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Leading from the other side of the screen

Leading from the other side of the screen

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Leading from the other side of the screen
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Monday, 20 april 2020 | Redacción CEU

In these times of coronavirus, companies have been forced to embrace teleworking as their main modality. Most of them have not had the opportunity to make a carefully considered decision, but rather a quick response to the current emergency situation. This was their only chance to survive. This is an unfavorable context which may lead to little organization and, consequently, to a lack of effectiveness. On the other hand, companies that had already opted for working remotely promptly have a head start. However, this does not mean that they are not facing new challenges. In the current circumstances, the figure of a strong leader who knows how to respond correctly and in proportion to the magnitude of the problem is, more than ever, essential. Leaders must also perform their duties in a really different scenario, and that poses an added challenge: How to lead teams remotely and efficiently?


The professionals who lead remotely are limited by many aspects: they cannot gather their teams in the same room and encourage them to interact, they cannot show their support with a pat on the back nor can they invite employees to have a coffee. Sometimes, in this kind of actions, there are hidden small details that bring a sense of closeness to leadership. However, virtual leadership does not have to be necessarily cold and distant. For example, the minutes leading up to a virtual meeting might serve as an informal invitation to interact and socialize. In addition to making a favorable impression as a professional, this is yet another good reason not to be late for an online meeting. Despite what is commonly accepted, leaders who are distant might even be closer than others who are physically closer at work. This is an issue that has more to do with the approach to leadership rather than the real distance that separate leaders from their employees.

Leaders who are distant, but approachable

Communication is one of the main keys to leadership. It is so both when it is established in-person as well as in virtual contexts. Nevertheless, it is especially in virtual contexts where communication must be carefully examined, as in online interactions some details are lost such as gestures, intonation, reaction time, etc. This may lead to situations that pose serious problems like taking for granted that a message has been understood when it has not, the provision of insufficient information about crucial actions or misunderstandings that might arise.

The ability to communicate is not based just on having good speaking and writing skills, being expressive or having a charismatic personality, but on being able to listen actively, built trust and show empathy. It is important to keep in mind that communication always needs two parties involved. If one of them only limits itself to taking a passive role, the interaction cannot be considered effective. Therefore, communication should be bidirectional and include questions, reflections, suggestions, proposals, etc. In short, it must reflect the participation of team members in order to be complete.

Good communication stimulates creativity and has an influence on employee loyalty. Both are fundamental aspects in these current times of emergency and crisis. In this current scenario, some aspects that are directly related to communication are even more necessary than ever such as clarifying the information or managing emotions (being resilient, managing frustration, being patient, etc.). Last Monday, Óscar Izquierdo Pérez, CEO of RENOVATIO Way to Go, offered a webinar about the importance of communication in times of crisis on the social networking sites where CEU IAM is present. We highly recommend it to those readers who are interested in knowing more about this topic.
 

Leading from the other side of the screen

Clear, organized and shared virtual leadership

Another essential aspect of distance management is organization. During these days of confinement, many people have tried to contact with groups of friends by video call. Most of them may confirm that these meetings might be chaotic when the number of participants is high, and no one has proposed a clear organization in the speaking turns. Similarly, virtual meetings need to have a clear agenda and a purpose to be productive. Likewise, the members of a remote team should know what their roles and responsibilities are, what actions they have to carry out, what goals they pursue and what deadlines they have to comply with. In other words, remote leadership needs very clear rules of the game.

Last Thursday, Gustavo Aguilar de Armas, Head of CEU ILEAD, offered a webinar about how to organize highly effective meetings. In it, he included tips like making participants interact early so that they do not end up disconnecting, clearly establishing the purpose of meetings and guiding participants in such a way that they can obtain clear results. Those readers who want to go deeper into this topic can watch this video on our YouTube channel.

There are many different keys that may contribute to establishing a solid and effective leadership through the Internet: promoting agile reporting, holding one-on-one meetings, establishing clear crisis protocols, offering useful and agile tools, etc. Among all of them, there is one that must be a priority for remote management: team building. Employees who work remotely are more likely to feel isolated. In a team which is separated by kilometers and screens, a sense of belonging, even pride, becomes crucial. To successfully achieve goals, employees must make them their own. They must share them. Leaders can only achieve this by sharing their vision and also by opening a space for them to participate.

Today's business world needs executives who have the professional and personal skills which are necessary to lead in enormously complex environments, since factors such as globalization, digital transformation and change management will shape the reality of their organizations. The CEU IAM Business School offers an Executive Development Program aimed at training these professionals. Do you want to become one of their students? Ask for further information with no obligation on your part!
 

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