Great leadership in the age of Zoom

The Covid-19 pandemic marked a before and after for office work. As social distancing untethered millions from their physical workplace, both companies and employees realized the immense potential of working from home. 

Indeed, a recent study by McKinsey found that more than 20% of the workforce in nine diverse countries could effectively work remotely three to five days per week. If that potential were fully met, it would mean three to four times as many people working from home than before the pandemic. 

At the same time, several analysts and companies say that remote and hybrid work are here to stay. By 2024, Gartner predicts that in-person meetings will make up just one-quarter of enterprise meetings. 

Leaders who adapt their style to the new digital reality will gain an edge over those who don’t. But just how should leadership change when meetings shift from the boardroom to Zoom?

A new strategy for meetings

Commanding a room isn’t the same as commanding a screen. Some leaders who are highly charismatic in person fall flat online because the certain something that makes them seem authoritative gets lost in the digital world. For one, organizational leaders appear on the same screens as world leaders and celebrities. That makes the charisma competition even tougher. Another problem is that, with fewer nonverbal cues, reading the room can become a challenge. 

Though there are techniques to boost so-called e-charisma, the actual substance of messages and the ability to orchestrate conversation move to the forefront.

“Online meetings are more transactional, so people may have less patience for all that showcasing and storytelling that traditionally makes up a large part of charisma,” said Lee Newman, Dean of IE Business School and Professor of Behavioral Science and Leadership. “ I think people online will get more charisma points for being amazing orchestrators: bringing out the best in everyone, bringing out the quiet people and managing teams in a way that is productive and constructive.”

Experts say that leaders should be clear, succinct and engaging in online meetings. Even though one’s pants may be more comfortable when at home, organization and preparation remain key. Planning what to say beforehand and goals to achieve during online meetings can help ensure effective communication. 

“Zoom fatigue is real, and there is so much bad PowerPoint. Leaders have to get better at making sure the content is engaging. It’s easy for the mind to wander or for people to multitask. In general, we have to plan to deliver content in shorter chunks with more intentional breaks,” said Matt Emerson, President of CEAVCO, an organizer of virtual, hybrid and live events. 

Newman suggests that for meetings to be successful, their purpose has to be clear.  He says an easy way to start is by breaking down meetings into three categories — sharing information, problem-solving or generative brainstorming — and sticking to that one purpose. 

“I think many companies waste a lot of time by not having a clear purpose for meetings,” he said. “If you go into a meeting to communicate a decision that’s already been made but then ask people what they think about the decision, it shifts from an information-sharing meeting to a fake problem-solving meeting because you’re not really interested in people’s responses. It’s a problem, in general, that’s been exacerbated in the digital space because we have more meetings since it’s so efficient that you don’t even have to get up from your chair.”

At the same time, minimizing anything that could distract from the message can help people focus. In that sense, high-quality video and audio are important, as is having a professional background and appearance. 

Newman also suggests considering whether the meeting would work better live or in an asynchronous format, meaning leaders could host temporary chats built around specific topics or purposes as opposed to making everyone gather at the same time. 

“Live meetings are good for certain things like complex problem-solving and brainstorming. But if you want to crowdsource input on certain ideas, you can get more diverse input quickly and efficiently through collaborative channels that can reach more people than who you would maybe invite to a typical meeting.” 

A good connection 

Employees’ relationship with management is the single most important factor for their job satisfaction. If teammates feel isolated, like they’re moving from task to task with little connection to their leaders, it can take a toll on their motivation, performance and well-being. 

Though making human connections and bridging the emotional gap can be more challenging online than in person, it can help cut through the layers of isolation that people may feel while working at home. 

Simple tips like looking at the webcam as if you were looking people in the eye and making light conversation while waiting for others to show up can go a long way to demonstrate warmth and humanity. 

But fully listening, understanding and responding to what teammates say is the cornerstone of building and maintaining strong connections whether online or offline. This is the basis of empathy, as Newman explained at a recent seminar in a conversation with Daniel Goleman on post-pandemic emotional intelligence.

It means making space for everyone to share their thoughts in meetings and not getting distracted when they speak. It also entails keeping the lines of communication open more generally and being empathetic to different home situations.

“There are simple tactical things like setting ground rules to make sure people aren’t disappearing behind black screens, not listening or multitasking. In person, the rules of standard behavior come out naturally, but online it is easier to get disconnected. It’s also important to set rules around conversational flow like making sure everyone has a voice and using hand raising, for instance,” Newman explained. 

In complex and isolated environments, feedback also needs to play a big role in leadership. If employees send their work over email as if sending it to a black hole, chances are it will be demoralizing. Of course, feedback is a two-way street. Leaders should be open to suggestions for how to continuously improve and can even ask for suggestions on virtual leadership in particular.  

Another area that is key for keeping employees motivated is giving them engaging work that sparks their creativity. In remote situations, people often gravitate toward completing concrete tasks. But leaders are there to offer the bigger picture and inspire teammates to go above and beyond what’s asked of them. 

As former Apple CEO Steve Jobs once said: “Management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could.”

The digital workspace remains relatively new and is posed to continue shifting into new realms like the metaverse. With that change comes the opportunity to experiment, fail and try again. As the years of the pandemic have shown, strong leadership isn’t about always being right — it's about using any tool available to empower others to accomplish larger goals.