Leading from Anywhere

Leading from Anywhere Plot Summary

Introduction

The world of work has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years, forcing leaders and organizations to reimagine how teams connect, create, and perform. Remote work has evolved from a rare perk to an essential operating model, challenging traditional notions about productivity, engagement, and leadership. While many initially viewed this shift as temporary, the benefits of flexibility and work-life integration have proven too powerful to ignore. Leading a distributed team requires more than simply transferring office-based practices to digital environments. It demands a fundamental rethinking of how we build trust, communicate effectively, and drive performance when team members are physically separated. The pages ahead offer a roadmap for navigating these challenges, providing practical strategies that transform distance from an obstacle into an opportunity. Whether you're transitioning a team to remote work or building a distributed organization from scratch, the principles in these chapters will help you create a connected, high-performing team regardless of where its members call home.

Chapter 1: Establish Shared Understanding and Purpose

Remote work transforms how teams operate, requiring deliberate effort to create cohesion when members cannot physically gather. At its core, establishing shared understanding means developing common knowledge about each team member's expertise, responsibilities, context, and preferences. Without the benefit of a shared physical environment, remote leaders must actively facilitate this understanding. Curtis Christopherson, founder and CEO of Innovative Fitness, experienced this challenge firsthand when the COVID-19 pandemic forced his business to close its twelve physical training locations. "The minute we shut our door, we stopped producing any revenue," Christopherson recalled. With 250 personal trainers suddenly unable to meet clients in person, he faced a pivotal decision: either wait out the closures or completely transform his business model. Within just two weeks, Innovative Fitness developed a proprietary video platform and created an entire curriculum to teach trainers how to effectively train clients remotely. This rapid transformation required establishing new shared expectations about virtual training and client relationships. When Christopherson gathered his team virtually to announce the plan, he emphasized continuity in their mission while acknowledging the massive shift in delivery method: "We're going to offer the same quality of service and the same training schedule to all of our clients. Nothing is going to change except how we meet to train them." He then asked a simple but powerful question: "Are you in?" The response was overwhelming—205 of approximately 225 trainers immediately committed to this new vision. By March 30, 2020, Innovative Fitness launched its virtual personal training service with fully trained virtual fitness instructors. To develop shared understanding on your remote team, start by creating purposefully unstructured time during meetings for discussing daily life events and work environments. Encourage team members to give "virtual tours" of their workspaces, revealing both their surroundings and potential distractions. Coordinate calendars to ensure overlap in working hours, making real-time collaboration possible. Equally important is ensuring everyone has access to the necessary technology and information to perform their roles effectively. Beyond shared understanding, remote teams thrive when united by shared purpose. When team members understand not just what they're doing but why it matters, distance becomes less relevant. A powerful approach is asking your team: "What are we fighting for?" This question helps identify the problem your organization is solving or the injustice you're working to resolve. For Innovative Fitness, their core value "We find a way. No excuses" became their rallying cry during crisis. By establishing both shared understanding and shared purpose, you create the foundation for a cohesive remote team. Team members gain clarity about each other's work habits and environment while simultaneously connecting to something larger than themselves—a mission worth pursuing together regardless of physical distance.

Chapter 2: Create Psychological Safety in Virtual Teams

Psychological safety—the shared belief that team members can take risks without fear of embarrassment or punishment—becomes even more crucial in remote environments where nonverbal cues are limited and misunderstandings can easily occur. In virtual teams, psychological safety forms the bedrock upon which all other aspects of team effectiveness are built. Frank Van Massenhove transformed the Belgian Ministry of Social Security from a neglected government bureaucracy into a thriving remote organization by prioritizing psychological safety. When he took leadership in 2002, he found an organization spread across four buildings in Brussels, including one converted from an old garage. "I lied during my interviews," Van Massenhove admitted. "If I was completely honest about my plan not to take all the decisions myself and give employees the power, I wouldn't have been appointed." His vision was to create an environment where employees had autonomy and felt safe exercising it. Van Massenhove began by eliminating rigid work schedules and micromanagement. "We don't believe in the time clock," he explained. "The time clock means that there is a serious possibility that you are in the building." But physical presence didn't guarantee productivity. Instead, he focused on trusting employees to manage their own schedules and work wherever they wanted. Within a few years, more than a thousand of the ministry's 1,200 employees worked primarily remotely, coming into the office only occasionally to check in with colleagues. The results were remarkable. In the first three years, productivity rose 18 percent and continued increasing by approximately 10 percent annually. The ministry had the lowest absenteeism rate of any Belgian ministry and virtually no burnout. It won awards for gender-balanced leadership without implementing formal gender policies. Most tellingly, applications for open positions skyrocketed from three per vacancy to nearly sixty. To build psychological safety in your virtual team, focus on two key elements: trust and respect. Trust forms when team members feel they can share their authentic selves without judgment. Research by Paul Zak found that when oxytocin (often called the "bonding hormone") increases in the brain, people demonstrate greater trust and trustworthiness. In remote environments, trust develops through reciprocity—you must demonstrate trust to receive it. Start small by showing you trust your team to work without constant monitoring, sharing your thoughts openly, admitting mistakes, and taking responsibility for performance concerns. Respect complements trust by showing you value what others share. Unfortunately, a survey by Georgetown University professor Christine Porath found that 54 percent of workers don't regularly receive respect from their leaders. This lack of respect directly correlates with decreased engagement, productivity, and retention. On remote teams, demonstrate respect by being fully present during conversations, listening attentively before responding, acknowledging others' perspectives, and avoiding interruptions during video calls. The combination of trust and respect creates an environment where team members feel safe to express ideas, ask questions, admit mistakes, and bring their whole selves to work. When psychological safety flourishes in a virtual team, collaboration deepens, innovation accelerates, and performance improves—even across vast distances. As Van Massenhove noted, "We provide evidence that a culture based on freedom and trust really does work."

