Rethinking Remote-First Leadership

Why Blaming WFH for Declining Productivity is Missing the Mark

by Ashley Carr, Managing Director, Neo PR

February 26 2025 - Work-from-home (WFH) policies have been thrust into the working world as a by-product of the pandemic, and they're clearly here to stay with one in four workers currently working in a hybrid set up. Naturally, as with any major societal shift, concerns have arisen about the impact of remote working on productivity. A recent BBC article highlighted these fears, with many quick to blame WFH policies for an apparent decline in output. But what if the real issue isn't where people are working, and rather how they're being managed?

Before the pandemic, I was a firm believer in the office-first approach. I liked to see my team at their desks, and I operated under the assumption that if people were physically present, they were being productive. But over time, my experience - and therefore my thinking - has changed. What we're dealing with today is not a productivity crisis. It's a leadership crisis. Too many businesses are languishing and sticking to outdated management habits, clinging to proximity as a way of measuring performance rather than focusing on results, and what really matters.

The real problem? Leadership caught by surprise

It's easy to blame employees when productivity appears to dip, particularly when managers no longer have that visual reassurance of seeing their teams hard at work. But the question leaders should really be asking themselves is: "Have we adapted our management approach to suit a remote-first world?"

Too many businesses still operate on what I like to call "proximity management", i.e., the belief that productivity is directly linked to how often someone is in the office. But in today's world, that logic no longer holds up. What matters is not where people are working, but how they are working and what they are delivering. Taking this to its extreme, this logic would result in a clear divide between an exceptionally productive legion of office based workers, and, at the other end of the scale, a disproportionately unproductive remote or hybrid workforce. Some evidence is actually showing that the opposite might be true, when taking into account other considerations, such as general happiness, and the benefits of an improved work/life balance.

If productivity is suffering, it's not because people are working from their kitchen tables instead of an office desk. It's because leadership hasn't evolved to manage and support remote or hybrid teams effectively. Managers need to shift from focusing on inputs, i.e., hours logged, office attendance figures, to focusing on outputs: actual results and value delivered.

Shifting from proximity to performance-based leadership

Good leadership is about managing outcomes. Businesses need to move away from the outdated idea that leadership means physically monitoring employees and instead build a culture of trust, autonomy, and accountability.

The key to making this work is clarity. Employees need to know exactly what is expected of them. Research shows that some of the most effective ways of doing this are setting clear objectives, providing regular feedback, and ensuring there's transparency around how success is measured. Micromanaging people through endless check-ins or requiring them to be "always on" isn't the way to go. Some studies show this leads to employees checking out and burning out too. Businesses should be focusing on results instead.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is companies treating remote work as a temporary fix, rather than fully embracing it as a long-term reality. It is more nuanced than giving people the option to work from home a couple of days a week. It requires a complete rethink of how teams collaborate, how success is measured, and how managers lead. Leaders who fail to make this shift will struggle to retain high-performing employees, and their businesses will ultimately suffer as a result, especially as employees increasingly value the flexibility offered by hybrid working more than pay itself.

Building culture through leadership, not in an office

Businesses have long relied on office environments to create a sense of culture. Ping-pong tables, Friday drinks, and team lunches have all been used as easy ways to promote connection. But I'd argue that if your company culture is reliant on physical proximity, then it was never particularly strong in the first place. Culture isn't about having an office. It's about how people feel when they work for your company. It's about having a shared purpose, strong communication, and a sense of belonging, none of which require four walls and a water machine.

Building a thriving remote or hybrid culture means being intentional. That might mean structured virtual meet-ups, informal check-ins, or making sure employees have a voice and feel connected to the wider business. It's about recognising achievements, promoting collaboration, and ensuring people feel valued no matter where they work. Businesses that get this right will not only maintain strong cultures but actually enhance them, creating teams that are more engaged, more motivated, and ultimately more productive.

Flexibility and trust: the foundations of a modern workforce

For years, flexibility was seen as a perk. Now, it's a necessity for many. Employees expect to have more control over their working lives, and businesses that resist this shift will find themselves struggling to attract and retain top talent. But flexibility only works if it's built on trust. If leaders don't trust their employees to work effectively from home, they'll resort to micromanagement, excessive monitoring, and unnecessary rules. And that's a recipe for disaster. Nothing kills engagement faster than a lack of trust.

Instead, businesses should focus on creating environments where employees feel empowered to do their best work, where they have the autonomy to manage their own time and the support they need to succeed. This means giving people the freedom to structure their working day in a way that suits them, perhaps with flexible working hours, rather than forcing outdated 9-to-5 structures onto a workforce that has proven it can be productive in different ways.

Remote work isn't for everyone. And that's ok!

Not every company will be fully remote, and not every employee thrives in a remote environment. And that's fine. But businesses need to be clear about what they stand for and align their teams accordingly. Some organisations will continue to prioritise in-office work, while others will go fully remote. What's important is that businesses make a conscious decision about their working model and communicate it clearly. Employees shouldn't be left second-guessing company expectations.

Whatever approach a company takes, it needs to be intentional about how it builds a high-performing team. If remote work is part of the equation, then leadership must step up to match it. That means setting clear expectations, ensuring alignment across teams, and making sure that everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet, regardless of where they are working from. Crucially, management must also clearly define what good performance looks like and how it is measured. Having trust in your team to do the job expected of them is key, but if they do fall short, the responsibility lies with management to address it. Any company that tolerates underperformance has a clear issue with leadership. Companies shouldn't shy away from building a team that aligns with, and thrives in, their chosen model.

The future of leadership in a remote-first world

The way we work has changed forever, and leadership needs to change with it. The businesses that will be successful moving forward aren't the ones clinging to outdated office-based management styles. They're the ones embracing flexibility, trusting their employees, and focusing on results rather than location.

We have a unique opportunity to rethink what effective leadership looks like. It's no longer about where your team sits, it's about how you lead them, how you empower them, and how you create an environment where people can do their best work. The companies that get this right will build stronger, more resilient, and more successful teams in the long run.

The question is no longer whether remote work "works." We've already proven that it does. The real question is whether leaders are willing to change their ways and embrace the future of work - or whether they'll continue looking backwards while the world moves on without them.

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