3 work models entrepreneurs can use to foster successful virtual communities – Lorraine K. Lee

Author: Jaelyn Campbell

Due to the pandemic, remote and hybrid work models have become increasingly popular. According to Upwork, it’s expected that 32.6 million Americans will be working remotely by 2025. On the latest episode of The Small Business Show, Lorraine K. Lee shares insights on how entrepreneurs can use different work models to manage their virtual teams.

In addition to being a Stanford Continuing Studies instructor, keynote speaker, and instructor at LinkedIn Learning, Lee is also the founder of RISE Learning Solutions. Moreover, through Lee’s experience, she found her primary passion in teaching others how to supercharge their online presence. She adds, “Entrepreneurs’ online presence is how and where others view you professionally.”

Key Takeaways:

1. Leadership principles do not change when entrepreneurs adapt their leadership styles to remote or virtual settings. Influential leaders must work well, communicate effectively, and demonstrate empathy. However, being intentional is the main attribute that sets online communication apart from face-to-face communication.

2. Lee also believes trust is the main problem with moving from traditional leadership methods to online ones. Hence, trust is crucial in any work environment. 

3. When working remotely, entrepreneurs can use the following tools to keep their teams connected and productive: Zoom, Slack, Microsoft Teams, What’s App, Figma, Mural, or Miro. Several artificial intelligence tools could also efficiently record meeting minutes, generate summaries, or formulate organizational tasks. 

4. According to Lee, intentionality is the main element in assisting entrepreneurs in building communities in remote or hybrid settings. Other work models include: 

• • Establishing time for team connection.
  • Investigate different online groups. 
  • Look for opportunities to establish everyday connections with team members.

5. Despite the widespread belief that in-person engagements are preferable, having the option to work remotely or in a hybrid environment allows businesses to retain more talent and attract more diversity of ideas.

“I believe leadership under remote and hybrid environments fall directly in line with supercharging an entrepreneur’s online presence.” – Lorraine K. Lee