Most of us are familiar with this scenario by now: you’re on a zoom call – whether it is for a class, a club, or a university program – and you’re all staring at the silent, empty black boxes. No one is speaking, even if you have an assignment. You have no leader, no mission, no purpose – you’re all wasting time hoping someone else will speak. Spoiler alert: they probably will not talk until, for those paying attention, the tension becomes too much.
I understand that experience, that inclination to let someone else take the reins. On zoom, I prefer having my camera off, and the idea of unmuting to speak makes me anxious, but the truth is, someone has to take the first step. Someone has to break the silence and start leading because that is the only way anything will happen – just like an in-person meeting.
Leadership in a virtual setting looks a little different, but the similarities are there: taking charge, delegating, communicating, exhibiting empathy, motivating the group, and encouraging participation. The virtual setting may be an extra barrier to the process, but it is not insurmountable.
Taking charge is as simple as unmuting and turning on your camera. It is always easier to be the second person to speak than the first. A leader needs to be willing to take the first step and pull everyone else along. If turning on the camera seems unreasonable, just unmute and speak. If unmuting is too daunting, then send a chat. Something is better than nothing.
Have a go-to way to break the ice: “What was the best thing about your day? I can start, and we’ll do popcorn style;” mention a pet or something you saw on your way to class. Invite conversation. For a group scared to participate, something mundane can humanize those cold, black boxes and serve to open the floor for productive conversation.
Delegating is an essential part of effective leadership. In an online setting, this might be as simple as directing a question to one person (or a small group). Arbitrary delegations, those without regard for someone’s comfort level, surroundings, abilities, or circumstances, can damage trust in a group and accidentally exclude someone from conversation. No one likes to feel called out, but it can be difficult for others to know when to respond. A safe alternative in a group of strangers might be to use the hands raised option and let the speaker pick the next person to talk to from those willing to do so.
Leadership also means communicating – both speaking and listening. In a virtual setting, this means reading comments and chat messages thoroughly and carefully and letting others speak. On the other hand, it means asking clarifying questions – both for yourself and others’ sake – and ensuring everyone has a chance to share their opinions. Create openings for those who are quieter in the discussion, and give options; while not everything has to be democratic, a simple either/or question can provide an opportunity for someone to participate.
Exhibiting empathy in leadership can be hard, but understanding your teammates is an integral part of making a welcoming space for participation. Empathy means acknowledging your teammates’ circumstances and emotions and acting accordingly. Empathy means understanding people have limits, whether it’s that they cannot dedicate fifteen hours to a project in a week because they work three part-time jobs and go to class, or whether it’s that they, for whatever reason, can’t participate in a certain way.
Motivating the group means finding a common goal and highlighting that. In university-required programming, motivating the group might mean fostering interesting conversation. In a class, it might mean highlighting the requirements and deadlines. Each group will have its own motivation, which often means adapting as a leader.
In truth, there are many similarities between the leadership skills that work in an in-person setting and those that work in a virtual setting. While it might be more difficult to apply them in a virtual setting, the skills learned for in-person leadership are not obsolete – they merely require adaptation. Someone has to speak up, break the awkward silence, and get the ball rolling. You have the know-how – why can’t that someone be you?
