Changes in technology and the workplace have resulted in an increase in virtual teams. These teams may seem similar to regular, offline teams - but they require a nuanced set of skills and a deep understanding to be managed successfully. In fact, this is a key skill relevant for the 21st century knowledge economy. This CQ Dossier describes how leaders can effectively manage virtual teams and introduces a fresh set of skills to facilitate virtual team effectiveness. The dossier draws on research and theory on leadership style and virtual teams.
The capability to lead and influence people is essential for success even beyond management. Professionals without a formal leadership role find themselves more and more often in situations where it is key to deliberately influence people, teams, divisions or the whole organization. Thus despite – or perhaps precisely because of its great relevance, leadership is often seen as something mystic. This impression is reinforced by a large number of popular business bestsellers about leadership, CEO biographies, and executive consultants who rely on individual experiences and anecdotal evidence when writing and talking about leadership. These sources generally provide only a limited informative value and therefore are of questionable use for the development of leaders and professionals.
This CQ Dossier focuses on the importance of relationships within the leadership literature. It describes the theories of leader-member exchange (LMX) and servant leadership to describe how effective leaders build quality and strong relationships with each of their followers to gain commitment to the organizational mission.
