Welcome to "Navigating Leadership," an eight-part series of articles and videos by Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret), Vice Chair of Global Affairs at Carlyle. Drawing from his 37-year naval career, including his role as Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, Admiral Stavridis shares key leadership insights and wisdom for today’s increasingly complex and changing world. Subscribe here to be notified of future editions.

What would Chester W. Nimitz have thought of Zoom? Nimitz, one of the ten admirals I write about in Sailing True North, was Commander in Chief of the US Pacific Fleet during World War II. The Pacific was much more of a sea war than the fighting in Europe and North Africa, and from his base in Pearl Harbor, Admiral Nimitz oversaw more than one million sailors and thousands of ships and aircraft across a 60-million-square-mile expanse of ocean. His job was an intense test of remote leadership, and I’ll take the liberty of assuming that he would have enthusiastically welcomed an opportunity to use Zoom or Teams if such tools had existed.

Today’s managers and leaders—many of whom appreciate the positives of today’s technology but wrestle with its shortcomings—face new challenges in leading remotely. With an estimated 27% of US employees now working at home or away from the office and another 53% working on a hybrid basis, according to research by Gallup[1], many frontline leaders are responsible for people they have never met in person or whom they rarely see except on a screen. And as leaders rise through the ranks, the challenges of remote leadership only grow.

“There are leadership challenges with remote work because you don't have your team around you Monday through Friday. The reality is you're going to have to, as a leader, find ways to maintain connectivity.”

As a great remote leader, Admiral Nimitz can offer some key insights that transcend technology, even today:

1. Concentrate your efforts

The Admiral realized that the Pacific war would be too big and complex for him to be the top strategist, sailor, and warrior all at once. Instead, the secret to Nimitz’s success was his skillful management of a relatively small number of people: those above him who managed the entire war effort, and those around and just below him who conducted the actual fighting. He recognized each member’s unique strengths and weaknesses within the small group and had the wisdom and temperament to serve as a unifying force, enabling each to perform at their best.

2. Focus on culture

When people work remotely, it’s easy for them to focus on their tasks but lose sight of their colleagues, their team, and the underlying purpose of their work. As a leader, Nimitz was a master not only at setting his organization’s goals and marshaling the resources needed to attain them, but ensuring buy-in from those around him and establishing a unified culture. His skill was crowned by his executive ability. In today’s world, leaders must not only focus on strategy but ensuring a strong culture where everyone is aligned and committed to that strategy.

3. Let team members shine

Now that videoconferences have replaced many in-person meetings and conference calls, leaders should be wary of the intoxication that comes from being in front of the camera. While many of us may feel compelled to perform to an audience we can see, Admiral Nimitz knew better. He was an extremely effective delegator, which meant he was able to sublimate his ego and let others take the spotlight. He also resisted the temptation to micromanage—which remote work can encourage, unfortunately, through the ease of using email to keep tabs on every detail of every project. By avoiding the need to stand out or take center stage, as well as conveying trust and autonomy for those around him, Nimitz demonstrated his character, mastering his temperament to remain consistently calm, composed, and steady.

4. Take time to build relationships and trust

By the time World War II started, Admiral Nimitz had built solid relationships with key people around him—those superiors and subordinates that would make up the small core of people he would focus on while leading the Pacific Fleet. He understood that relationship building is important, particularly before difficult and challenging situations arise. For those of you leading people you’ve never met in person, take some time to get to know them. Engaging one-on-one conversations, even through video, can be a great way to do this. It’s also important to schedule regular in-person group meetings for those you lead. The formal agenda for these meetings, will provide structure and consistency that gives everyone the opportunity to get to know each another and become a truly cohesive group.

With remote work now a permanent part of the way things get done, it’s important to remember that people still want to feel they are part of an important effort, not an anonymous cog. Effective leaders have the ability and the obligation to make that happen.

Until next time, Godspeed and open water in your own leadership voyage.

[1] Gallup Indicators, "Hybrid Work," as of May 2024

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