Chapter 3: Hire for Remote Collaboration and Communication

The success of any remote team largely depends on selecting the right people from the start. Beyond technical skills and experience, remote work requires specific traits and capabilities that enable individuals to thrive in distributed environments. Making smart hiring decisions becomes even more critical when teammates rarely or never meet in person. Automattic, the company behind WordPress (which powers over one-third of all websites), has pioneered an innovative approach to hiring remote workers. With 1,200 employees across 77 countries speaking 93 languages, Automattic's hiring process focuses on identifying candidates who excel at remote collaboration and communication. CEO Matt Mullenweg discovered early on that traditional interviews weren't effective at predicting remote work success. When up to one-third of new hires weren't working out, Mullenweg reimagined the entire hiring process. "When we hire someone at Automattic," he explained, "we want the relationship to last for decades." This required finding people with exceptional communication skills and openness to feedback—traits that are best evaluated through real work rather than hypothetical questions. Automattic now auditions candidates by placing them on actual project teams after initial screening. Candidates receive necessary permissions and security clearances to do real work alongside potential colleagues. Engineers write code that might end up in products; designers create real designs; customer service candidates field actual customer requests. All candidates receive fair hourly compensation during these trials, which can vary in length depending on the role and candidate. The goal isn't to judge the quality of the finished product but to assess what it's like to work with the candidate. Does the person communicate clearly? Are they receptive to feedback? Can they collaborate effectively from a distance? At the conclusion of successful trials, Mullenweg conducts final interviews in chat rooms rather than video calls, since much of the company's daily communication happens via text. This approach has reduced the percentage of unsuccessful hires from one-third to just 2 percent. When hiring for your remote team, focus on three essential questions: Are they collaborators? Are they communicators? Are they self-motivated? Collaboration matters because remote work, contrary to common perception, often requires more teamwork than office-based positions. Harvard Business School professor Boris Groysberg found that when star performers changed companies individually, their performance typically declined by 20 percent. However, when entire teams moved together ("lift-outs"), performance remained steady—suggesting that up to 60 percent of individual performance stems from team dynamics and resources. Communication skills are equally crucial. Research by Christoph Riedl and Anita Williams Woolley revealed that the single most important factor in remote team success was establishing effective communication rhythms. Look for candidates who can balance synchronous collaboration with asynchronous focus time. During interviews, ask about communication preferences, strategies for avoiding misunderstandings, and proactive outreach habits. Finally, self-motivation predicts how well candidates will work without supervision. Nicholas Bloom's research with Ctrip found that remote work improved productivity only for employees who genuinely preferred working from home. Ask candidates about their day-to-day task organization, strategies for staying motivated when alone, and approaches to limiting distractions. By hiring for these three qualities, you'll build a remote team capable of extraordinary collaboration regardless of physical distance. As Mullenweg noted, choosing who to bring onto the team is "one of the most important decisions you can make."

