This CEO learned 3 essential lessons about being a great leader from one trip

You’ve heard that business executives are concerned and conflicted about being a great leader when people are working from home. Coming out of the pandemic, we were skeptical that most office employees would be productive outside the office . “But they’ve gotten used to it and they like it. If we mess with it, we risk losing them to a competitor or driving them out of the company.” 



This narrative shifted for many leaders in early 2023. Seemingly all at once, return-to-office mandates made their way into millions of inboxes. “We have to get this remote thing under control. So, If they want to stay at the company, they have to show up on Monday morning.” 



By the middle of 2023, the pendulum swung back partway. “Okay, we believe you. You can be productive working from home. But this is also true: Meeting your colleagues in person is often the best way to define problems, think up creative options, and make quick decisions. It’s also a quick way for people and project managers to capture the pulse of their teams, confirm expectations, and for everyone to experience authentic connections. That’s really important.” 



As the CEO of a geographically dispersed workforce, I experienced the challenge of being a great leader.  



How do I: 




Make sure that employees are both productive and content working from home?



Confirm that each employee understands their mission at work and how it connects to the company’s purpose and strategy?



Reinforce the message that they are members of a team and share responsibility for the team’s performance? 



How do I engage everyone in leveraging the benefits and mitigating the risks of remote work?  




Instead of using surveys, online meetings, or asking people to fly to a central location for face-to-face work sessions, I took my Subaru Forester in for an oil change and a wheel alignment. 



I then set off on a two-month coast-to-coast (and back) tour to see each of my company’s 25 employees. The plan was straightforward: Travel to where employees live and spend at least eight hours with each person. Half the time would be social, doing something fun and interesting together. The other half of the day would focus on the company and their role in it.  



We met in state parks, museums, minor league baseball stadiums, historical sites, interesting locales, and their favorite places. A few people traveled with me for a section of the road trip. We often shared meals with other associates and family members. 



I learned about my employees’ life stories and families, their day-to-day experience of work, and what they felt most excited or concerned about at work. 



At the end of our time together, I asked each person to write or video-record a short message about the experience and put it in one of the company’s shared message folders. 



What follows are three of many lessons that I learned (or relearned) on being a great leader from these experiences. They guide me now that my trip is over. Perhaps they can help you better understand your employees and about being a great leader to your teams, whatever your company’s office arrangement.  



Have conversations about purpose and aspirations  



On my travels, each employee interaction became an opportunity for people to give me input on the company’s mission, strategy, tactical execution, and their ambitions without the distractions or perceived pressure of a formal workplace meeting. 



I’d ask several questions, including:  




What is your mission at our company? 



What is your vision of success for the company? 



What is your vision of personal success as an associate? 



How can we support each other to realize our respective visions and aspirations? 




I also took the opportunity to ask for feedback on my performance. (I’ve learned that asking for feedback is a valuable and effective way to get an honest assessment of what I’m doing well and what I can do better.) 



As CEO, I want every employee to have the tools they need to perform now and the experience they need to realize their career aspirations. Our conversations helped to clarify those needs and to reinforce our commitment to each other’s success. 



Spend quality time with employees



Many executives operate with a false dichotomy about being a great leader: To have your desired impact on an employee’s behavior, they must either love or fear you. 



Some leaders choose fear, believing that a regular diet of criticism and “burning platform” messages will propel employees to work harder and smarter. Other leaders think an employee’s affection will translate into greater loyalty and discretionary effort. 



Both options separate leaders from their team members; leaders on the balcony and team members in the crowd. This dynamic also creates an unhealthy dependency on the leader to maintain the business narrative. It doesn’t meet several important needs for either player, for example: to be seen and understood, shared responsibility for performance, and genuine recognition.  



One Gallup survey revealed that just 30% of employees said they “received recognition or praise for doing good work” in the past week. At the same time, a separate analysis found that more than half of employees don’t feel valued by their employer.  



Employees want recognition for meeting or exceeding expectations. When they don’t meet expectations, they want to be held accountable in a straightforward, non-judgemental way. They also want to learn how they can do better. 



When I visited associates’  homes, I told their spouses, children, and parents about the contributions their loved ones were making to our company. The associates, in turn, expressed their appreciation for my support.  We demonstrated what bonds leaders and team members: mutual respect and appreciation. 



Location doesn’t matter



Many studies and surveys have been conducted and op-eds have been written about the effectiveness of geographically distributed teams, working from home, and the relative importance of in-person connections. This trip reminded me that desk location , for people in my company, isn’t a critical success factor for productivity and team performance.    



Maintaining schedule and activity discipline was very important for me while I traveled. Managing driving time, eating sensibly, and an exercise routine—and using hotel rooms as a make-shift office—was sometimes challenging. Geographically distributed, home-based employees also require disciplined work and self-care routines to perform at their best.  



This includes making time for social interaction with colleagues to balance the three key dimensions of success: quality results, efficient work processes, and authentic workplace relationships.  



My trip across the country to visit employees was, in retrospect, a team project. It contained goal setting, planning and problem-solving, evaluating progress, exchanging feedback, acknowledging everyone’s contributions, and documenting our insights. There were some long days and unexpected detours. It was also very productive and enjoyable for all of us. 



We found out what we each care about as workers. We want the company to be successful. We aim to make useful contributions. We aspire to be the best we can be. We depend on each other every day. 



The purpose of the road trip was to remember the things that really matter after all.