Leadership is, by definition, a people-centric activity. We know we are effective as leaders when people willingly follow our influence. Leadership in a condition of isolation seems like a self-contradiction, don’t you think?

Well, most of us, who call ourselves leaders, now find ourselves in this self-contradictory position, thanks to COVID-19. So, how should we approach this challenge?

I hesitated to write this article. There are ample articles already written on how best to manage a team remotely amid COVID-19. A quick Google search will render countless results.

While I may not have the best-practices, I do have my practices. Yes, I will explicitly write this article about how I personally approach this subject. Whether I am an expert or not, I’ll let you be the judge.

I’m better online than in real life

I’m a computer nerd. I’m a strong introvert. I am a futurist. I like cyberpunk fiction and idealize the world where I can plug my brain into the matrix and carry out my existence there. The real world is over-rated. There are numerous memes flying around right now that go something like this: “I am an introvert: I’ve been preparing my whole life for this moment.” And “I was social distancing before it was cool.”

I’m better online if everyone else is online too

Last summer, I had the privilege of leading an experiment. We opened a remote office in Lowertown, Saint Paul for some members of the IT team, myself included. I won’t rehash all of the learnings here, since I wrote a whole series of articles about it back then. However, I recall that one of the explicit downsides of being remote was that everyone was else was in-person. In a room-full of in-person collaboration, I simply couldn’t be as effective online as if I were there. For those circumstances, I always believe that it’s worth it to make the trip in to be with the people.

This is not like then. This is different. I’m not among the few that are remote. There is no “us” and “them.” Everyone is remote. The remote experience has been completely democratized. That, my friends, is a game-changer.

Social media is a leadership tool

I have a fun fact for you that many of my readers don’t know. I earned my master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. In 2014, I wrote my capstone on leveraging the opportunity of social media for organizational leadership. Since I blog, podcast, tweet, and use LinkedIn and Yammer prolifically, it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’m passionate about it.

However, you probably didn’t know that I am so passionate about it, that I read every academic resource there was to read on the subject back in 2014 and formed my own original analysis based on that research. Needless to say, I believe in the power of social media in a leader’s toolkit to lead.

A digital water cooler

For those of us exiled from the corporate office building, we are sadly without the proverbial water cooler to catch-up with co-workers, ask about the weekend, and discuss current events. Effective leaders in quarantine will find a new way to do that.

There isn’t one way, but plenty. The important thing isn’t the tool you use, but it is your intention to use some effective medium to connect with your team informally during this time of isolation. It doesn’t matter if you text, Yammer, Teams, Zoom, WebEx, FaceTime, Skype, or Hangout, but find a way that works for you and your team members to connect.

I find certain technologies, such as Teams, are effective for small groups, like my immediate direct reports or a project team. If find other technologies, such as Yammer, are effective for large, geographically diverse groups, based on an interest or subject. I find technologies such as LinkedIn or Twitter are effective for connecting with my industry colleagues outside of my company.

The camera

Most leaders spend nearly all of their time in meetings. In quarantine, that translates into video conference calls all day long.

If your group is like mine, you are slowly figuring your way through the social dynamics of using a camera during a meeting. Just because the feature is there, doesn’t mean people use it. I find that there’s a social conformity that takes place when the meeting leader flips on the camera first. Often, but not always, others follow suit.

Some people are camera shy, and that’s understandable. It’s vulnerable to present ourselves in our home office environment full of clutter, kids, and pets. As a leader, be vulnerable and show your humble existence to your team. It’ll make you more approachable and make others feel more comfortable showing themselves to you.

Others are understandably concerned about bandwidth. Video takes a lot more precious bandwidth than audio, and for the sake of having a glitch-free discussion, you may need to turn it off at times.

Ultimately, if your bandwidth can handle it, and you are the one leading the meeting, go ahead and lead by example with the camera on. Here’s why: people are isolated. Some are suffering with fear and anxiety. Your smiling face on screen just may be the only source of human connection some people will get all day. The human connections we create inspire commitment, enthusiasm, and generosity. Pay it forward and give the gift of connection to those who are otherwise isolated and alone.

The opportunity

This is a unique time with unique circumstances. Many look around and see disadvantages and barriers to success. I see opportunity. I see an environment where I can thrive as a leader. I’m a decent leader in-person, but I’m even better online. You can be too. Go forth and lead from quarantine. Your team needs you now more than ever.

I have more thoughts to share and will do so in future articles. For now, I’d love to hear from you. How are you seizing this opportunity to lead from quarantine?

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