What Does Effective Online Leadership Look Like?

The coronavirus outbreak has upended many aspects of our daily lives, including our work and business relationships. Many of us are being forced to conduct business in ways that we never really considered before. Employees used to weekly or daily face to face meetings now have to make do with a conference call or video conference, and usually on a less frequent basis. The question then becomes this. What can you, as a leader in your organization, do to remain effective, and lead your team? The leadership abilities and skills you had previously don’t simply go away because you are working remotely. You are still the same person that you were before, but you may find yourself having to adapt and use those skills in new ways. The team you lead is going to look to you to set the tone and provide guidance and direction. As well as giving hope that things will restore to what they were before. Here are some actions you can take during the age of coronavirus:

Communicate, Communicate, and Communicate.

You must stay in contact with your team, whether by email, telephone, video conference, or preferably, all of the above. Team members will expect and want to hear from you regularly.

Check In Weekly

Make sure you check in with every employee at least weekly if not more often. Of course, you will want to discuss the business at hand but take a few minutes to ask them if they are doing well, do they need anything, and how they are holding up. Your employees will appreciate this kindness and consideration, as it will let them know you care about them as individuals and haven’t forgotten them.

• Once a week at a minimum, you will want to have an online meeting with all of your staff. Preferably, this should be done by video conference. If you don’t have the right set up a teleconference will do. Team meetings are an opportunity to get reports and updates, bounce ideas off one another, and see how everyone is doing. These weekly calls will also help keep up staff morale and enthusiasm.
• Take advantage of technology to keep your team working. You may want to share a Dropbox or use something like G-suite so that you can continue to work collaboratively on things.
• Share with your team members about how you are feeling and doing. As a leader, it is important that you show yourself to be vulnerable and human. Being vulnerable doesn’t mean crying over every little thing but showing that you are a person with feelings, and sharing in the trials and tribulations of your employees will go a long way toward motivating them, inspiring them and strengthening a connection with them.
• Continue to lay out a vision and a clear direction, you may need to check in more frequently with employees than you would in a shared office environment just to make sure everyone understands the vision and is working in harmony.

Leadership Is Leadership

Regardless of whether it is online or in-person, leadership is leadership. Online leadership does present certain specific challenges and difficulties, but you can still lead your team effectively even in an online environment. Don’t let the current situation prevent you from doing what you do best. Continue to be present for your team and provide guidance and you will lead them to a successful outcome.

Contact Us today to learn more about services with Higgs Leadership Development.

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