Leading a remote team

Leading people is both exciting and challenging, and comes with significant accountabilities to the business and especially the people we are leading. These responsibilities were amplified in recent weeks and months, with the face of the modern workplace changing dramatically and whole companies needing to make a move to working remotely.

Leading teams remotely can be equally daunting and demanding, particularly as we as leaders have little or no experience in effectively managing entire remote teams. Even at Microsoft, where working virtually is part of our culture and fabric, we too had to adjust this new full-time remote work practise.

This new reality necessitated a deep commitment to keeping the business on course to ensure we continue to focus on our strategic objectives, while simultaneously meeting the needs of our people, prioritising and taking care of their wellbeing and keeping them engaged and productive.

I feel fortunate to work with highly motivated and committed professionals – adding to this the leadership lessons I’ve learnt in previous roles over the years - it is helping me navigate and stay grounded during this uncertain time dealing with many new experiences. I am also learning valuable new skills and lessons every day as my colleagues, and I continue to connect and collaborate in a rapidly changing world.

The most critical leadership lessons I have learnt to lead teams remotely during these times are the following:

• Be human – show empathy for your team members’ wellbeing: Communication on a purely business level isn’t enough, it’s vital as a leader to ensure that you are also prioritising your employees’ wellbeing. I have found that taking the time to connect – through a simple message, email, or call – is remarkably effective and helps both my people and me. It helps us stay engaged even if we are not face-to-face and reminds us that we are working towards a common goal. 
• Communicate well and often – engage with your people regularly: Communication is key to being a good leader. One of my mantras as a leader is that effective communication enables others to understand the business priorities, align behind them and feel motivated enough to deliver successfully on them. I always strive to be transparent, authentic and effective in communicating plans and goals for the organisation. I have found, without fail, that this helps energise my people and motivate them to reach both their own goals and collective business objectives.
• Trust your people by giving them greater responsibilities: Our people are our biggest asset, and as leaders we are working daily to unleash each individual’s full potential by expressing confidence in their abilities, and allowing them the opportunity to showcase their capabilities. Giving our people greater levels of responsibility will build their confidence, and in turn, benefit both their performance and the business. I have always believed that confidence is a key ingredient of success. Coupled with faith in your capabilities, a deep sense of purpose, and clear values and goals, plus a firm belief that you are able to achieve your goals, will push you to reach them.

o  Empower your people by giving them access to learning and training opportunities: The world is changing at a rapid pace, and now more than ever, we need to invest in continuous learning and self-development to ensure that we are able to benefit from the latest advances and remain relevant. As leaders, we need to model this behaviour and I encourage my own team members to actively look for and take advantage of learning and training opportunities, as well as provide them with access to different learning platforms and experiences.

Resilience, and the ability to find possibilities and opportunities in the face of uncertainty, will empower businesses and people to bounce forward with courage and compassion. As leaders we are at the forefront of enabling this mindset during this time, and it is important that we continue to take care of our mental and physical wellbeing, and that of our people.