Recently, I was coaching a manager who was wondering how she could get her new team, which was spread all over Germany, on board and make it successful. After we had talked for a while, it became clear what was behind the issue: the man was afraid. Fear of the new task and the expectations of his superiors, fear of employees who - far removed from any control - could dance on his nose and fear of figures that would ultimately prove his failure.

A coach is not a consultant, he doesn't come around the corner with a ready-made solution. But my client gradually developed a more empathetic approach to his team. He remembered himself a few years ago, asked himself what he had appreciated about his best boss and what advice he would give himself if he were his own employee.

In the end, there was more courage, less fear, more empathy and interest in his own people - less desire for control and functional instructions. I can't wait to see what he has to report in a few months' time.

Performance enhancement as a fetish

Improving performance can quickly become a fetish in a meritocracy. Faster, higher, further. Louder, harder, more. If the framework conditions for performance are also controlled externally and become digital: oh God!

The mindset - the attitude, analog as it is - has a major influence on success here. This is because it determines how managers deal with their new situation: Do they look for alternative means of control, digital means of pressure and the tickle of biting mistrust?

Or do they find new forms of cooperation, because trust and equality characterize the cooperation, because you can build on the relationship work of previous experiences?

Those who work in virtual teams must know their tasks well and be able to organize them themselves. Because there simply can't be a boss standing behind your back all the time and crossing out the mistakes - as badly as this approach has worked in the past: Now it no longer works at all.

Psychology of togetherness

What is needed are modern managers who are able to delegate and leave things to others; who invest in the development of their people and put themselves at the service of their team rather than the other way around. Representatives of servant leadership find an ideal sphere of activity here.

A servant leader is prepared to take a back seat in order to help their employees progress. Such a leader inspires, coaches and integrates, delegates and allows participation instead of directing, determining and controlling even where such tough leadership facets are not needed by any stretch of the imagination.

And yes, the digital space needs to be used - actively. It takes a solid set of tools to navigate the virtual world safely. In the analog world, there are often opportunities for brief conversations in between. The famous moments between door and door, at the coffee machine, perhaps even in the smoker's corner.

All these coincidences of analog interaction must now be consciously - and therefore somewhat artificially - created. Authentic exchange is needed - without it, there is no level of performance.

Law & Order was yesterday

And here lies the perhaps somewhat surprising key to the success of virtually organized teams: whether they work has primarily nothing to do with the technology, but with good, old psychological basic virtues of successful cooperation: communication, reliability, credibility, closeness, the withdrawal of self-interests, empathy and trust.

A good manager for a digital team therefore doesn't have to master so much more or be completely different from the manager of an analog team. They just need to do the same things even more! More transformational leadership, more targeted communication. Less law & order, more communication & empathy.

If you take these aspects to heart, you'll soon realize: The little bit of technology hardly bothers you. On the contrary: it soon fades into the background as digital infrastructure and is forgotten. At least as long as it works smoothly. And I'm more than curious to see whether - and if so, when - my client will also come to this realization.

The author

Martin Kruse, Leadership Choices.

© Leadership Choices

Martin Kruse has been coaching executives and managers for many years and has been a partner at Leadership Choices, an international coaching organization, since 2019.