Is Remote Work Really a Leadership Killer?

Podcast Summary - Is Remote Work Really a Leadership Killer?

Host:

Dennis Guzik, retired Marine officer and career advice expert

Key Points:

• Podcast Inspiration:
• Inspired by a Wall Street Journal article by Louis Gerstner, retired chairman and CEO of IBM.
• The article asserts that remote work hinders leadership development.
• Main Argument:
• Observation and Mentorship:
  • Essential for aspiring leaders to watch others lead and manage.
  • Physical presence is critical, especially during mentorship.
  • Human Connection:
  • Leadership involves human connection and motivation, making remote work challenging.
  • Personal Experience:
  • Dennis shares his own positive experiences with in-person mentorship and learning.
  • Contrary Viewpoints:
  • Some jobs, like coding and writing, can be performed remotely without leadership detriment.
  • Mention of exceptional remote leaders in globally dispersed companies.
• Dennis' Perspective:
  • Agrees with Gerstner's view; physical presence is crucial for leadership development.
  • Differentiates between leadership (motivating, setting examples) and management (execution, operations).
  • Cites the Marine Corps' extensive leadership training as an example.
  • Leadership Steps for Remote Workers:
  • Be Present:
  • Observe and learn from others, noting both good and bad practices.
  • Get a Mentor:
  • Preferably someone you can meet with in person.
  • Pursue Education:
  • Continually learn about leadership, read about great leaders, and seek formal training.
  • Remote Work Challenges:
  • Connection and Observation:
  • Remote workers must make extra efforts to connect with colleagues and mentors.
  • Opportunities for In-person Interaction:
  • Utilize opportunities like quarterly reviews and social events to meet colleagues.
• Final Thoughts:
  • Remote work presents significant challenges for leadership development.
  • Extra effort and dedication are required to overcome these challenges.
  • Contact Dennis at dennis@dennisguzik.com for more leadership advice and training.
• Call to Action:
  • If you're transitioning into a leadership role and need guidance, reach out to Dennis for expert advice and training programs.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:02

Hello folks . Well , I'm back , dennis Guzik , the old jarhead who's here to give you some great career advice . So let's get to it . So the title of this podcast is Is Remote Work a Leadership Killer ? It was prompted by a recent Wall Street Journal article with the same similar title as the podcast . It was Remote Work is a Leadership Killer .

Speaker 1 0:31

It was written by Louis Gertzner , a retired chairman and CEO of IBM Corporation . So what he says here is that remote work is highly detrimental to employees who aspire to lead others . Why is that ? Because people learn how to lead or manage principally by watching how , or how not , others do it . And he gives some good examples . Having a mentor , for example , you really need to be there at least at the start of that mentoring relationship , and I kind of agree with that . I had a mentor at my last company and it was easy for me to just at the end of the day , knock on his door and say , hey , you got a minute , can you explain to me ? And then he would say sure , and go on and explain things right . So that's a good example . And then motivating others Motivating people is a very human connection endeavor and it's kind of important that you watch others to learn how to do this . So he says it's a leadership killer .

Speaker 1 1:32

What do I think about it ? Well , I think for the most part he's spot on Yep . There are some jobs that can be done completely remotely , like coding and being a writer , and there are exceptions to this rule . I know of several people who are exceptional leaders , but because of their corporate structure , that is , the entire company consists of people geographically spread throughout the world , and I know some people in that situation who are exceptional leaders . Joe , if you're listening , talking specifically about you , buddy but when I look back through my career and think about all of the other leadership and management skills I learned I learned by being present and watching others . I don't know how I would have gotten where I am without that in-personal experience . So let's talk a little about learning leadership , but first let's define the difference in my world between leadership and management .

Speaker 1 2:28

So leadership involves motivating people , being in front , setting an example . Management involves running things , being behind and getting things done , say for the corporation . Being behind and getting things done , say for the corporation . Now you can be taught the basics of leadership . The Marine Corps does that extremely well . All Marine officers get six months of leadership training before they ever go in front of the Marines they will lead . The instructors and staff provide the foundational information as well as setting an example . In my case , I took that basic leadership training and made the study of leadership a lifelong pursuit . But few people get that opportunity . And what you should do in that case I will discuss later in the podcast .

Speaker 1 3:18

But I've also observed many people put into leadership and management positions who lack any even the most basic leadership and management training and they fail , and I consider that a failure by those who put them into that position without training . Now I've watched some people excel and do pretty well , even though I don't have formal training . But most of that's because I have years of experience watching others , observing others lead and manage and thinking about it when they're done right . What did he do ? How did she do it ? I'm not sure they would have done as well if they had not had that experience . Now I've watched others , even though they've had lots of experience , completely fail when put into leadership training , leadership and management positions without any training . So I think watching others is an essential part of your leadership development , but it is not all so if you aspire to become a leader in your career and job .

Speaker 1 4:21

I think there are three essential steps you should take to get there . First , be present as much as you can and , when you're present , observe and learn from others , and that means the good and the bad . Learning what to do is as essential as learning what not to do , and take the time to think about your observations and even talk with your peers about them . Second , get a mentor someone who you can learn from and ask questions of . I've talked about mentoring in past podcasts and I'm a fan . Go back and listen to some of my Be a Mentor and Get a Mentor podcasts , but getting a mentor is much easier and productive when you're not working remotely . A mentor that you can meet with and ask questions is a huge advantage in learning how to manage and lead . And then , third , get education on the basics of leadership . Then make that leadership education a lifelong pursuit . Keep learning about humans and how to motivate them . Read about other great leaders and what made them great . I offer training to people who want to become leaders and their feedback to me is that the training I offered was instrumental in their performance as a leader . Others offer leadership training as well , but I would recommend to you , if you want this sort of training , then you get it from somebody who has actually led people and not just someone who has made leadership their academic career .

Speaker 1 5:47

But what happens if you find yourself in a remote job , not because you have a strong desire to work from home , but because that's what your employer's policy is ? During COVID , there were many companies that shut their offices and had employees go to 100% remote work . Some even sold their properties or canceled their leases , so a return is very difficult In this case . If you aspire to be a leader , then you have to put in the extra effort to connect with those who work for you , your colleagues and those above you . Make the extra effort to get to know them and to observe how your boss handles things , and that means handles well or handles poorly .

Speaker 1 6:24

Again , try to get a mentor that you can speak with periodically . That person does not have to be from the company you're working with , although that helps , but it could be somebody who's in the area , somebody you can actually get together and meet with . And if there are periodic opportunities to meet with the people you work with , do that . Some things have quarterly reviews and social events and study leadership and management and , if possible , get some leadership training . Okay , so that's a lot . That is what I think about the article . Remote Work is a Leadership Killer . I would say that it presents significant leadership training challenges that require extra effort on your part . If you put in that extra effort , though , I think you can become a good leader . So thanks for listening , and if you're interested in learning more about how to lead , especially if you've been selected to your first leadership position , then send me an email at Dennis , at Dennis Guzik dot com . Again , thanks for listening and bye , thank you , thank you .