Did Remote Work Ever Really Work? Or Did Companies Just Move Bad Office Habits Online?

🚀 Leadership Explored Episode 5 – Drops Tuesday, May 20

Remote work was supposed to be a revolution. A moment that redefined how we work, collaborate, and lead. But did it actually work—or did most companies just move their old office culture onto Zoom and call it a day?

🎙️ In Episode 5 of Leadership Explored, we take a hard look at the reality of remote-first organizations:
✅ Why most companies never actually became remote-first
✅ The biggest struggles of remote & hybrid work environments
✅ Why bad meetings are even worse on Zoom—and how to fix them
✅ The surprising reason fully remote teams still need in-person gatherings
✅ How documentation and knowledge-sharing can make or break remote success

The Myth of Remote-First Work

Many companies went remote out of necessity—but few actually redesigned their culture for a remote-first world. Instead of being intentional about communication, collaboration, and culture, they just took their existing work habits and moved them online.

And now?
❌ Unproductive meetings feel even worse on video calls
❌ Employees struggle with visibility and connection
❌ Leadership hasn’t adjusted to leading in a remote-first world
❌ Some companies are rolling back remote work altogether

💡 "Remote-first isn’t just working from home—it’s a complete shift in how work gets done." – Ed Schaefer

So why are some remote-first teams thriving while others are failing? The answer isn’t in where people work—it’s in how they work. And that’s what we’re unpacking in this episode.

Bad Leadership Creates Bad Remote Work

A bad meeting in the office is still a bad meeting on Zoom. A toxic culture in an office is still toxic in a remote setting. Remote work doesn’t create bad communication—it amplifies problems that were already there.

Companies that truly succeed with remote work don’t just embrace flexibility—they rethink how they work.

We talk about:
🔹 How intentionality separates good remote teams from bad ones
🔹 Why remote meetings require more preparation, not less
🔹 The role of in-person touchpoints in remote-first success
🔹 How documentation can make or break a distributed team

Listen to the Full Episode on May 20

If your company is struggling with remote work, the problem isn’t remote work—it’s how your company is doing it. Let’s talk about what actually makes a remote-first culture thrive.

📅 Episode 5 drops Tuesday, May 20—subscribe to Leadership Explored so you don’t miss it!

🎧 Listen at LeadershipExploredPod.com

👉 What’s been your biggest challenge (or success) with remote or hybrid work? Drop a comment and let’s talk!