Chapter 4: Build Meaningful Connections Across Distance

The perception that remote work leads to isolation is among the most persistent concerns about distributed teams. Without deliberate strategies to foster connection, remote workers can indeed experience loneliness, which research shows reduces performance, creativity, and decision-making abilities. However, with thoughtful leadership, remote teams can develop bonds that rival or even surpass those formed in physical offices. Buffer, a social media management company, demonstrates the power of intentional connection in remote teams. Despite being fully distributed, Buffer invests significantly in bringing teammates together. "While we wouldn't trade the value of being a distributed team, it's hard to deny the value of face time for team morale and serendipitous connections," explains Stephanie Lee, Buffer's team experience manager. Each spring, more than 80 "Bufferoos" gather for a week-long company retreat focused on vision, strategy, and relationship-building. These events deliberately balance structured work with unstructured bonding time. Every Thursday of the Monday-through-Friday retreat becomes a complete day off, with team members receiving a "Buffer Fun Fund" to explore the surrounding area together. Activities range from spa visits to skydiving. Each retreat concludes with a gratitude session where employees take turns expressing appreciation for colleagues and the company. Beyond the annual all-company gathering, Buffer funds smaller team "on-sites" approximately six months later. "At a co-located company, you might call these off-sites," Lee explained. "For us, every day is an off-site, so these special gatherings are called 'on-sites!'" These week-long meetings allow teams to work together in person, developing deeper understanding of each other's communication styles and work approaches. For remote teams unable to meet regularly in person, building what researcher Beth Schinoff calls "cadence"—understanding who teammates are and predicting how they'll interact—becomes essential. In an 18-month study of remote workers, Schinoff found that work-related cadence set the stage for non-work bonds to form. Remote workers with established cadence were more likely to discuss personal topics, connect on social media, and reach out for support after personal setbacks. To build cadence and connection on your remote team, implement structured opportunities for informal interaction. Consider adopting the Swedish practice of "fika"—pairing team members for virtual coffee breaks focused on non-work conversation. These digital fika sessions work best with randomly assigned pairs and prepared conversation starters like "What was your first job?" or "Where is your favorite place to vacation?" Plan shared virtual meals where team members eat together via video call. Lawyerist, a ten-person distributed company, holds regular "Taco Tuesday" lunches where the company covers the cost of tacos from local restaurants for anyone who joins. Research by Robin Dunbar shows that people who eat socially are happier, more engaged in their communities, and have more friends. Other connection-building strategies include partnering teammates for "work sprints" (focused work sessions with scheduled breaks for interaction), holding regular office hours, hosting virtual scavenger hunts where teammates share meaningful items from their workspaces, and creating team rituals that build shared identity. By implementing these practices, you transform remote work from a potentially isolating experience into an opportunity for meaningful connection. While distance presents challenges, deliberate connection-building strategies ensure your team remains cohesive, engaged, and supportive regardless of geographic separation.

Chapter 5: Manage Performance Through Outcomes Not Activity

In remote environments, traditional performance management approaches that equate presence with productivity quickly break down. Without the ability to observe employees at their desks, some managers resort to digital surveillance—a strategy that research shows increases stress, reduces intrinsic motivation, and drives talented people away. Effective remote leadership requires shifting focus from monitoring activity to measuring outcomes. Actionable.co, a remote leadership development company, exemplifies this outcome-focused approach. Founder Chris Taylor built their performance management system around a simple principle: "The most important performance tool we have is that we train our team to work out loud." This transparency-based approach evolved naturally from the company's origins. Taylor started Actionable.co in 2008 as a side project, committing to read one business book weekly and post summaries with practical experiments online. As the website gained thousands of followers, companies began requesting workshops to help their teams apply these lessons. The company grew rapidly, eventually employing over forty remote team members across half the globe. To manage this distributed workforce effectively, Actionable.co implemented a structured yet flexible performance system. The year divides into trimesters, each containing two six-week "sprints" with reflection periods between. Teams set annual targets, trimester objectives, and sprint deliverables. However, Taylor recognizes that deliverables often evolve as work progresses: "Based on what you learned throughout the sprint, your idea of what will actually work will change. That's okay. Our focus is on outcome, not activity." This flexibility succeeds because of radical transparency. Everyone at Actionable.co regularly shares progress, celebrates wins, and requests help when needed. Weekly team stand-up meetings track updates and challenges, while monthly town halls review the company scorecard. Additionally, team members meet with leaders for coaching calls every two weeks—not for performance reviews, which Taylor dismisses as "bull," but to discuss progress and remove obstacles. To implement outcome-based performance management on your remote team, focus on three key activities: setting objectives, tracking progress, and providing feedback. When setting objectives, involve team members in the process rather than dictating goals. This increases their sense of autonomy and commitment. During objective-setting conversations, discuss not just what needs to be accomplished but why it matters. Understanding the intent behind objectives empowers people to make smart adjustments when circumstances change. Keep timeframes short—research by Johns Hopkins professor Meng Zhu found that longer deadlines lead to procrastination and decreased motivation. Breaking larger projects into smaller tasks with shorter deadlines maintains focus and enables faster course corrections. For tracking progress, Harvard Business School professor Teresa Amabile's research identifies making progress on meaningful work as the most powerful motivator in professional life. As a remote leader, create systems that highlight this progress. Check in personally and regularly with each team member, adapting your approach to individual preferences. Some may prefer weekly video calls while others would rather send quick email updates. Whatever the method, ensure progress is communicated back to the entire team, celebrating wins and identifying areas where people need support. When providing feedback, first determine whether you're addressing a people problem or a process problem. As Priority VA founder Trivinia Barber notes, "The first thing I try to do when I spot an issue is try to determine if this is a people problem or a process problem." Often, performance issues stem from unclear instructions or insufficient resources rather than individual shortcomings. When giving constructive feedback, be specific about observed behaviors and their impact. Listen actively to understand the employee's perspective, then collaborate on solutions rather than dictating changes. By focusing on outcomes rather than activity, you build a performance management approach that works regardless of where people work. This autonomy-supportive style not only improves performance but increases engagement and retention in remote environments where traditional management techniques fall short.

