06/01/2025

The Importance of In-Person Connection in Leadership

As the new year begins, organisations across the globe are intensifying their re-evaluation of working norms. Many are challenging the remote working revolution, with large companies urging employees back to the office. While remote work offers undeniable flexibility, this shift brings to light a critical conversation for leaders: the value of in-person connection for effective leadership.  So we’re asking, albeit with a tongue firmly in  cheek – In-Office or Work From Home?

This debate is playing out against a backdrop of conflicting interests. Employees value the flexibility remote work provides, while many leaders argue that collaboration, innovation, and culture-building thrive best in the office. How we balance these competing needs effectively is a head-scratcher. 

The Landscape: Balancing Remote and In-Person Work

Remote work has redefined productivity, reducing commutes and enabling focused individual work. Employees have embraced the flexibility, finding it particularly valuable for managing work-life balance and caring responsibilities. Yet, many leaders, including Amazon’s CEO, Andy Jassy, maintain that the advantages of in-office collaboration are “significant” (Amazon CEO Memo, 2025).

As Jassy notes, “collaborating, brainstorming, and inventing are simpler and more effective [in the office]; teaching and learning from one another are more seamless; and teams tend to be better connected” (Amazon CEO Memo, 2025). This belief is driving decisions at companies like Amazon and Goldman Sachs, where mandates for office returns are being strictly enforced.

However, critics of these mandates point to practical concerns. Employees like Christina, a chartered accountant from Scotland, face significant challenges: “It didn’t come as a surprise, but it was devastating,” she says, citing a £6,000 annual increase in commuting costs for her family and the logistical nightmare of juggling school and nursery runs (The Guardian, 2025).

Potential Downsides of Remote-Only Work

For many leaders, the return to the office is about addressing the limitations of remote work:

1. Erosion of Team Dynamics
   Virtual meetings often struggle to replicate the spontaneity and energy of in-person interactions. Unplanned conversations by the coffee machine or in corridors often spark ideas and foster camaraderie, which is harder to achieve remotely.
2. Reduced Empathy and Trust
   Leaders miss out on subtle, in-person cues such as body language and tone changes—essential for building trust and understanding.
3. Collaboration Fatigue
   Over-reliance on virtual tools can lead to “Zoom fatigue” and miscommunication. For some employees, like Richmond, a software engineer, the isolation of remote work became unbearable: “The office has always been the mainstay of my social life” (The Guardian, 2025).

Yet, mandatory office returns often meet resistance. Digital designer John describes such policies as a “betrayal of autonomy” and “an arbitrary decision” (The Guardian, 2025). He argues that returning to the office could harm his productivity by forcing him into a noisy open-plan space without access to the tools he relies on at home.

The Physical Challenge of Office Space

Beyond leadership and team dynamics, the shift between remote and in-person work is reshaping the physical workplace.

Underutilisation of Office Space
As hybrid models gain traction, many organisations find that office spaces sit underused. John, for instance, suspects his employer’s new office space is a key driver of the return-to-office push, as companies look to justify costly leases (The Guardian, 2025).

Flexibility Costs
Redesigning office spaces to support hot-desking and hybrid setups comes at a cost, even as organisations face pressure to cut expenses.

Equity Challenges
Kathleen McAdams, director at Albany HR, warns that compensating employees for returning to the office could create salary and career progression gaps between those working in-office and remotely, exacerbating issues of equity and inclusion (People Management, 2024).

Why In-Person Connection Matters for Leadership

Brilliant leadership thrives on connection. It’s not just about guiding teams but cultivating trust, empathy, and collaboration. Here’s why in-person connection remains vital:

Deeper Emotional Intelligence
In-person settings allow leaders to observe body language, tone, and micro-interactions more effectively. This fosters real-time adjustments to communication styles, building stronger bonds.

Strengthening Team Cohesion
Shared physical spaces create opportunities for organic team bonding, sparking creativity and innovation. As Kerstin from Cornwall explains, camaraderie in the office provides vital support after difficult calls—something virtual tools struggle to replicate (The Guardian, 2025).

Amplified Culture Building
Organisational values come to life when teams interact face-to-face. Leaders can model behaviours such as inclusivity and resilience, setting a tone that ripples throughout the organisation.

The Broader Context: CEO Expectations and Employee Concerns

A recent KPMG study reveals that 83% of UK CEOs expect a full return to the office within three years—a sharp rise from 64% the previous year (People Management, 2024). This shift in sentiment follows moves by high-profile organisations like Amazon and Goldman Sachs, which have mandated office attendance.

However, this stance clashes with employee preferences. A People Management survey found that over two-thirds of employees would consider changing jobs if asked to return to the office full-time (People Management, 2024). For working parents like Christina, such mandates feel like a step backwards: “I feel penalised as a woman for wanting to have a career and a family” (The Guardian, 2025).

Dr Melissa Carr of Henley Business School highlights the equity implications of these policies, noting that flexible working arrangements benefit employees with caring responsibilities or disabilities. Mandating office attendance risks widening social capital gaps and privileging those who can be physically present (People Management, 2024).

Some Practical Ways to Balance Both Worlds

How can leaders integrate in-person connections without sacrificing the benefits of remote work? Here are some strategies:

1. Design Hybrid Models Thoughtfully
   • Establish clear purposes for office days, such as brainstorming sessions or team-building exercises.
   • Allow teams the flexibility to decide when physical presence is most valuable.
2. Prioritise Connection During Office Time
   • Use in-office moments for deep conversations, celebrating achievements, or fostering collaboration—not mundane tasks.
3. Model Empathy as a Leader
   • Share challenges and demonstrate understanding of employees’ concerns about the transition.
   • Be transparent about the rationale behind hybrid policies.
4. Reassess Regularly
   • Seek ongoing feedback to refine hybrid approaches, ensuring they meet organisational goals and employee needs.

The Path Forward

Connection doesn’t necessitate a physical office but thrives when leaders deliberately create environments for collaboration. A blend of remote working and purposeful in-person engagement can maximise individual and team brilliance.

However, as Amazon’s Jassy warns, culture is not a birthright—it must be actively nurtured. This is the challenge for leaders: to balance the undeniable benefits of in-person interaction with the flexibility employees demand, while addressing the practical and equity concerns that accompany these changes.

As organisations experiment with hybrid work, the most effective leaders will remember one truth: Leadership is about people, and people need connection—sometimes virtual, often in person, always intentional.

References

1. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Company Memo (2025).
2. “It Didn’t Come as a Surprise”: UK Workers on Being Forced Back into the Office, The Guardian (2025).
3. Majority of CEOs See a Full Return to the Office Within Three Years, People Management (2024). 

 

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