Our abrupt shift in 2020 to remote work seems likely to stay to some degree for countless individuals. This has come with personal and social costs for many. This raises the questions, what are the differences, if any, in what remote teams need from their leaders? How does/should leadership change in a remote environment?
During the pandemic we’ve been fortunate enough at OSI to be able to shift much of our work to remote, safer locations. In my case, I’ve set up shop in our comfortable home library, which we affectionately call the Jumanji Room as it contains mementos of our 40+ years of travel.
We noticed that for many of us this time quarantined at home has provided found time to devote to personal growth. But COVID-19, recession, and social unrest have certainly presented a host of challenges to clear thinking and thoughtful plans. To help reflect on best practice, and compose this article we’ve enlisted the aid of coach, colleague, and friend, Laurel Marshall. We would also like to thank our Canadian comrade and strategic partner, Bob Power, for his read and review. Our complete article is included as an attachment but here are the elements we agreed were absolutely essential to any good professional development plan.
The current global pandemic has resulted in an extraordinary need for strong leaders. Citizens in every city, state, and country are desperate for direction and hope. Those of us in the leadership business find ourselves immersed in a remarkable living leadership laboratory.
The steady loss of jobs resulting from a dramatic and accelerating work place shift to automation, as well as the general trend toward a more knowledge-based economy, has left many experienced workers needing to reset their lives as they shift to new careers. It can be disappointing and disheartening to abandon accumulated knowledge gained in one field, when forced to change to a totally new career.
