The Hoxby model for effective virtual leadership
A guide to leading teams in hybrid and remote environments
Why you need to role model as a virtual leader
Demonstrating the right behaviour
This is the final article in our 15 week series exploring the Hoxby Model of Remote Leadership?. So far we have looked at several areas, including authenticity, agile experimentation, comfort with disagreement and trust. Being a leadership role model is the last of our 14 domains in which effective virtual leaders excel. This week we are drawing on inspiration and insights from experienced remote leaders Alex Hirst and Lizzie Penny (co-founders of Hoxby).
An effective remote leader embodies the behaviours they want to show. Conscious of the culture they set and the attitude they display, they know they are role models for the team.?
The importance of role modelling is set out in social learning theory which emphasises the importance of observing, modelling and imitating the behaviours, attitudes and emotional reactions of others. This is particularly important in a virtual context for two reasons. Firstly, people look for rules and guidance from a leader on how to behave in a virtual environment more than in an office as there aren't the same subconscious cues. There is no carefully-designed office to reinforce the culture, no dress code and fewer opportunities to observe how people interact and work together. Secondly, remote working is often a less-established approach to work for the employee and organisation. They may therefore look to their leader for more support compared to office environments in which they may be more experienced and comfortable.?
Alex and Lizzie always make sure to lead by example – projecting and communicating their workstyle. It is summarised in their Slack profiles, detailed in their workstyle document and included in their email signatures. They regularly post a reminder on their main Slack channels and they include it when they request a meeting with someone. They are constantly and consistently reinforcing their message.?
Lizzie also highlights that it is in the little things that you have the opportunity to truly model the world you want to create – when you pay attention to the detail you come across as a more authentic and trustworthy leader. For example, at Hoxby we strive to make all workers feel valued and equal, regardless of where they choose to work. Therefore Lizzie avoids saying ‘e-meet’ when being introduced to someone new over email. She always says ‘It’s nice to meet you’, the same thing she would say in person. She doesn’t distinguish based on how she has met someone – she knows that relationships formed remotely can be just as worthwhile as those formed in person (and you can revisit the section on team building and the story about Vix and Katy if you need a reminder).?
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Another interesting theme in our research was that remote leaders spoke about role modelling as a much more proactive process, consciously highlighting what they need and want others to be doing through very overt behaviour (as with Alex and Lizzie’s communication of workstyle). In an office environment, role modelling tends to be more reactive, focused on self-scrutiny and awareness of micro-behaviours, effectively towing the party line in the office, rather than providing a point of inspiration.
Key takeaways:
Want to be a brilliant virtual leader?
You have already taken the first step by reading this article and hopefully implementing one of two of the suggestions from the key takeaways in your team. But there are lots of next steps you can take:
Read our full article that includes some real life examples of successful remote leadership and thus, brings the theory to life.
If you want to learn more about the Hoxby Model of Remote Leadership?, you can request access to the full report here - https://hoxbyrefreshingwork.typeform.com/to/AJ2OE6v1?typeform-source=www.google.com