4 Skills to Master for a Flexible Leadership Role

4 Skills to Master for a Flexible Leadership Role4 Skills to Master for a Flexible Leadership Role2Youve decided you want to climb the ranks and lead a remote or flexible team. Or, perhaps youre already in that leadership role and are looking for ways to become an even better manager.Heres the thing leading a team is always challenging, but especially when your employees have the flexibility to work when and where they want.When you arent all seated together at the saatkorn pod of desks for eight standard hours each day, there are some different challenges youre going to need to navigate your direct reports through.So, what sorts of traits and skills do you need to excel in a leadership position and help your team succeed- despite their different schedules or working styles?Here are four key skills to master for a flexible leadership role1. CommunicationWhy It Matters You knew communication would appear somewhere on this list, so we might as well kick things off with this necessary s kill. Knowing how to communicate effectively is essential for any leader, but particularly one whos spearheading a flexible team. You need to be able to clearly share a message or instruction, provide feedback, and sometimes even have difficult conversations through a bunch of different mediums (like video chats and emails), as opposed to just in-person.How to Improve The best way to ensure that youre communicating effectively with members of your flexible team is to get an understanding of how everybody prefers to communicate.No two employees are the same. So, set up brief conversations or even send out a survey to get a grasp on their personal preferences. Perhaps one employee likes to receive feedback via email while aelendher responds better in person, for example.Making that extra effort will not only prevent future headaches, but it will also prove to each of your direct reports that youre truly invested in their success.2. TrustWhy It Matters Good leaders in any environment t rust their direct reports to do their jobs without micromanagement. But, trust carries even mora importance in a remote environment when youll have to delegate without breathing down peoples necks all the time.You need to feel confident in the fact that you can provide your team with an instruction or some general guidelines and theyll be able to run with that and take ownership of their work- without your constant supervision.How to Improve Trust becomes a whole lot easier when you and your team members have a common understanding. Focus on making expectations for tasks and projects explicitly clear from the outset. That will give you some peace of mind, while also ensuring that youre empowering employees to do great work- without a ton of handholding.3. Emotional intelligenceWhy It Matters Emotional intelligence is an aptitude that isnt talked about as frequently in a remote environment, but its critical. When you arent seated side-by-side with your team, its not as easy to tell w hen somebodys struggling or having a bad day. Youre not going to be able to see if somebody is crying at his or her desk- youre going to need to be able to pick up on more subtle cues to appropriately manage your team and also foster a reputation as a supportive leader.How to Improve Employees arent going to be comfortable sharing things with you if you seem totally unapproachable. Make sure that you schedule regular, one-on-one check-ins with team members so you can forge a more solid bond with them.Additionally, dont neglect the importance of small talk. Spending some time to chat about things that arent all work-related will help you establish a slightly more personal relationship- which means your direct reports will have an easier time approaching you with questions or challenges.4. BalanceWhy It Matters While flexible work can definitely contribute to your work-life balance, it can also be difficult to know when to unplug from work mode and give yourself some time to relax. Wh en your work is always there at your fingertips, its challenging to just walk away and give yourself time to recharge.Remember, your employees probably wont do as you say, but as you do. Your behavior will set an example for them. So, if youre working at all hours and over the weekend, they might worry that the same is expected of them- which can quickly lead to resentment and burnout.How to Improve Your team is going to follow your lead. So, you need to focus on making adequate work-life balance a priority if you want your direct reports to do the same.If you do feel a need to work crazy hours? Save those emails to your team members as drafts and send them at a more reasonable time. That way, your employees wont feel guilty that they werent there to answer your 330 a.m. request.Being a great leader requires plenty of skills that you dont necessarily need to lean on as much when you arent the one in charge. And, that statement holds even more water when youre spearheading a flexible team. Work on improving these four key competencies, and youre sure to be a manager that your team trusts, respects, and admires.