Remote Leadership is the New Normal, So Get Good At It!

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Business today is not business as usual. It’s why we call it a “new normal.”

While many of us have experienced “new normal’s” during our careers, we have found each one to bring new challenges to the workplace.

The question is, are you ready to be an effective leader in today’s new normal?

The answer is good news because current and future leaders can step up and learn to effectively manage in any situation. The bad news is it’s easy to overlook developing key skills thinking they don’t matter.

For example, many of you have already experienced the challenges of being a remote leader. Skills like listening. You are learning the hard way that listening is the foundation required to build trust and achieve intended results. I’ve addressed these skills and more in two articles this year, Are You Ready to Excel as a Leader? Now is the Time! and  Knowing How to Lead Virtual Team Members Is a Required Skill

This article addresses those commonly overlooked skills that remote leaders must also address to become effective during any new normal.

5 Often Overlooked Leadership Skills

Be More Proactive and Less Reactive. For example, many businesses had been considering allowing employees to work remotely prior to this pandemic. But, they pushed it off thinking it would take too much time and too many resources. Yet, within a week of “Stay at Home” orders, these same companies were able to have millions of employees working from home! What ideas, programs, and plans have you been sitting on thinking now is not the time? Now is the time to either move them forward or find a shredder. Don’t be afraid to brainstorm new ideas with your team!

Manage for Results. Before this latest crisis, only 10% of teams actually executed their plans! Today we don’t have that luxury. To improve your results, expect success and work with your team to achieve them! Do you know the #1 skill to develop? It’s how to listen.  That means no multi-tasking while you pretend to listen. (Yes, I know I’m a parrot about listening! I find it amazing the results achieved when you do!) When you listen intently, you will hear ideas and nuances that you previously missed. Ask questions to deep dive. This #1 skill will facilitate 1:1 and team effectiveness and results!

Choose Who Should Work from Home. Be aware and sensitive to the fact that not everyone can work from home productively for a variety of reasons. Create new options for remote team members to work in safe and healthy environments. It’s up to you to ensure they have the tools and resources needed. Schedule 1:1 meetings to ask, listen, and ensure your team members have what they need to be productive.

Build Resilience, Responsibility, and Resourcefulness. It’s important to develop a team that pushes the edges, takes initiative, and creates positive differences.  Mistakes will be made by you and your team; use these as learning opportunities. Provide podcasts, online webinars, and other opportunities to develop new skills for both you and your team! An added idea: Focus on one new skill per week by facilitating a short discussion (or have a team member do so). This process builds team comradery and ensures they are using their new skills. Skills include, listening to one another, appreciating the diversity of people, using critical thinking, and executing a plan, to name a few.

Be Coachable. Yes, during fast economic growth, we often overlook this essential skill believing we don’t have the time to talk with a coach. Yet, successful leaders have coaches regardless of the economic highs or lows! The bottom line is, you don’t have the time for trial and error for this new normal!  That’s one of many things a coach will help you with. Also, remember your team members will only forgive you for your blunders once or twice before circulating their resumes! So hire the right coach today!

©Jeannette Seibly 2020

Jeannette Seibly is an award-winning executive coach and keynote speaker.  For more than 27 years, she has been an expert in guiding leaders to achieve unprecedented results remotely!  Are you ready?  Contact Jeannette  Don’t forget to listen to her podcasts on Anchor.FM or YouTube.com.

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