How Do You Model Trustworthy Leadership When Everyone is Working Remotely?

Until recently, the idea of leading a team or multiple teams remotely would have seemed farfetched. Still, we see more and more companies and industries embracing the world of technology in their operations. Of course, you can list the pros and cons for this, but the fact remains that leading virtual teams is a new norm that is here to stay. So, now leaders face the challenge of keeping teams inspired and productive to align with the organization’s mission while building trust with teams they don’t physically see every day.

Team members must be able to trust their leaders to lead.

In times of growth, change, and even crisis as recently experienced, teams need to believe that their leaders will make the necessary decisions and consider their impact in the process. An employee’s sense of security, wellbeing, and engagement are directly connected to them feeling well informed, supported, and heard, all of which are the basis of them trusting you as a leader. It is important to note that if people don’t trust you as a leader, they become disengaged workers or fast-track an exit strategy.

Now that we know why a teams trust is crucial take a moment to consider this –

Did your teams trust you BEFORE transitioning to working remotely?

Building trust with a remote workforce takes authentic, intentional effort, and if trust was never established with your team, you have to take the strategy a step further and figure out why.

Your team needs your trust and compassion, so any strategy to build their trust in you must start there. Here are a few ways to build trust with their team (whether in office or remote).

• Be compassionate - Even before the pandemic’s impact, people had challenges that impacted their lives in unexpected ways. Consider this in every encounter you have with your team. Remember, they are people and not just office equipment used to reach corporate goals. And MAKE opportunities to remind them that you see them and they matter.

• Be visible - There is nothing worse than the absentee leader. It makes team members feel like they are fighting in the trenches, and you don’t care to fight by their sides. Make an effort to see them and be seen. Traditionally, this was quick morning huddles in the conference room or other forms of pulling everyone together for info updates and celebrations.

  Guess what?

  The rule still applies; only the tools have changed. Send a group celebration text or send out a video with updates instead of scheduling ANOTHER video conference call. Facetime individual team members to see how they are versus what they’re doing. Get creative in reminding your team that you are there to help them, not monitor them.

• Be a person - As a leader, it is essential to be a person, not a title. Now, of course, there is a balance to this. But make an effort to share with the team when you are having challenges navigating work/life balance, feeling burnt out with video calls and tech overload, or remembering boundaries like work hours - and allow them to support you and give you advice, etc. Show them that you are human, too, and that you need them.

By leaning into these emotional intelligence basics as a leader, you can ignite trust and inspire a feeling of community that will allow your team to flourish.

But what about those team members who had damaged trust even before working remotely?

The good news is, leaders can win back the trust of their teams. So, in addition to the ways listed above, you can take actions to regain trust, like:

Have a conversation – While it can be easy to avoid people you’ve fallen out of favor with, that does not rebuild relationships. So, as a leader, you will have to take responsibility in the form of action. This means seeking out those with damaged trust and asking them what they need to feel engaged, connected to the team, and believe that you have their best interest at heart. This is not about arguing or debating the individual’s feelings but actively listening to them. Even if you disagree with the perception or perspective, taking that moment to tell them why they are wrong in how they feel will NOT rebuild trust.

Apologize – To be clear, this is less about taking blame or bearing the onus of different situations and more about connecting and letting the person or persons know that you deeply regret how their perception of work, the team, and you have been impacted. It’s about building a bridge from where the team member-leader relationship is to where you want it to be. Make them feel heard and acknowledged. It could flip the switch on their engagement, attitude, and even their productivity.

Continue to connect – Nothing screams inauthentic leadership more than having one-off superficial interactions with team members – especially those who already don’t trust you. Continue to build the bridge of trust by checking in with your team consistently, not just to assign work or request the status of the last task assigned, but to support them. Create a safe space for them to share grievances and seek you out to lead them effectively. Be intentional in every encounter.

Lastly, be the leader you desperately needed on your journey. Think about your mentors’ character and habits and the leaders you admire, then do a self-assessment and honestly ask yourself if you’ve been honing and displaying those qualities for your team.

If the answer is no, then you have work to do. And even if the answer is yes, you still need to make an effort to continue and maintain the habits of an influential and trustworthy leader. Start with the tips you just read, and keep working at it because if you’re not working on it, It’s not getting better.

If you need support connecting with your team, increasing engagement, and growing as a leader – we’re here to help! Let’s close the gap between where you are and where you want to be. Set up a call now.