Out of the proliferation of remote work during and after COVID, a new challenge for organisations has emerged: many important skills are not easily, or cannot be, nurtured through screens. In the traditional office environment, the subtle yet powerful process of learning osmotically plays a critical role. Leaders model behaviours, and employees, often subconsciously, absorb crucial skills such as adaptability, emotional intelligence, and intuitive decision-making. Even resilience can be enhanced through witnessing other people’s coping mechanisms.
In remote settings, these informal learning opportunities are markedly reduced. The spontaneous conversations that once sparked creativity, the over-the-shoulder problem-solving, and the nuanced feedback from a nearby colleague are much less frequent. Moreover, digital communication, while essential, often lacks the depth required to convey the softer skills that underpin effective leadership.
Isolation, whilst having certain positives, dampens the informal feedback essential for growth, and building influential relationships through a screen is almost impossible.
The result? A gap in leadership development has appeared, precisely at a time when strong leadership is most needed.
Little wonder then, that after the initial rush to approve WFH to demonstrate ‘great employer’ credentials, we are now seeing more and more organisations insisting on a return to the office, at least partially. The leadership gap is becoming apparent to Boards and HR/OD teams, and it is a problem.
Remote work should not be demonised, however. Indeed, it has brought a welcome new dimension to work, providing added focus, flexibility and convenience – all of which can measurably improve a company’s outcomes. But we should not ignore its flaws. Long-term isolation is not good for most people and bonds within teams loosen… and a leadership gap is created and is growing.
The solution does not lie purely in a total, full-time return to the office for everyone, although many have already started this and some form of partial return seems inevitable for all. It is in rethinking how we address development and how we can precisely target that development to narrow this gap. Generalist management and leadership training may help but they are not going to solve the problem.
I am, of course, bound to say that Executive Coaching can be part of the solution. Through structured coaching, which by its very nature is bespoke to the individual and company needs, leaders and future leaders can continue to develop the critical, though hard-to-measure, skills that are less likely to be transmitted through virtual work alone. This is one way in which we can ensure that while we work apart, we can continue to grow together, developing the leadership capacities that drive our businesses forward.
I try to meet with, virtually or in person, lots of my business and coaching contacts, and I find this an effective way of keeping up to date with the latest relevant issues. It also helps to ‘ground’ me and encourage me to check in with my own work and approach. Along the way I have lots of discussions about leadership which inevitably entails wildly differing views and opinions.
Reflecting on what I feel makes a leader truly great, I realise that leadership is generally misunderstood. It should not be about rank or authority;
In today’s fast-paced work environment, our calendars often look like a Tetris game of meetings, where every line is filled without a moment to spare - perhaps some see it as a challenge to do so, or a function of importance? But how many of these meetings are truly necessary or even productive?