Leading the Virtual Workforce: How Great Leaders Transform Organizations in the 21st Century (Microsoft Executive Leadership Series)

Leading the Virtual Workforce

How Great Leaders Transform Organizations in the 21stCentury

Praise for Leading the Virtual Workforce

"Strong leadership in the best of times is difficult to achieve,but in today's rapidly changing business environment, leaders aretested in many new ways. Once again, Lojeski has a fresh take onwhat it takes to lead today's widely dispersed workforce."
—Ellen Pearlman, former editor-in-chief, CIO Insightmagazine

"Karen Lojeski has distilled the essence of the leader's role in'managing' virtual teams. Her very relevant case stories illustratethat to be successful, the authentic leader must be able to createcontext and a collaborative lexicon for virtual knowledge sharingand must work diligently to build the social capital that is sovital to the success of virtual work groups. Karen's keycontribution in this and her previous book, Uniting the VirtualWorkforce, is the 'discovery' and clear articulation of her theoryof the Virtual Distance Index, which leaders can use to measure andmanage the process of virtual teamwork."
—Dave Davison, Chairman, Virtual Visuals Inc.

"I agree entirely with Karen when she says that today, more thanever, effective leaders are desperately needed. She skillfullydefines the dislocation and demarcation of leaders from followersthrough the 'Virtual Distance,' and yet paradoxically calls leadersto 'stoke the flames of innovation and cooperation in a complex,interwoven world.' This gives rise to her exploration of theVirtual Distance Leader. As Karen points out, thetwenty-first-century leader must, amidst the conditions ofpressure, change, and transformation, bring human endeavor andaction to value and meaning for others."
—Adrian Machon, Director, Executive & LeadershipDevelopment, GlaxoSmithKline