The Long-Distance Leader

Section Three Introduction

Never mistake activity for achievement.

—John Wooden, Hall of Fame basketball coach

Raul is a new supervisor on a team of software engineers. He works from home and has for years, as has most of his team. His manager, though, has always worked out of the office and is very worried that team members might not be working as hard as they can. He’s constantly asked, “How do you know what they’re working on?” or “Are you absolutely positive we’ll meet those deadlines?” Although in his gut he trusts his people, he struggles to assure his boss that real work is getting done, even when he can’t peer over the cubicle and watch it.

As a leader, you’re in the business of reaching desirable outcomes. Helping a team reach outcomes ...