Leading Virtual Teams

Leading virtual teams is a “new” world consciousness with state of confusion, lack of time, juggling multiple tasks, and dealing with concerns (personal and others).

There are basic variables that we need to take cognizance of in order to lead virtual teams:

• Self-motivation: The team is counting on the leader for hope
• Personal Time: Leader must strike a balance between work and personal life
• Time Management: Time is money, do not just give it away
• Lead by example: Leaders must maintain great habit
• Calendar sharing: Share your calendar with your team to be sure they know what you are doing
• Collaborative ecosystem: Use platform that keeps you connected on a regular basis

Leadership style in a virtual world needs to maintain balance between freedom and control.

Possible leadership styles when leading virtual teams:

• Authoritative
• Affiliative
• Pacesetting
• Coaching
• Democratic
• Coercive

Leaders are expected to possess some traits, however leading virtual teams requires specific traits among which are listed below:

• Respond to the environment before it forces changes on them
• Relationship builders
• Flexible and proactive
• Open and tolerant to new ideas
• React to changes without rigidity
• Defy status quo
• Plan for uncertainties

Virtual leadership breaks down when people:

• Do not know where to go
• Know where to go but they do not know how to get there
• Do not agree on the ends and means
• Have identified challenges
• Do not know their roles and/ or when and how to contribute
• Do not share same picture of a situation

In virtual teams, effective teams cluster must have the following for it to work perfectly:

• Leadership
• Direction
• Skills
• Ethos

Leadership focus areas should be on productivity, quality, teams/company pulse, continuous learning and relationship management.

Relationship management is an essential input in leading virtual teams. This is all about trust with credibility, intimacy, and reliability as the basic components.

When leading virtual teams, the Results helps to know the goals, determine spend time. Overview, Structure and Control is having the sight in mind, structure for success and be in control of what you do. Time Planning will assist in having different planning timeframes.

The 3 key highlighted points above are necessary to focus on priorities, avoid overload and allocate resources.