5 crucial skills that make a great remote leader
Because sometimes having a list to work off makes planning so much easier
Leading a remote team requires a lot more intentional communication. Fly-by management as you walk through the open office doesn’t work. So how do you keep on top of work without micromanaging? How do you connect with your team without annoying them? And how do you ensure your own visibility so your career doesn’t stop here?
Heres’ my take on the traits of a good remote leader, distilled from this research paper - and one of the fundamental ingredients of the Remote Leadership Accelerator. part of the Accelerator.
1. Actively connect with your team.
In a hybrid setting, make sure you and the team are on-site on the same day. For fully-remote setups, weekly or bi-weekly 1-1s help you to get to know each team member to understand their motivation, their strengths, and how they want to be supported. There are lots of tools and resources out there to create engagement, make sure you are crystal clear on what exactly you are trying to accomplish.
2. Maintain awareness of the work being done.
This isn’t micromanagement. It doesn’t even happen in 1-1s. Awareness is about creating a system that allows you to keep on top of everything that needs to be done, preferably without having to regularly ask your team members. Asynchronous check-ins, project management software, shared tasks lists - choose whatever works for you and the team. Then make sure you get the necessary information delivered automagically whenever needed.
3. Support your team through clear organization.
This includes being upfront about expectations, setting clear goals and deadlines, and learning how to delegate tasks. Your ability to explain what needs to be done is crucial in a remote environment where you can’t rely on visual clues to see whether someone is confused. This also means that you may want to use tools and written instructions a lot more than you would in an in-person environment. The general rule is: make it easy for your team members to do their job.
4. Discover (and implement) your own productivity style.
Some people thrive on to do lists, others want to see their tasks on their calendar, and some rely on three big rocks. There is no better or worse productivity system. You need to find one that works for you and apply it consistently so you know that you won’t accidentally lose sight of your own tasks as you chec how different team projects have progressed.
5. Share your learnings and your knowledge.
Originally, the research referred to being a good writer, as a proxy for clear and lasting communication. With the ability to record videos and get summaries of conversations through AI tools, you can supplement your writing skills through curating and improving those summaries. The goal here is twofold: you want your knowledge to be accessible to others, and you want to showcase your skills when you can’t be present in person.
At the end of the day it comes down to intentional communication and a good system that helps you to not get stuck in the weeds of an ever buzzing Slack notification storm. Being able to zoom out without losing the connection to your individual team members will help you grow and learn with and through your team, while also supporting them.