Sparking Leadership # 14: Is remote leadership harder?

Amazon, Dell, JPMorgan Chase are only a few notable names with a strict RTO mandate in 2025. Companies around the globe are calling their people back to the office, citing "collaboration," "culture," and "innovation." But if we're being honest, is leadership inherently harder when you're not sharing physical space? Or has #remote #work simply shone a spotlight on some leadership habits that needed an upgrade anyway?

The data consistently challenges the "RTO for productivity" narrative. Research from Gallup (2025) shows that fully remote workers report the highest #engagement (31%) compared to hybrid (23%) and on-site workers (19%). Meanwhile, Spotify, famously maintaining their WFA policy, has reported a 15% drop in attrition.

So, why the RTO push?

❌Trust Deficit: For some leaders, managing remotely feels like a loss of control. They rely on "seeing" people working to believe they are working.

❌Real estate ROI: Empty office buildings are costly. Companies often have significant investments tied up in physical space.

❌Managerial comfort zones: Leading remotely demands different skills. It forces leaders to be more intentional about #communication, trust, and outcomes. Not every manager has made that pivot comfortably.

❌The myth of spontaneity: While serendipitous connections can happen in an office, expecting them to be the primary driver of innovation might be a naive, oversimplified view.

💻The #hybrid reality

Pure remote or pure office is rare now. Most teams are at least partly remote, operating in a hybrid model.

Is it harder? In some ways, yes. You lose those casual hallway conversations, the subtle body language cues, the spontaneous connections by the coffee machine. You have to work harder to build informal trust and pick up on quiet disengagement.

But, in other ways, it exposes weak leadership and forces better habits:

✔️Intentionality: Every interaction, every meeting, every communication needs to be more deliberate, structured, and clear.

✔️Trust: Leaders must shift from "seeing is believing" to "trusting outcomes." This means focusing on results, not hours in a chair.

✔️Empathy: You need to understand the unique challenges of remote work (home distractions, loneliness, tech issues) and lead with compassion.

✔️Communication: You need to over-communicate, use asynchronous tools effectively, and clarify expectations relentlessly.

✔️Equity: Ensure remote team members aren't second-class citizens for opportunities, information, or connection.

👉TL;DR:

From my perspective, if you hire adults, you trust adults. The debate isn't about if work can get done remotely, but how we lead effectively in this evolved landscape, shifting from oversight to outcomes.

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