How to Be The Best Leader For Office, Remote, or Hybrid Teams

As the working model changes from onsite to more remote—and even hybrid—work, the way business leaders manage teams is evolving, too. Growth and productivity rely on strong leadership. How do you manage well from afar?

The key component of a productive team is trust. Your team must trust you as their leader and set the foundation for your business.

Let’s dive into four ways to be the best leader for any team. 

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Trust 

We began this article by talking about trust, but let’s dig a little deeper into why trust is so important to leadership within any business model.

Sometimes leaders get so caught up in the nitty-gritty of business they forget to nurture company culture. Set clear expectations of what you want from your team and business. Build trust by being open enough to allow your team to come to you. If your team doesn’t trust you, it won’t be as productive. 

Communication 

We all know communication is important. We’ve talked about it a lot. Keeping expectations, business goals, and responsibilities clear are, of course, important. However, a larger part of being a strong leader is keeping lines of communication open both ways—with remote and hybrid work models especially. 

Your employees should have some level of insight into what is really working and what is not. They are doing many tasks that you aren’t and can see where possible change can make tasks and processes more efficient. By opening the lines of communication, your employees can feel comfortable providing valuable insights.

Structure

Creating structure and boundaries within your day and schedule allows you to be the best leader you can be. If you don’t do both of these things, you’ll become bogged down analyzing and worrying over the next email ding. 

Take the analogy Rocks, Sand, and Pebbles, for example. If you don’t place all of your important and heavy tasks first, then the other daily items won’t fit. In addition to making your day as efficient and productive as possible, you have to set boundaries. 

Prioritize life outside of your business. We know business has to keep going but staying up until midnight every night and continuing to work will only lead to burnout. Decide on (and stick to) a stop time. Disconnect from your emails and enjoy quality family time or exercise. Take time to nurture your life outside of business. 

The Right Fit 

When hiring employees, don’t just try to fill the opening. Find the right fit. Depending on your work structure (in-person, hybrid, or remote), make sure your team can handle the requirements of what comes along with these positions. For hybrid and remote positions, your employees need to be independent, resourceful, and able to troubleshoot each day successfully. Take into consideration their personality and skill set. Some of these can be taught, and some cannot. Set your team up for success by adding the right players.

If we as business owners continue to prioritize these four key components, continue to check in with our teams and ourselves, and make a commitment to becoming the best versions of ourselves, we will lead our teams to success simultaneously.

How did you build trust with your team today? 

• What is the best leadership style for remote teams?

  Remote teams often require a different approach to leadership than in-person teams. The best leadership style for remote teams is one that emphasizes collaboration and participation from all team members. Participative, transformative, situational, and servant leadership styles are all effective for fostering collaboration and helping teams to reach their goals. On the other hand, authoritarian and laissez-faire leadership styles are not optimal for remote teams and can be counterproductive.

• What are the top 3 things that a leader can do to create a good remote working culture?

  1. Ensure everyone feels supported by providing access to resources and assistance they need to be successful.

  2. Encourage diverse thoughts and ideas by providing an open and inclusive environment for collaboration and creativity.

  3. Make people feel comfortable sharing feedback without fear of retribution by emphasizing the importance of honest and constructive dialogue.