Book SummaryLeading From Anywhere, by David Burkus

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Leading From Anywhere

Adapting to Working Remotely

This section of the guide explores the initial transition to managing remote teams, either by leading a newly formed team or shifting an existing one to a virtual work environment. Burkus stresses the importance of understanding both the pros and cons of working remotely and offers a framework to help your team succeed in the remote environment.

Understand the Benefits and Challenges of Remote Work

Before you can successfully lead a team that's working remotely, you'll need to gain a clear understanding of what makes remote work effective (and be prepared for some unexpected challenges).

Remote Teams Are Efficient and Engaged but Risk Loneliness and Burnout

David Burkus highlights the common misconception that remote work leads to unmotivated employees slacking off. In reality, remote work, when executed properly, can significantly boost output and involvement, because workers have greater control over their time and fewer unnecessary distractions. The research Burkus shares shows that remote workers frequently displayed higher productivity and engagement than their in-person counterparts—but those same studies showed how those benefits can backfire if not kept in check. Remote working can lead people down two significantly divergent (but equally damaging) paths.

The first path leads to burnout. In the absence of the physical and social cues of a traditional office, combined with the “always on” nature of modern communication, it’s very easy to find yourself working more hours, taking fewer breaks, and answering customer requests at all hours. Studies show how remote workers feel obligated to “work harder” to compensate for their employer’s “generosity,” but that can quickly backfire if not acknowledged and monitored by their manager.

The second path leads to distraction. Even without a supervisor looking over your shoulder, it's tempting to take “just a moment” to scroll through social media, fire up a video game, or grab a snack from the kitchen. But taking a moment is rarely fast, or brief. These distractions are amplified when workers are at home and have cohabitants who don't respect those blurred boundaries.

Other Perspectives

• The increase in output and involvement might not be sustainable long-term if it comes at the cost of employee well-being, as the lack of physical separation between work and personal life can lead to stress and burnout.
• The measurement of productivity and engagement can vary greatly depending on the metrics used, and what is considered productive in a remote setting might not align with traditional productivity measures in an in-person environment.
• The link between remote work and burnout may be influenced by other factors, such as the nature of the job, the individual's personal circumstances, and the company culture, rather than the remote work setting itself.
• Advances in technology and communication tools can help remote workers feel connected and supported, potentially mitigating feelings of needing to overcompensate for the perceived generosity of remote work arrangements.
• Distractions are not unique to remote work; in-office workers also face distractions such as office politics, watercooler chatter, and other non-work-related activities.

Establish Shared Expectations, Identity, and Purpose

You should consider putting some systems in place for your team to communicate effectively and be respectful of each other's time, given the potential benefits and the risks that can backfire if not managed. The author's primary advice here is to establish clear expectations around roles, responsibilities, and behavioral standards, as well as form a collective sense of identity and purpose to unify the team.

Clarify Team Roles, Responsibilities, and Standards

Burkus, referencing studies of high-performing remote teams, highlights the importance of establishing common understanding and collective expectations when first forming a team. Shared understanding refers to ensuring everyone on the team has a clear comprehension of each person's skills, knowledge, assigned tasks, and personal preferences. Shared expectations refers to the agreed-upon behavioral standards for communication and collaboration.

Some of this can be achieved by getting teammates to discuss those preferences and norms directly, but the author also stresses that the team leader is in the best position to guide them toward the same goals. Burkus even suggests leveraging the virtual element to get people to show their workspaces during video calls, which lets teammates see each other’s environments and anticipate (or even suggest ways to minimize) distractions. He also emphasizes how crucial it is to coordinate calendars to ensure that everyone is working together. This doesn't entail dictating when and how they work, but it does mean finding a few overlapping hours in everyone’s calendar to facilitate communication. And lastly, Burkus highlights the importance of ensuring everyone has the same level of access to information, tools, and training on those tools. Too many companies, while trying unsuccessfully to protect sensitive information, limit employees from the information necessary...

