The realities of remote working as a corporate nomad CEO

In Coldplay’s ‘The Scientist’, frontman Chris Martin sings: “Nobody said it was easy, no one ever said it would be this hard…oh, take me back to the start”.

There are days when I feel the power of these words. Building a fully hybrid business with the purpose of truly hero-ing inclusion and borderless working, and committing to this for the long term, can be an ever-twisting roller coaster.

For every business leader who fully grasps why hybrid and remote working is the future, and that it is fundamentally good for our people and planet, there is another who asks me “but when are you actually going to be here in the city, Mimi, so we can meet?”

My answer is always the same “I will be back in town in four weeks, but I’m already here with you today, how can I help?” The real response should be “why does it matter?” and perhaps I will start saying this more often. Do I become less intelligent, creative, or insightful because we share a virtual room versus a physical one?

Is it that I don’t believe in in-person meetings? No. It’s just I also don’t believe that we all need to alter our lives, our families, and our human potential in order to geographically be in the same place. I find it’s the industries that have traditionally been built on direct sales that struggle the most. Industries that are run by brokers and salespeople that can’t seem to truly grasp that you may have the best team you have ever had access to at your fingertips, and that the knowledge economy is probably the best thing that ever happened to your brand.

So, with that said, is remote and hybrid working sustainable? As far as I am concerned it is. Does that mean I never fly in for meetings? No. But it does mean that I am not going to change my personal choices and needs as a mother, author, and leader, to prioritise board rooms over Zoom rooms.

Why? Because I know that I am the best version of me when I am surrounded by a day-to-day life that fuels my energy, passion, and inspiration. I am at my most strategic, creative, and connected in the cities I choose to base myself in.

The reality is, of course, that this is the same for every member of my team. If my senior designer needs to be in India for his daughter’s university enrollment, or my business director needs to be in the UK for her parents’ anniversary, then this is where they should be. After all, we are all humans first and foremost and humans do their best work when they are at their best. Pretty simple really.

I recently saw a post from a CEO in Europe stating, “we have temporarily suspended work from home and some people were upset.” I was speechless. I honestly can’t imagine ever again mandating that someone works in an office full time and as their only choice. Is it dramatic to say it feels against employee rights?

I am not saying there is no role for offices, camaraderie, or connection, and I am not saying there aren’t days when we all benefit from being in one place together, but to ban people from working elsewhere after the entire planet has been through a seismic shift in social structure and mental health seems unthinkable to this generation. My opinion is that this is a recipe for the end, and however much you pay these team members you will find yourself on a short track to the impact of the ‘Great Resignation’ knocking at your door.

For me, as a nomad CEO myself, traveling the world monthly, I am able to add to constantly build connections and my understanding of people, trends, and consumerism cross-market, cross-culture, and cross-industry. I find unfound talent, meet a multitude of inspiring minds, gain access to phenomenal ideas and innovation, and never get stuck in a local rut by staying put for too long.

Proving remote works

If we are to protect our people and to create true diversity and inclusion worldwide, we simply have to make this new world of work, work. We must find ways to lead across borders, time zones, and cultures and we have to trust our people that they can work from anywhere. And after three years of doing exactly that, how much more evidence do we need?

What do I wish I had known at the start which would have short-cut some of the learning curves? Here are my top three:

• It is critical that the leaders of hybrid businesses can overtly explain the purpose of this decision as the path to the benefits, ways of working and output of these new models. Remote working can’t be ‘just because’ – it must be a defined, strategic, and effective solution that adds value to the businesses you lead.
• Remote working creates the freedom and flexibility that employees have been screaming for, for decades. But it does need very clear parameters around it to protect that work/life balance we all need. Set time frames, expectations, and deadlines even more clearly than before because if it’s not in writing it gets forgotten.
• The key to all leadership, remote or otherwise, is relationships and culture building. It is critical that wherever you are you make time to connect with people, as people. It is easy to think you should only attend meetings with a formal agenda and deliverables, but the key to staying connected as a nomad CEO is to make time for informal, empathy-driven conversations. You need to know your people and they need to know you!

Do I wish I could go back to the start, as Coldplay rings out in my mind? Absolutely not, but I have learned a few things along the way that will make chapter two of remote working even smoother.

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