.

Motivate, celebrate, repeat

Understanding people’s motivations and what’s important to them is key. This could be money, pride, recognition, etc. Motivating employees in the wrong way is like speaking a foreign language to them. Motivate them in the right way, and success will come.

When it does, celebrate as many wins as possible, no matter how small. Virtually, this can be done with a personal phone call or FaceTime, but I encourage you to think about a group email or message so that others can also share in the moment and experience the impact. It makes people feel great when they’re acknowledged for their hard work and success. It’s not difficult to say “awesome job” but it does take awareness. I do my best to stay tuned in to important moments so that I can affirm my people. Plus, this naturally motivates them and others to continue to chase wins, so it has a dually beneficial effect.

Put virtual leadership into practice

What leadership in our virtual world really comes down to is communication, just like most areas of life. Communication is a two-way street, so be open and clear with people from the get-go to achieve the results you both want. Focus on first building trust and respect because once that foundation is laid, you can really dig into the next phase of leadership, which is motivation and accountability.

Be proactive

Don’t wait to communicate values or build culture, because they will organically start to happen on their own. The best way to prevent issues is to stop them before they even have a chance to start. 

Get creative 

There are so many ways to communicate, motivate, and develop culture. It does take work, but it can and should be enjoyable. If you have a flexible or hybrid schedule, give employees a reason to come into the office and bond.

Create shared experiences

Ultimately, people connect with each other when they go through things together. Find ways to foster these opportunities.
I hope these tips help you in building stronger remote work environments. Good luck leading!

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