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.