High Performance and Virtual Leadership

E-Leadership: Virtual Leaders and Virtual Followership

Although the use of appropriate managerial controls has always been critical, this has never been more the case than in the new global economy, where commerce takes place 24/7: “e-leaders are affected by time, distance, and cultural considerations in how they actively shape their followers’, customers’ and society’s views and use of [Advanced Information Technology] AIT, and potentially the context that embeds them” (Avolio, et al., 2014, p.106). On one hand, it might be assumed that a virtual leader has a degree of distance from the subordinates that would make management difficult. On the other hand, virtual communication permits a degree of consistent communication and reinforcement that can be very useful for a team.

Avolio (et al., 2014) also suggests that ethical and character-based leadership is facilitated by AI. The features of virtual technology permit greater information sharing and personalization of communication than was previously typical of the past, and millennials expect and are willing to accept a more permeable work-life barrier, in exchange for a more flexible workday schedule at the physical office (“Millennials,” 2020). Virtual interactions can foster so-called social contagion—i.e., when one influential person feels positive, that can spread to another person, not simply through the immediate social reinforcement of a meeting, as is typical of most interactions, but with the more consistent feedback of virtual connections such as emails and messaging, which can often be more consistent than the possibility of face-to-face interactions. Such positivity can buoy the team through difficult times (Avolio, et al., 2014).

Virtual leadership can also have a mentoring influence, in terms of fostering self-efficacy of team members. Self-efficacy is always reliant upon a delicate balance of encouraging individuals to have confidence in their own actions, while simultaneously giving them enough guidance so they can be competent in their work, further investing them with a sense of confidence. Virtual leadership allows the leader to be consistently present, and available for small acts of guidance to further the mentee’s development, but without micromanaging or needing to be physically present at all times. This is consistent with social learning theory’s concept of the zone of proximate development: “The zone of proximal development refers to the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner” (McLeod, 2019, par.1).

Virtual leadership is also consistent with the concept of total leadership, which stresses the need for leader authenticity, wholeness (integrity and respect for all), and innovation (“What is Total Leadership,” 2020). Authenticity is reflected in the actions both small and large of the leader, as transmitted virtually, and the willingness of the leader to be adaptive to the demands of different communication media as needed, from written to video, from formal to informal. Ideally, virtual leadership can create more fluid and flexible transactions between leaders and members, facilitate more consistent communication, and build positivity.

On the other hand, it is important to note that such speed offers a counterweighing potential of spreading negative attitudes and social dysfunction (Avolio, et al., 2014). If not appropriately used, particularly in a multicultural setting, there is the potential for miscommunication to result between organizational members. In leadership exchange theory, this means that high-quality exchanges between leaders and members “are characterized by mutual trust, respect, liking, and reciprocal influence,” versus technology creating a false perception that relationships and actions are being fostered that are not actually being followed through, but merely being recorded on a virtual calendar (Avolio, et al., 2014, p.110). E-leadership can be highly effective during times of change, if the change is monitored and feedback is consistently offered to subordinates, but the ways in which such actions are measured and monitored must ensure that such high-value interactions are actually taking place.