Leadership skills and methods need to change in order to accommodate the new hybrid model of work, part in-person, and part virtual. Coordinating remote teams is quite different from coordinating office teams. And leading hybrid teams is even more difficult. Leaders should improve some of their skills and even acquire new ones to stay relevant and effective. Here are some tips on how to do it successfully.

1. Leadership skills shake-up.
How to be successful in the
hybrid work era

2. Three leadership skills
that need change
Leadership skills and methods need to change to
accommodate the new hybrid model of work, part in-
person, and part virtual.
The pandemic has shown us that while individual work
can be done virtually, face-to-face interactions are
essential for creating a company culture, collective
learning, and innovation.
And in this hybrid work era, leaders should update their
game as they perform simultaneously the three-C roles in
their team.

3. Coach
In every team, the role of the coach is of utter importance.
It is your main job to coordinate the team and teach its
members how to collaborate to achieve the best results
possible. You have to plan carefully and make sure that
each of your people plays in the right position, according
to their skills and strengths.
Track their progress and make adjustments wherever and
whenever it’s needed. Find the best ways to motivate
your people, and encourage them to foster relationships
based on trust and mutual respect.

4. Coach
As a coach, you also have the responsibility to have
regular one-on-one meetings with your team members.
Use them as an opportunity to offer advice and mentor
them. Help them reach peak performance by encouraging
the use of their individual strengths.
In the era of hybrid work, a virtual coach has to use
different tools compared to an in-person one. The right
team collaboration app can help you stay in touch with
your team in real-time, share documents and keep track
of their work. Make use of the right technology to steer
your team in the right direction during the virtual part of
the new hybrid work model.

5. As the team’s cheerleader, it is your duty to stimulate
collaboration, creativity, and innovation by creating an
environment in which the team feels valued and
encouraged. Always have a positive attitude. It is already
common knowledge that happy employees perform better
at their jobs. A happy team is an effective team.
Approach con
fl
ict in a constructive way and encourage a
certain degree of friendly competition amongst team
members. This will most likely bring positive outcomes by
pushing each other to become the best version of
themselves.
Cheerleader

6. Don’t let failure discourage your team. Instead, consider it
a valuable learning experience. Encourage your people to
try different approaches and don’t let them get
discouraged if they don’t get it right from the
fi
rst try.
Being a virtual cheerleader is not very different from being
an of
fi
ce cheerleader. It’s all about your attitude towards
your team and your capacity to express yourself in a
positive way.
Cheerleader

7. Captain
Besides being a top player with leadership abilities, the
role of a captain also requires you to be a good
negotiator. Build alliances and secure the resources that
your team needs to keep performing at its best.
While doing everything you can to lead your team to
victory, it’s also your job to sustain the connection
between your team and the outside world. The role of a
team captain is especially dif
fi
cult in the virtual
environment. While forging connections and meeting key
stakeholders online is absolutely possible, in-person
meetings give you an advantage. People are more likely
to trust those whose hands they can shake.

8. It’s all about TRUST
Ultimately, it all comes down to your ability to foster trust
in each and every role you hold, with everybody involved:
• Build trust with each member of your team. Show them
that you are always there, ready to help, open to
mentor or give advice, and eager to cheer for them.
• Strengthen trust amongst your team members. Share
achievements and show how each member is
contributing to the overall success of the entire team.
• Foster trust with executives and stakeholders. Reach
your objectives, meet your deadlines, and be honest
about your progress.

9. The era of hybrid work just begun. It’s OK to feel like you don’t have it all under
control yet. Focus on developing your leadership skills in all the three-C’s and
building relationships based on trust.