Leading From Anywhere Summary Building Cohesion Among Team Members and an Encouraging Environment

This section of the guide explores the influence of workplace dynamics and provides specific actions leaders can take to foster a culture of connection, bonding, psychological safety, and trust.

Create Opportunities For Connection and Bonding

Burkus emphasizes that without deliberately providing chances for connection and bonding, remote groups can leave people feeling isolated and lonely. He argues that team cohesion is equally important whether working remotely or in person.

Create Rituals and Activities For Team Socializing

The author identifies several activities that remote leaders can institute to support their teams in forming those bonds — and insists that the best activities feel natural and authentic to the team. Some of the author's suggestions include virtual fikas, where two team members pair up for a quick coffee break to discuss nonwork topics; shared meals, where the team joins a videoconference to eat lunch or dinner together; work sprints, where people join a video meeting, work in silence together, and schedule short breaks to connect; office scavenger hunts, where teammates share items in their workspace of personal significance; and developing...

Leading From Anywhere Summary Communicating and Working Together From a Distance

This section of the guide looks at various communication methods and provides guidelines for selecting the right medium for specific situations.

Set Norms for Written and Live Communication

Burkus argues that remote leaders should make a clear distinction between two communication methods:

• Asynchronous communication involves any form of communication done through text (email, team chat applications, message boards, or comments on shared documents).

• Synchronous interactions are real-time communication done through audio calls or video chats.

Guidelines For Communication Channels and Mediums

The author argues that remote teams work optimally by adopting norms and expectations around how each method is used and how often. Specifically, asynchronous communication ought to be the rule and synchronous communication should be the exception.

Other Perspectives

• Overemphasis on norms and expectations could lead to a bureaucratic or overly formal communication environment, which might hinder open and honest dialogue.
• It can reduce the sense of team cohesion and camaraderie, as team members have fewer opportunities for spontaneous interactions and social...

Leading From Anywhere Summary Supervising Remote Employees and Teams

This section of the guide focuses on ways to oversee remote output and coach for improvement. The author outlines specific ways to measure results and give helpful feedback.

Set Clear, Achievable Goals for Performance

Burkus argues that performance management when working remotely involves letting go of the "butts in seats" mentality of the conventional office.

Collaborate With Staff on Objectives to Increase Ownership

Rather than tracking hours worked, Burkus insists that remote leaders ought to prioritize setting outputs and deliverables instead. He acknowledges that numerous businesses are inclined to install software on company computers to monitor employee activity—but that these efforts actually backfire over time by creating distrust and resentment, which may result in lower-quality work, higher stress, and greater turnover.

Practical Tips

• Develop a "Deliverable Dashboard" using a simple spreadsheet or a free project management tool. In this dashboard, list the tasks you aim to complete with a specific column for the expected deliverable. For example, if you're learning to cook, your task might be "Prepare a new recipe," and the deliverable would...

Leading From Anywhere Summary Ensuring Remote Work Sustainability

This section of the guide looks beyond the basic management of virtual teams to address what’s needed to keep them humming for years to come.

Recruit the Best Candidates for Virtual Jobs

Burkus argues that a key consideration for ensuring work stays effective when done remotely (and for minimizing burnout and distraction) is figuring out who to let onto the team to begin with.

Seek Applicants Who Are Collaborative, Communicative, and Self-Starting

He acknowledges that many think that hiring someone to telecommute means looking for “lone wolf” employees who can do a task all by themselves, but research suggests that it's actually quite the opposite. Remote teams are even more collaborative than in-person teams, and the right new hire will not only possess the necessary set of skills but also have the ability to use those skills with the team. For Burkus, this entails making hiring decisions based on three important questions:

• Do they collaborate well with others? Can they collaborate effectively and take feedback from others?

• Do they possess communication skills? Can they communicate clearly and concisely using the established methods of communication your team...

Shortform Exercise: Exploring Remote Work Burnout

Explore how remote work can lead to burnout and ways to manage it effectively.

What are some signs that a remote worker might be experiencing burnout?