Leadership in a hybrid world

Since 2020, many organisations have entered in to ‘hybrid’ arrangements with staff splitting the working week between the office, home and perhaps somewhere else. In the last year, some organisations have asked their teams to return to the office full-time but most have embraced this new way of working. It is, of course, not without its challenges.

For some leaders it is obvious that everyone should be back in the office. Lord Sugar and Elon Musk have been very clear what they think about being absent from the office. In an indirect way, Jacob Rees-Mogg has left notes on civil servants’ desks hinting that he would rather they were sitting there. At the opposite end of this, at least two representative bodies have abandoned their offices for 100% remote working. In the middle are most organisations including major corporates who are navigating through this new world.

For some though, it isn’t a new world. Home or remote working isn’t new. The changes since the government-imposed working from home in 2020 is the scale. It is no longer a few employees working at home permanently or for some of the time. It is everyone. That has led some business leaders to speculate that while productivity from home working has increased dramatically there is a danger of innovation grinding to a halt.

All of this, leaves us with many questions to consider: 

• How do you lead an organisation that is permanently hybrid?
• How can you ensure you continue to innovate without those ‘water cooler moments’?
• What are the long-term implications of this new world?
• How do you ensure you sustain your network if you don’t see them as regularly?
• How do regulated entities meet their obligations?

Whatever your responsibility in an organisation, whether you run the whole thing or a team, and whatever type of leader you are, these are the questions you will be grappling with. It may mean a change in leadership style or finding inventive ways to harness the things that might be lost.

This is why we are holding a seminar on leading in a hybrid world online, naturally. We have invited experts to share their insight into leadership, how to make the best use of technology and how to make sure you are adhering to your regulatory requirements.

If you would like to join, please respond via email.

You will hear from Professor Randall Peterson (London Business School), Andrew Denton (Alfa) and Sophie White (Eversheds-Sutherland).

The seminar takes place on Wednesday 13 July at 10.00 for approximately one hour via Zoom.

Published 15 Jun 2022