This week on the Distance Leader Podcast show 0108, we’re talking about the leadership changes for distance working. Here are some of our guiding questions:

How has leadership changed to make distance leadership a more common approach?What do you need to think about if you are new to distance leading?

Let’s first look at how leadership has changed now that distance working has entered the modern workplace:Higher or more connected expectationsNew leaders are expected to be much more technology-conversant than they were in the past. There is almost no time to train on systems, and some large organizations don’t even have training programs for their new leaders. Many new leaders are also expected to maintain team performance or have connections already in place to prevent dips in team performance. This is a reflection of faster-moving job changes in many industries.More accountability (read: metrics)Data collection for almost every task means that many companies are developing data-related evaluation strategies in ways that are perhaps not productive. For example, in one job, I was evaluated on the cost of my flights to work with customers, regardless of the timeline to buy my tickets or my destination. I had no control over this, but I was held accountable for it.Data overloadThe other side of so many metrics is the inability to figure out what should receive your attention. We all know people who have “analysis paralysis,” and you may be one of those people. As a leader, one of the new critical skills is understanding what should be monitored and what should be ignored.Communication overloadAs if data isn’t enough, there is a steady stream of email input coming into your inbox. Because many leadership metrics include “responsiveness” as an implied or explicit expectation, the email inbox has become a quick-response tool for many leaders. I’m guilty of this, and it’s because the sooner I can deal with the items arriving in my inbox, the sooner I can get to my “real” work. Beyond the inbox, there are newsletters, memos, websites, and group notifications that also demand leadership attention. (And don’t even get me started on social media!)Blended employee locations (in-office, collocated, virtual)Of course, if your team is a blended team of in-office, collocated, or virtual employees, then you have to figure out strategies that bring the team together for critical activities, either virtually or in-person. Having a blended team but an in-office leader even presents its own challenges, and the converse is true, too. What happens when the team is located together and the leader is elsewhere, either in another office or at a customer site?

Employee diversity (multiple countries and/or cultures). As a modern leader, you have to be prepared to support employees who are very different from you. Furthermore, you need to be conversant on the cultural expectations that come with leading a distance team. Supporting cultural harmony is a challenge, and has grown in importance in the last generation of leadership development.

Multiple employee responsibilities that compete for time. The role of leadership used to be simply working with employees to solve problems and facilitate business activities. With all of the other challenges we just discussed, finding time to work directly with employees can look like an insurmountable problem. If you have the right tools, though, the employees quickly swing into focus, and you’re able to concentrate on the right priorities without ignoring the wrong things and paying attention to the right things.

What’s new for distance leaders?Shifting employee expectationsOne of the largest drivers for distance leadership changes comes from the employees themselves. Whether it’s due to changing employee demographics, large teams working remotely, or new expectations of work styles, distance leaders have a few new things to address as leaders.“Right” to work from homeSome employees feel that they hav