But with around 68% of UK businesses offering flexible workspace policies, leaders must hone their skills to continue to be effective in the new era of remote working. Luckily, technological advances mean that with a little training it’s more than possible to give your team just as much support online as you could face to face. 

From scheduling regular catch-ups to learning how to adapt your soft skills for online communication, here are three ways to continue being a present and encouraging influence as a leader when working remotely. 

Use video calls regularly

Much of human interaction is displayed through body language – in fact, research by Albert Mehrabian suggests that 55% of communication is non-verbal. So, in order to effectively communicate with your team, it’s better to talk via a video call than just over chat services so they can see your body language. Ensure that all of your team members have the correct remote-working setup, including a high-quality webcam and microphone, to enable you to mimic in-person interactions as much as possible. 

When you are on a video call, try to be mindful of your posture. It can be easy when working from home to spend all day in pyjamas and slouched on the couch, but this can be detrimental to your productivity and will likely look unprofessional when on calls. Set a good example by having a good desk set up and having a professional appearance on your video conferences. 

Scheduling regular catch ups with your remote team will enable you to keep up to date with any issues and challenges that may have arisen. It’s also important to ensure your team knows your availability and when they can contact you for support. Sharing your calendar is a good way to communicate this with your team and promote effective time management.

Give positive feedback

Everyone needs positive feedback regularly to keep them motivated and encouraged at work. As a leader, it can be easy to become so busy that you can skim over small achievements in your team and focus only on the big deadlines. But making the time to reach out and congratulate or thank your team members for small victories will go a long way. 

Showing appreciation is one of the most effective ways to build a positive work culture. When your colleagues feel valued, they’ll be happier and more productive naturally. This creates a cycle of positive effects that benefits both individuals and the business as a whole. Happy employees are around 12% more productive than their less-so colleagues, so it's well worth investing in your team to ensure they feel valued and supported.

Make time for social interactions

Another great way to ensure your team sees you as a positive leader is to be present for the social interactions as well as the business-focused conversations. Encouraging catch ups that focus on people as individuals, rather than their work output, is essential to building supportive relationships between remote employees. 

With the absence of an office or physical presence, water-cooler chat is easily lost when working from home. Ensuring that your team knows that it’s allowed, and encouraged, to take a short break every now and then and just chat to each other will greatly improve your influence and reputation as a leader. 

Brush up on your tech skills

Much of remote working relies on technology, so as well as advancing your soft skills, it's a good idea for leaders to ensure they are ahead of the game when it comes to technological skills. Know how to use your conferencing platforms and software so that you can help your team troubleshoot any issues and maintain your rapport as a knowledgeable and supportive leader.