Lead from a
Distance
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials
Lead from a Distance

Lead from a
Distance
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training MaterialsHttp://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2014
By the end of the Power Hour you will be able to:
• Identify the challenges that a distance leader must
overcome.
• Describe the qualities and competences of a good
distance leader.
• Discuss the tools available to you to
help you to lead a remote team
successfully

Lead from a
Distance
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training MaterialsHttp://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2014
Challenges for Remote Leaders
• Location
• Isolation
• Culture
• Trust

Lead from a
Distance
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training MaterialsHttp://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2014
Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda

Lead from a
Distance
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training MaterialsHttp://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2014
What Great Leaders-from-a-distance Do
Inspire the Team
Be a Leader of Leaders
Focus on results, not process
Serve the team, not yourself
Build a sense of identity
Develop relationships
Maintain a constant flow of information
Coach people to achieve their potential
Use technology wisely
Build trust

Lead from a
Distance
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training MaterialsHttp://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2014
The Skills of Remote Leadership
Good
Remote
Leader
Effective
communication
Build trust
Developing
team identity/
relationships
Harnessing the
different
strengths of the
team
Monitoring
performance
and Celebrating
success
Using
technology well

Lead from a
Distance
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training MaterialsHttp://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2014
Effective Communication
Some suggestions for good communication:
• Hold regular team meetings
• Send out ‘information’ emails to everyone in the team
• Make time to meet everyone face-to-face
• Use teleconference facilities and internet tools
• Communicate equally with each team member
• Find out communication preferences of each team member
• Listen to team members and take on board their ideas
• Take and circulate accurate minutes soon after meetings
• Be explicit and specific – often you will be communicating on the
phone, and people cannot ‘see’ that you are busy for example

Lead from a
Distance
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training MaterialsHttp://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2014
Building Trust
Some suggestions for building trust:
• Be open and honest with people
• Give your trust first – people strive to prove you right
• Abide by your own rules
• Be fair, and be seen to be fair. Treat everyone the same.
• Do what you say you will do – keep your promises
• Manage expectations
• Be consistent in your approach
• Be accessible and responsive
• Maintain confidences

Lead from a
Distance
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training MaterialsHttp://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2014
Develop Team Identity
Some suggestions for building team identity:
• Hold meetings
• Rotate the ‘chair’ of meetings
• Set up a ‘virtual’ meeting room
• Allow ‘in-team’ language and jokes
• Meet in different places
• Organise social occasions
• Arrange for team members to work in 2s or 3s on tasks
• Reward team achievements above all else

Lead from a
Distance
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training MaterialsHttp://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2014
Harness the Strengths of the Team
Some suggestions for harnessing the strengths of the team:
• Get to know each team member
• Have regular 1-1s
• Recognise strengths and develop them
• Discover personal preferences
• Encourage colleagues to highlight skills in each other
• Look for opportunities to delegate
• Ask for volunteers
• Acknowledge that different people can support the team in
different ways

Lead from a
Distance
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training MaterialsHttp://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2014
Monitor Performance
Some suggestions for monitoring performance:
• Encourage people to set their own goals
• Make sure that objectives are SMART
• Collate factual information regularly and via systems where possible
• Encourage feedback between team members
• Talk to people about their performance – what has gone well/not
so well
• Ask people to assess their own performance
• Use multiple sources of evidence
• Use common language to allow people to talk openly about their
performance with colleagues

Lead from a
Distance
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training MaterialsHttp://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2014
Celebrate Success
Some suggestions for celebrating success:
• Give small prizes for specific achievements
• Have a ‘team member of the month’ award
• Give recognition/recommendation to higher authority
• Offer first choice of interesting tasks/location of
meeting/meal out
• Personal mention in internal newsletters or on blogs/message
boards
• ‘Nominate a Colleague’ scheme for excellent work

Lead from a
Distance
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training MaterialsHttp://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2014
Using Technology
• Email
• Telephone
• Teleconferences/Skype/
Videoconferencing
• Meetings
• The Internet
• Social Media

Lead from a
Distance
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training MaterialsHttp://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2014
Make it Work at Work
What are you going
to DO as a result of
this Power Hour
Session?

Lead from a
Distance
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training MaterialsHttp://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2014
Thank You
These slides have been produced as an optional
resource to support an interactive Bite-Size Training
session on this subject.
A full set of materials, including detailed Session
Leader’s Guide, Delegate Workbook and supporting
activities can be purchased from our Training Shop
Our Training materials are licence-free, but are for use
by the purchaser an d their organisation only.
They CANNOT be passed or sold on.