The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift toward hybrid and remote work in higher education. Once rare and prevalent only in online universities, remote work became the sector-wide norm overnight as faculty, staff, and administrators assumed their respective responsibilities via Zoom-enabled technology. The rapid move from a physically cohesive workspace to a dispersed, remote one made it essential for university leaders to develop a set of “distributed leadership” skills that were rarely used by academic administrators prior to the pandemic.
Five years later, many universities are approving hybrid work schedules for at least some employees and managers. Still, many institutions have yet to develop a tailored distributed leadership model to equip chairs, deans, and vice presidents for leadership success in a remote work environment. “Approving” or “allowing” remote work isn’t nearly enough—institutions must intentionally design a distributed leadership model aligned with their unique culture.Â
To do the latter, we can learn from institutions whose administrators have honed remote leadership long before the pandemic reshaped the workplace. This blog spotlights Antioch as one such university.
With five physical campuses across the country, three academic schools, a robust online presence, interactive hybrid modalities, and an adult degree completion program, Antioch’s infrastructure has long required its leaders to be both geographically dispersed and tightly aligned. Long before the global pandemic forced a virtual pivot, Antioch was hiring and preparing faculty, staff, and administrators to lead within a distributed environment.
As Antioch’s incoming president, I am inheriting a dispersed leadership model that many institutions are only now beginning to navigate. Over the past three months of my president-elect tenure, I have read extensively and listened carefully to my soon-to-be colleagues about leading from a distance. This blog shares some of the lessons I’ve gleaned. I hope they will resonate with other higher education officials seeking to lead remotely without becoming disconnected.
Remote Leadership Is Not Remote Control
The first thing I’ve learned from my Antioch “study” is that leading across geography is not about delegating from afar or keeping things moving on autopilot. In line with insights from global leadership studies (Zander, Mockaitis, & Butler, 2012) and virtual team management research (Gilson et al., 2015), Antioch’s leaders are not less present—they are present in different, intentional ways.
Antiochians build and sustain genuine relationships that allow them to show up consistently across “schools” and “campuses.” They foster trust by being responsive and reliable. Antioch vice presidents, deans, and faculty leaders regularly hold one-on-one and small-group meetings with colleagues working from home offices spread across time zones. They participate (most often, virtually) in academic and university events that are frequently “bookended” by a meet-and-greet, a check-in, or a debrief with participants logged in from around the country.
Presence here is not defined by physical proximity but by meaningful engagement. Antioch’s leaders are connected to, not detached from their teams. They lead, not by flicking an “automatic pilot” switch but by having their fingers on the pulse of activities and interactions.
Lead with Values, Not Just Schedules
When leadership is geographically dispersed, clarity of purpose is vital. A tightly shared sense of mission, vision, and values acts as the connective tissue for distributed teams operating across multiple zip codes.
A compelling finding from Choudhury, Foroughi, and Larson (2021) in the remote workforce literature is that distributed organizations outperform others when they cultivate and reinforce a values-based culture. Antioch has a palpably mission-driven culture. It centers on social justice, student-centered learning, and community impact. As president, an early and ongoing responsibility will be to clearly articulate and visibly embody Antioch’s defining mission and values, ensuring they remain the glue that binds us across time and space.
Communication Is Key in Distributed Leadership
One of my long-standing apothegms is that “communication is to higher ed what location is to real estate.” In real estate, it’s location, location, location. In higher education, especially in distributed environments, it’s communication, communication, communication.
Though I have always understood how important communication is in a university setting, my new colleagues have emphasized that strong and timely communication is even more critical when your team is dispersed. That sentiment aligns with the enduring 2004 recommendations developed by Kirkman, Rosen, Tesluk, and Gibson for distributed teams that aimed to be high-performing:
- Be predictable: Establish regular rhythms—weekly updates, monthly reflections.
- Be transparent: Share successes and shortcomings with clarity and honesty.
- Be supportive: Send a thank-you email or make a call to acknowledge work done well.
In my first 90 days, I’ll host Zoom-based Leadership Learning Sessions with faculty, staff, and students across all campuses. These will not be dog-and-pony shows or top-down updates. They will be mutual learning forums—spaces where people feel heard and leaders feel approachable.
Context Matters: Leading Distributed Teams Where You Are
Antioch executives do not lead from a single campus or within a single structure. As mentioned above, our university’s context is a layered one. We operate campuses in Seattle, WA; Santa Barbara, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Yellow Springs, OH; and Keene, NH. We also house three academic schools: the School of Interdisciplinary and Professional Studies; the Graduate School of Nursing and Health Professions; the School of Counseling, Psychology, and Therapy.
This means executive leaders (at the cabinet level) must work with and solicit input from campus-based and school-based leaders alike. Campus leaders are experts on the local student experience, operational oversight, and regional community engagement. School leaders understand the interests, concerns, and aspirations of faculty and staff in the various disciplines (often spanning multiple campuses) that make up their school.
My role as president will be to nurture the distinct strengths of both groups while ensuring their efforts are aligned with Antioch’s overarching strategy and values.
Adaptive leadership theory (Heifetz, Grashow, & Linsky, 2009) reminds us that strong central leadership is not about making every decision—it’s about creating the conditions that allow others to lead effectively within their contexts. That’s especially true at Antioch, where our contexts are varied, our geography is broad, but our mission is shared.
Be Visible through Impact
Perhaps the most subtle challenge of remote leadership is being emotionally in tune when you can’t be physically present. Leaders in distributed organizations can become visible by sending handwritten notes to colleagues, participating in a synchronous classroom discussion, starting small group meetings with thoughtful check-ins, and giving a public shout-out in system-wide Zoom meeting.
These personal touches may be small, but they go a long way in signaling personal attentiveness and appreciation. They show that leading from afar can be a deeply connected practice, not a mechanical maneuvering.
I’ve always been moved by the phrase, “Change occurs at the speed of trust.” As I prepare to take the helm at Antioch, I am adding the italicized words that will make that maxim even more instructive “…and trust must travel well—across schools, across campuses, and across the miles between us.”
Look to Institutions That Have Led in this Space
Antioch’s distributed model is not just an artifact of its past—it’s a window into the future of higher education. As hybrid work becomes a permanent part of our sector, great leaders will be those who have a track record for leading effectively in all kinds of environments, including virtual ones. Indeed, future deans, directors, vice presidents, and presidents will be asked not just whether they can lead—but whether they can lead from anywhere.
I look forward to reading more on the topic, and to connecting with those of you who have been leading in this space for years. As I begin this leg of my journey, I aim to lead from all kinds of spaces and places—without ever losing sight of our students, the faculty who teach them, and the staff who support them.