Chapter 6: Set Boundaries to Prevent Burnout

One of the most counterintuitive aspects of remote work is that it often leads to overwork rather than underperformance. Without physical separation between work and personal spaces, remote employees frequently work longer hours, skip breaks, and remain perpetually available—setting the stage for burnout and decreased effectiveness over time. Mike Desjardins, founder of remote leadership development company ViRTUS, learned this lesson the hard way—twice. "I started this business because I burned out," Desjardins explained. At age 26, while working as a water treatment product salesman, the demands of long hours and constant availability caught up with him. During a business trip to La Jolla, California, he experienced three blackouts after waking up one morning. The recovery took days, and fully processing the experience took months. When Desjardins founded ViRTUS, he initially operated from a physical office, which provided natural boundaries between work and personal life. In 2009, after learning about the potential benefits of remote work, he transitioned the entire company to a distributed model. Business boomed, with major new clients signing on across Canada. However, within six months, Desjardins noticed a troubling pattern: "They didn't take breaks. They didn't take lunch. They answered email at all hours of the day. And suddenly now all of our days were twelve hours long. Within the first six months of going remote, the whole company burnt out." Recognizing the warning signs from his own experience, Desjardins took swift action. After interviewing his twenty-plus employees, he implemented new boundaries and expectations. The company established that people should be responsive during normal business hours in their time zone—and explicitly unresponsive at other times. This meant configuring "do not disturb" settings on devices and marking availability status on internal systems. ViRTUS even modeled these boundaries with clients. When one client scheduled a meeting during lunch, Desjardins and his team logged on with their meals visible. "You scheduled the call during lunch, so we brought our lunch," he told the surprised client. "Why don't you go get your lunch and you eat it, too, while we talk?" The client quickly stopped scheduling lunchtime meetings. Research confirms that remote workers often intensify their efforts. In a study of over 700 remote workers, researchers Clare Kelliher and Deirdre Anderson found that employees frequently worked harder when given flexible arrangements—partly out of gratitude and partly from blurred boundaries. Similarly, Dave Cook's four-year study of digital nomads revealed that many fell into a "freedom trap" where the ability to work anywhere and anytime led to working everywhere and all the time. To prevent burnout on your remote team, establish clear expectations around work hours. These don't need to be traditional nine-to-five schedules, but having designated working times helps people disconnect. Encourage team members to develop after-work rituals that signal the end of the workday. Author Cal Newport uses a simple phrase—"Schedule shutdown, complete"—after reviewing his task list and calendar at day's end. Physical separation helps reinforce mental boundaries. Suggest using different devices for work and personal activities, or at minimum, creating separate user profiles on computers. Emphasize the importance of getting outside during breaks, as research consistently shows that nature exposure provides the most restorative benefits for mental fatigue. Equally important is helping team members establish boundaries with others in their households. Encourage the use of physical signals like closed doors or "Do Not Disturb" signs to indicate working periods. Recommend batching tasks into defined time blocks to maintain focus and prevent the day from dissolving into reactive work. By modeling and encouraging healthy boundaries, you create a sustainable remote work environment where team members can perform at their best without sacrificing wellbeing. As Desjardins discovered, remote work doesn't require working more—it requires working differently, with intentional practices that preserve both productivity and personal health.

Summary

Throughout this exploration of remote leadership, we've uncovered essential strategies for building high-performing distributed teams. The journey begins with establishing shared understanding and purpose, creating psychological safety, and hiring for collaboration, communication, and self-motivation. It continues through building meaningful connections, managing performance by outcomes, and setting boundaries to prevent burnout. Each element contributes to a work environment where distance becomes irrelevant to success. As Aaron Bolzle, founding executive director of Tulsa Remote, observed, "Historically, talent went where the jobs were. And now jobs go where the talent is." This fundamental shift represents not just a change in workplace geography but in workplace philosophy. Remote work isn't simply about replicating office practices through digital tools—it's about reimagining how teams connect, create, and thrive together regardless of location. Your journey as a remote leader starts with embracing this mindset shift, then implementing the specific practices outlined in these chapters. Begin today by choosing one area where your team needs the most improvement, whether it's clarifying your shared purpose, strengthening psychological safety, or establishing healthier boundaries. Small, consistent changes in how you lead from anywhere will transform how your team succeeds everywhere.

About Author

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David Burkus

One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever.He is the bestselling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy.A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University.

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