The Truth About Managing People: Proven Insights to Get the Best from Your Team, Fourth Edition

Truth 34. Virtual Leadership: Leading from Afar

How do you lead people who are physically separated from you, whom you may never have met, but with whom you communicate electronically? These are people who might be in different time zones, geographic locations, or residing in a different culture.

We can’t ignore the reality that today’s managers and their employees are increasingly linked by networks rather than geographical proximity. Working remotely is a rapidly spreading trend. For instance, one research group estimated that, between 2008 and 2013, there was an 800 percent increase in virtual workers. Emerging technologies allow people to work from almost any location. Obvious examples include managers who regularly use e-mail or video calls ...