25/02/2025

The Hybrid Work & Leadership Challenge

Why Leading a Hybrid Team Can Be Like Herding Cats (and How to Sort It)

The Problem: Hybrid Work Isn’t the Future—It’s Already Here (and It’s a Mess)

Once upon a time, “going to work” meant, well… going somewhere. Then, 2020 happened, and suddenly the whole world was working in pyjamas from the waist down. Fast forward to today, and hybrid work is the new normal—but it’s far from business as usual.

🔹 Some leaders love it—more flexibility, better work-life balance, fewer soul-crushing commutes.
🔹 Some leaders hate it—empty offices, fractured teams, and the constant worry that no one is actually working.
🔹 Some companies are forcing people back into offices like it’s 2019, hoping they’ll magically “collaborate better.”

The reality? Hybrid work isn’t about location. It’s about leadership.

📊 74% of UK businesses say managing hybrid teams is one of their top leadership challenges (CIPD, 2023).
📊 64% of employees say they’d rather quit than return to the office full-time (Gallup, 2023).

Hybrid work isn’t a phase—it’s a leadership evolution. And right now, most leaders are winging it.

Why Hybrid Leadership is So Hard (and Why Most Leaders Get It Wrong)

Hybrid work isn’t just about where people work. It’s about:

1️⃣ Trust & Visibility – If you can’t see people working, how do you know they actually are?
2️⃣ Communication Overload – Endless Zooms, Slacks, emails… but people still feel disconnected.
3️⃣ Performance & Accountability – How do you manage performance when you don’t bump into people in the office?
4️⃣ Culture & Connection – How do you build team spirit when half your people are at home in joggers?

The mistake many companies make? Thinking of hybrid work as a logistical problem instead of a cultural shift.

🚨 Hybrid work doesn’t fail because of remote work. It fails because of poor leadership. 🚨

Here’s what needs to change.

The Lead Happy Approach: How to Lead a High-Performing Hybrid Team

At Lead Happy, we coach leaders to stop obsessing over where people work and start focusing on how they lead. Here’s what actually works:

✅ From ‘Presence’ to ‘Performance’ – Stop measuring people by hours at their desk and start measuring by outcomes.
✅ From ‘Meetings’ to ‘Meaningful Conversations’ – Less “catch-up calls,” more clear, structured, purposeful communication.
✅ From ‘Control’ to ‘Trust’ – Hybrid teams thrive when leaders set clear expectations and let people own their work.
✅ From ‘One-Size-Fits-All’ to ‘Flex for Impact’ – The best hybrid teams design work around impact, not rigid policies.

Now, let’s get into actionable strategies you can apply today.

🔥 5 Ways to Lead a Thriving Hybrid Team 🔥

1️⃣ Make Performance Crystal Clear

The biggest hybrid leadership mistake? Micromanaging because you can’t “see” people working.

🔹 Try this: Set clear, measurable outcomes—so people know exactly what’s expected without needing constant check-ins.

2️⃣ Get Rid of the ‘Always-On’ Culture

When half the team is in the office and half are remote, it’s easy for digital presenteeism to creep in. The result? Burnout.

🔹 Try this: Normalise asynchronous work—not everything needs an instant reply or another bloody meeting.

3️⃣ Use Meetings Wisely (and Sparingly)

If your hybrid strategy is “Let’s have more Zoom calls,” you’re doing it wrong.

🔹 Try this: Replace status update meetings with one clear, structured written update—you’ll save hours each week.

4️⃣ Build a Hybrid-Friendly Culture (That Isn’t Just Virtual Pub Quizzes)

Culture doesn’t happen just in the office—it happens in how you work, communicate, and connect.

🔹 Try this: Make hybrid work deliberate—plan in-person moments that actually matter, not just “everyone must come in on Wednesdays.”

5️⃣ Develop Hybrid-Specific Leadership Skills

The skills that worked in the office won’t cut it in a hybrid world. You need leaders who can:

✔ Build trust without micromanaging
✔ Communicate clearly without constant meetings
✔ Create psychological safety across locations
✔ Lead high-performing teams, no matter where they are

💡 Tip: Invest in leadership coaching—hybrid work isn’t going away, and leaders who can’t adapt will struggle.

Final Thoughts: Hybrid Work Isn’t a ‘Workplace’ Issue—It’s a Leadership Issue

The hybrid debate isn’t about remote vs. office. It’s about how leaders create connection, trust, and performance—no matter where people work.

At Lead Happy, we help leaders stop firefighting hybrid work problems and start leading with clarity, confidence, and impact.

🔹 Want to build a high-performing hybrid team? Let’s talk.

Further Reading & Resources

📚 Remote: Office Not Required – Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson
📚 The Long-Distance Leader – Kevin Eikenberry & Wayne Turmel
📚 It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work – Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson