Effective leadership practice among senior leaders working from home and in the hybrid workplace across COVID-19

Kristian Barnes (), Katia Vione and Yasuhiro Kotera
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Kristian Barnes: University of Derby
Katia Vione: University of Derby
Yasuhiro Kotera: University of Nottingham

SN Business & Economics, 2024, vol. 4, issue 5, 1-23

Abstract: Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted and reshaped effective leadership practices by introducing working-from-home protocols (WFH) and the hybrid workplace model. The current study sought to identify and understand leadership practices adopted in WFH and the transition to the hybrid model, the effectiveness of these practices, and the implications of these on future effective leadership practices in knowledge-based organizations. The current study employed an inductive thematic analysis on semi-structured interviews with thirteen senior leaders in marketing agencies and departments, grounded in causal leadership epistemology. Five themes were identified: (1) remote leadership capabilities required, (2) a soft skills leadership renaissance, (3) introspection is a coping strategy, (4), leaders' temporal quandary, and (5) hybrid leadership uncertainty. The study findings indicated the leaders who successfully coped and continued to be effective exhibited a more adaptive and resilient mindset, evolving their leadership practices and skills to suit the needs of remote (WFH) leadership. They embraced softer leadership skills and developed more humanistic leadership behaviors. They developed an introspection practice to maintain their mental and psychological balance and they mastered time management in an always-on world. This study offers leaders, managers, and employers practical insights into ongoing effective leadership practice with remote (WFH) empowered workforces and hybrid workplace normalization.

Keywords: Leadership; Introspection; Hybrid workplace; Working from home; Humanistic; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D80 D81 J24 L20 L84 M12 M14 M30 M31 M37 M50 M53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s43546-024-00651-4

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