***I have attached a copy of my discussion for reference.***
Please respond to the Discussion Post below using at least 1 scholarly source.
This week’s reading presents some theory that can be applied to remote leadership and the challenges that it presents. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is still important, even when people work remotely (Latham, 2011). Physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization needs are relevant considerations that leaders must think about for the people who work for and with them (Latham, 2011). One of the biggest challenges is meeting those needs from afar; efforts have to be adapted to the unique situation. I think esteem would be challenging when there are little to no in-person chances for people to look good in front of others. The social cognitive theory’s discussion of how environmental factors influence behavior is relevant to the remote leadership challenge because people have to creatively craft an environment that encourages the behaviors that they desire (Latham, 2011).
Latham’s (2011) discussion on self-regulation is important but I think can be adjusted to a remote leadership environment. Specifically, group sessions on self-management were mentioned (Latham, 2011). This is likely unattainable for a fully remote organization. Conducting those sorts of sessions over a video-based service could meet the same intent. I think additional training on self-management would be critical because there is less physical oversight when working remotely. Latham (2011) also discusses organizational justice; people need to see things as fair. When people are not working together physically, it may be challenging to view things as fair because day-to-day interactions are not observed. Finding a way to communicate fairness for decision and opportunities is a necessity for remote leadership.
Generally, my definition of leadership effectiveness would not change but rather the priorities would shift slightly. The three things I think make leaders effective are results, talent management, and follower development. When working in person, results would be my clear priority. When working remotely, I would want to focus more on talent management because I think that getting people to mesh well and work together would be tougher. Luke 22:26 reminds us that leaders are meant to serve (English Standard Bible, 2016). I think of leaders like a play director. They are not the ones on the stage doing the acting but rather in the background, assigning roles so that the best performance is conducted.
An article by Swanevelder (2020) reviewed research on how people respond to uncertainty. One major conclusion is the importance of having self-awareness to reacting to challenging, uncertain situations like the COVID-19 pandemic. The biggest piece of advice that I would provide if hired as a consultant would be towards educating people on not only how they react but also other normal reactions to this new type of work. I have personally always felt that normalization of feelings was a therapeutic way to provide stability amidst stressful challenges. If people understand some of the feelings that they may be currently experiencing or may see in the future, they can have the tools to healthily manage them.
Swanevelder, C. (2020, December 18). Sustaining leader engagement and effectiveness during the prolonged crisis of COVID-19. Society for industrial and organizational psychology. https://www.siop.org/Research-Publications/Items-of-Interest/ArtMID/19366/ArticleID/4859/preview/true
English Standard Bible. (2016). https://esv.literalword.com/ (Original work published 2001)
Latham, G. P. (2011). Work motivation: History, theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc. (US). https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781483317205
