deServing Leadership in a Virtual World

I have had to give much thought recently about leading virtual teams consistent with deServing Leadership principles. EVENTEQ has been mostly virtual in 2020. My new additional role as President & CEO of Premier Event Technology has brought all I have learned about servant leadership and emotional intelligence to the forefront. Our teams are scattered across several locations, working from remote areas on varying schedules. What does it mean to serve a dispersed, virtual team?

As I have thought about how I can serve my teams virtually, a few ways come to mind:

Availability: This is perhaps the trickiest challenge since your teammates can’t just pop their heads into my office or sit down for a chat. But being available to help my teammates in their daily work is the best way to serve them. Being available to virtual teams isn’t about instant or all the time; it’s about making time for people.

Communication: It is human nature to want to feel connected, and sharing information frequently is one way to serve them. We continue to have weekly leadership meetings, daily sales meetings, and I attempt to be involved in my team’s activities in some fashion weekly.

Create a Culture of Ownership: Every teammate has their style and approach to work. Working remotely requires a higher degree of collaboration to create a greater output. It is essential to not micro-manage your teams and give them space and flexibility to work.

Encouragement: Perhaps the closest human need to feel connected is to be recognized and encouraged. A well-timed text message, tweet, or note is another way I can serve my virtual team. I continuously look for ways to recognize team members and their contributions and share client feedback.

Creating Opportunities: This one may not seem obvious, but I believe that the best way I can serve my virtual team is by working as hard as possible to create a viable, stable business. When we had to make tough decisions earlier this year due to COVID’s impact on the event industry, we set a very clear goal — that we would work as hard as we can to bring everyone back as quickly as possible. I wake up every day to pursue that goal and work in service to the team and our shared goals.

Making a consistent attempt to frame your days to serve your team can help serve dispersed teams with excellence. Keeping experience at the center is essential.