Virtual Presence

L=F(c) – Leadership is a function of Communication

1. Remember people need more human connection in the virtual/distributed world. And, especially right now. Be conscious of that in an appropriate way.
   
   
2. Think about your background and lighting. Your leadership presence is now all about your virtual presence. Background and lighting are easy to fix if you think about it.
   
   
3. The biggest thing you can do up your game is to get a USB mic or a nice headset with a boom mic. Sound is more important than video and the built-in mic of your computer or laptop is small and far from your mouth.
   
   
4. Practice Insightful Vulnerability. Share what you're having a hard time with and how you're resolving it. Talk about what you're learning, etc. Make it a safe space to share what's not working and make the expectation that people ALSO share what they're DOING about it, and learning from it.
   
   
5. Remember, your employees are now a lot more like volunteers than when they were in the office. Inspire them to stay productive, have more, shorter meetings, care about them and let them know it, and consider more 1:1 meetings, more often, just so you can check in with people and support them.
6. As a leader, I think your most important job is to continuously remind people of the “empowering context” for the work you're all doing together. And, always remember to come from that place, yourself. People are inspired to be doing what they're doing, but they sometimes forget when they're heads down in the details. Continuously remind them of why they're working so hard.
   
   
7. Set the expectations upfront. Family is OK. Kids may be a minor distraction and as long as it doesn't last too long it's fine. Make room for everyone's different home realities. Create some boundaries and expectations with your team. We don't expect you to respond to emails after 6 pm, or 8 pm, or whatever. Setting some ground rules gives everyone some comfort and they can work within those clear boundaries.
   
   
8. People LOVE autonomy! People love having some kind of say in how they do their work and when they do their work. If you support that and empower them they will become more productive, even if they may not do that in the way you expect. Give people autonomy, pay attention to their results and they will likely surprise you for the better.
   
   
9. Be good to yourself. Do your best to plan your day and do your work in a way that supports you. You'll be more productive and you might even find things you can share with your team that will help them be more productive, while also being happier, too.
   
   
10. If you're new to this, know that it's not easy at first. It's a big adjustment and once you find your way you'll probably love it and never want to give it up, completely.
    
    Thank you, John for these great tips and for spending time with the Tap the Potential Community to share your time and expertise. Looking for more inspiration? Hop on over to the Profit By Design Podcast!