Leading at a distance has become a special challenge in recent years. Many managers fear losing control of their employees. Yet personal closeness is possible even with physical distance. In this article, find out which methods and tools make remote leadership successful.
Leading at a distance: These are the challenges
As a manager, you know the challenge: Due to the pandemic and accompanying home office regulations, you are separated from your employees, at least temporarily. Until 2020, leadership was strongly characterized by physical presence. The mindset: If you want to lead, you have to know what your employees are doing!
Exciting insights into remote leadership are provided by a study by the Hernstein Institute. Particularly striking: Things are not as bad as they seem! Managers who already have experience with remote leadership rate the challenges more optimistically overall.
We have summarized the most exciting results of the study on remote leadership for you in an infographic:
As you can see, there are various methods and tools that can give you back closeness when leading at a distance. Because one thing is clear: physical proximity is no guarantee for good leadership! Conversely, this means that remote leadership can even be an opportunity for you to establish genuine closeness with your employees. We will show you how this can succeed.
Tools for Remote Leadership
Three adjusting screws will help you to lead successfully and keep your team together despite the physical distance:
Learning culture in the company
Methods for digital collaboration
Tools for digital collaboration
Successful remote leadership through a good learning culture
What does learning culture have to do with remote leadership? A great deal! When leading at a distance, your employees are particularly dependent on your support: they must feel that you trust them and understand their challenges.
Reading tip: Learning culture begins in the executive suite
A good culture in the company manifests itself in employees feeling strengthened as individuals and supported from above. For remote leadership, this specifically means:
Good learning culture in the company | Implementation in Remote Leadership |
Managers serve as role models. | Inform yourself about methods and tools to be able to work well at a distance yourself. |
Touchpoints enable networking with each other. | Create regular meetings where employees can exchange ideas with one another. |
Employees should know at all times what benefits something brings them. | Communicate why and to what extent leading at a distance is necessary – and how they themselves can benefit from it. |
Lighthouse employees serve as a good example. | Do not skimp on (sincere) praise and appreciation towards your employees. |
Learning culture begins during onboarding. | Pay special attention to regular exchange with new employees or at the beginning of the distance. |
Learning culture is not tied to a space. Culture is created between people, even across geographical borders. A good learning culture therefore enormously supports leading at a distance: Your employees feel encouraged by always being supported by you and feel that you trust them. This allows them to give their best and even motivate each other.
Digital methods for remote leadership
If communication takes place largely digitally, you as a manager should think about suitable methods. Meeting in the coffee kitchen or a spontaneous visit to the office is no longer possible. How can you enable exchange digitally in a similarly relaxed way?
5 methods with which you can succeed in remote leadership:
1. Set goal agreements
Goal agreements are the ideal means to ensure that remote leadership succeeds on a professional level. Discuss with your employee (in a one-on-one meeting!) which goals they should have met and by when. Tip: At least at the end of the goal agreement, another conversation should take place, ideally also in between.
2. Personal participation in informal exchange
Coffee dates, digital lunches, games nights after work – even for remote managers it can be helpful to participate in such informal digital get-togethers. But please do not overdo it: for employees, a permanent presence of managers can also look like surveillance.
3. Retrospectives
Retrospectives are particularly helpful when leading at a distance, as you gain new perspectives – the perspectives of your employees. You can offer these, for example, after larger projects or structural changes. Tip: Make sure that the retrospective remains purely a "look back" and that every participant gets a chance to speak sufficiently.
4. Offer one-on-one meetings
One-on-one conversations with your employees are particularly important in remote leadership. Tip: Be sure to give your employees space and time to raise their own topics!
5. Strengthen the intranet
The intranet or similar platforms for the flow of information become particularly important due to remote conditions: your employees should be informed about the currently applicable rules and offers at all times. Tip: Show your face online, too! For example, if you want to announce something, why not simply record a short video of yourself instead of writing a text? This seems more personal and brings you a good step closer despite remote leadership.
Checklist: Your employees should be able to find answers to these questions at all times!
What rules apply to remote work?
How and when can I reach my supervisor?
How and when do I find out if framework conditions are changing?
Where can I get fast and easy technical support?
Who is my contact person for which topic?
Digital tools for remote leadership
Finally, we would like to give you a few suggestions for tools that you can use particularly well for remote leadership. Different methods are useful for each medium – and ultimately, a good mix is usually the most successful.
Here are typical functions of digital tools, their applications for remote leadership, and some concrete tool examples:
Function | Applications for Remote Leadership | Tool Examples |
Chat, quick and easy exchange | Spontaneous coordination, informal conversations, team- or group-wide surveys | |
Video conferencing, meetings | Show your face in digital conferences – turn on the video! | |
Learning, further training, onboarding | Monitor learning progress, enable sustainable learning and onboarding | |
Intranet, platform for information | Bundling of essential information for everyone to read, announcements | |
Creative collaborative work, digital whiteboard | Actively involve employees in meetings, moving away from pure "sitting and listening" | |
Project management, internal organization | Coordinate tasks, keep an overview of workload, define responsibilities | |
Data storage location | Instead of file folders, store data and manage access | |
Time tracking | Track your own time for tasks, estimate which area needs how much time | |
Scheduling | Find free time slots for appointments, without verbal coordination |
How Remote Leadership Succeeds
You have now learned about challenges, methods, and tools for remote leadership. In conclusion, we can say: Good remote leadership is always better than poor on-site leadership! Physical proximity is no guarantee for good leadership, and too often managers lull themselves into a false sense of security just because they have an office next to their employees.
The most important points of this article are summarized here once again:
Often, the fear of remote leadership is greater than the actual challenges.
Anyone leading at a distance should expect more time for planning and communication.
A good learning culture is essential for the working atmosphere and thus also for remote leadership.
Digital communication must be particularly clear and easy to understand: employees must know what rules apply at all times.
Plan a meeting in a one-on-one format at least once a quarter.
Give your employees sufficient opportunities to get actively involved.
Show your face! A quickly filmed selfie video is a more sympathetic announcement than a text.
Conclusion
Remote leadership does not succeed through as much control as possible, but through trust, clear communication, reliable structures, and regular personal exchange.
Physical distance therefore does not automatically have to lead to less closeness in the team. With fixed one-on-one conversations, clear goal agreements, informal exchange, and transparent information, managers can ensure that employees also receive guidance and support remotely.
Digital tools create the technical basis for this. However, the leadership culture remains crucial: employees must know what is expected of them, where they can find information, and who they can turn to with questions. This is how good leadership can work, regardless of the workplace.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
What does Remote Leadership mean?
Remote leadership refers to the management of employees who do not work permanently in the same location as their manager. Communication, collaboration, and leadership therefore take place at least partially via digital channels.
What is particularly important in Remote Leadership?
Among the most important prerequisites are trust, clear communication, transparent goals, and regular personal exchange. Employees should also know at all times where they can get important information and support.
Which methods are suitable for Remote Leadership?
Suitable methods include goal agreements, regular one-on-one meetings, retrospectives, and informal digital meetings. Central information offers can also facilitate collaboration at a distance.
What role does the learning culture play when leading at a distance?
A good learning culture promotes trust, personal responsibility, and exchange. Managers act as role models and create framework conditions in which employees work independently and at the same time feel supported.
