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Leadership Was Never About Proximity
I don’t know that “the objection to any work from home is more likely to be driven by” ego. Although this New York Times opinion piece brings evidence for it, so perhaps this is the case.
Is ordering people back to the office full-time a power and status move? Maybe. Are the bosses who do this narcissistic, self-centered, and entitled? Maybe.
The Case That It’s About Ego
Pulling a few more points from the article:
When people aren’t in the office, it’s harder to command and control. Perhaps.
Leaders can’t intimidate by hovering over cubicle desks and slamming doors. Well, yes, I guess.
Leaders can’t establish their dominance by summoning people to a conference room and pounding their fists on the table. OK.
They can’t even make direct eye contact to stare people down. I suppose so.
But who is moved and inspired to operate like that as a leader anyway? Who says, “I want to be a domineering, controlling leader!”?
Leadership Is a Gift, Not a Location
Leadership is FOR your people. It’s a gift you give your people. Ideally, one day they pay it forward and provide that gift for others who are coming up the ladder behind them. Or their leadership gets expressed in other ways in the world after having been fed by you.
Leadership knows no location. I have been led by people halfway around the world that I never met in person, long before the pandemic. I was inspired by them. I had reverence for them. I felt connected to them. I collaborated and worked with them.
Management Is a Skill, Not a Setting
But what about management? Is this done poorly because people are working remotely? No. He or she who manages poorly remotely is the same person who manages poorly in person. Management skills are skills that you have or that you lack (and hopefully are at work on). The good news is, they can always be learned.
Working in person, however, does seem to allow for some sloppy management. Sloppy or weak management can persist longer, it seems. Or what one of my coaches, John Barron, calls “yelling down the hallway” management, which you can easily picture . . .
“Heyyyy Kevin! Did you reach Mr. Johnson? What did he say about the proposal?”
You can get by with that in person.
Serve Their Schedule, and They’ll Serve Your Clients
So, is there a right or wrong type of work location or workweek? Of course not. Different strokes for different folks.
What I have found is that if people have a schedule in which their life works, they will do better work. If you can be of service to them in terms of their schedule, they will be in service to you in terms of taking care of customers, clients, and your organization.
Remember, when people are not working, or not “at work,” that does not mean they are on “time off.” They are doing their other important jobs, which often include keeping small humans alive, keeping a home in a state that is workable, tending to extended family members, making and getting to appointments, and on and on in the vast world of adulting.
Leadership Was Never About Proximity
Leadership is not about proximity. It’s about trust! When we focus on serving our people instead of controlling them, they will find the best way to serve customers, clients, and organizations, whether sitting in the next office or halfway around the world.
The question is not really whether everyone should work from home or everyone should be in the office. The question is whether you are creating an environment where people can do their best work. Great leaders don’t measure commitment by where someone is sitting. They measure it through the trust and clarity they have built and the results their team delivers.
If your people know what success looks like, feel supported, and have the flexibility to make their work and life fit together, they will almost always rise to meet the challenge. Leadership was never about proximity. It’s about influence, accountability, and helping people become the best version of themselves, wherever they happen to be working.
Ready to Lead From Anywhere?
Most AES clients never sit in the same room as their Executive Assistant, and the partnership works because it’s built on trust, clarity, and steady communication. If you’re ready to explore what that could look like for your business, schedule a conversation with our Client Advisor.
