Distributed teams are no longer a special case. For many organizations, they are the default.
And while tools make remote work possible, they do not automatically make collaboration easy.
In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership, John Poelstra, Michael Doyle, and I explore what it takes to lead and work effectively in distributed teams.
A conversation across 15 time zones
This conversation took place while we were spread across 15 time zones:
- John Poelstra in Portland, Oregon
- Michael Doyle in Brisbane, Australia
- and myself in Boston, Massachusetts
The episode is republished from John’s show, and the format itself reflects the reality we discuss.
Beyond efficiency
Rather than focusing only on efficiency, we explore distributed work as a leadership challenge.
We discuss:
- how collaboration changes when people are not co-located
- why clarity becomes even more important in distributed contexts
- how trust is built when interactions are mostly asynchronous
- what leaders need to let go of when teams are not physically present
Distributed teams make invisible issues visible. Assumptions, habits, and gaps in communication surface quickly.
Practices that support remote collaboration
Throughout the conversation, we share practical approaches to:
- improve communication across time zones
- reduce unnecessary meetings
- create shared understanding through writing
- support autonomy without isolation
These practices help teams stay aligned without resorting to micromanagement.
A final invitation
If you are working in or leading a distributed team, this episode offers grounded perspectives drawn from real experience.
If you would like to exchange ideas or approaches around remote facilitation and distributed collaboration, feel free to reach out. I’m always happy to connect.
Le Podcast – Season Two
- Playful Leadership: Helping Others Be Their Best
- Blessed, Grateful, and Human
- Build the Right Product, with Gojko Adzic
- Hiring and Diversity Without Dropping the Bar
- Leadership and Teamwork in a Crisis
- Chief of Staff: The Role, the Craft, the Community
- Belonging, Identity, and Better Hiring,
- What Software Teams Can Learn from Sporting Teams
- Agile and Open Innovation: Building the Bridge Between Tech and Business
- Radical Focus: OKRs, Cadence, and the “Seduction of the Task”
- Human-Centric Agility Coaching: The Expert Paradox and the Ideology Paradox
- The Job of an Open Leader: Context, Trust, and Growing Others
Le Podcast – Season One
- Growing as a Software Engineer: Learning, Sharing, and Impact
- Thirteen Rules for Building Strong Teams
- OKRs in Practice: Learning, Focus, and Common Pitfalls
- The Myth of 10x Engineers: Growing Beyond Technical Skills
- The Anatomy of Peace: Leadership Starts With Who You Are
- Psychological Safety: Creating Teams Where People Can Speak Up
- Leading Distributed Teams: Collaboration Across Time Zones
- Changing Your Team from the Inside: A Practitioner’s View on Leadership
- Why Shared Language Matters: How Terms Shape Collaboration
- How (Not) to Give Feedback: Responsibility, Ego, and Relationships
- Rock Stars and Superstars: Supporting Growth Without Losing Stability
- Do Cultural Differences Really Block Agile Adoption?
- How to Create Great Goals: Using OKRs to Focus on Impact
- Making Change from the Inside: Leadership Beyond Management Roles
- How to Form a Cross-Functional Team That Actually Works
