Are Companies Failing at Remote Work?
Maybe Remote but not Remote-First
Most companies that went remote never actually became remote-first. Instead, they simply took their in-office workflows, moved them to Zoom, and hoped for the best.
Now, many are struggling. Bad meetings got worse. Collaboration became harder. Communication gaps widened. And the result? Companies are now pushing return-to-office (RTO) mandates, claiming that remote work doesn’t work.
But here’s the thing: remote work didn’t fail—companies failed at remote work.
What It Really Takes to Make Remote Work, Work
For remote work to be successful, it’s not enough to let employees work from home. Companies need to design their culture, processes, and leadership styles with remote work in mind. That means:
🚀 Intentional Communication – Meetings should be structured, well-facilitated, and not the default for every decision.
📖 Strong Documentation – Without clear, accessible knowledge, remote teams will struggle.
🤝 In-Person Connection (Yes, Even for Remote Teams) – The best remote-first organizations still invest in occasional in-person gatherings to sustain relationships.
⚡ Leadership That Actually Adapts – Remote work exposes weak leadership, poor communication, and bad collaboration. Companies that fail remotely were probably struggling long before remote work started.
Episode 5 of Leadership Explored Drops Tomorrow
In tomorrow’s episode, we break down:
✔️ Why most companies never truly became remote-first
✔️ The hidden challenges of remote and hybrid work
✔️ How bad meetings became worse when moved online
✔️ Why in-person interactions still matter—even for fully distributed teams
✔️ The real key to making remote work actually work
🎧 Listen to Episode 5 here: leadershipexploredpod.com
What’s Your Experience With Remote Work?
Have you seen a company nail remote-first culture? Or are most still figuring it out? Drop your thoughts in the comments—we’d love to hear your take!
#LeadershipExplored #RemoteWork #FutureOfWork #HybridWork #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipMatters