"This book is a comprehensive handbook for anyone who spends time in the virtual world of work. A lot more than just insights into the technologies, it is a detailed, practical guide to all aspects of team building, managing meetings, engaging across cultures and styles, and so much more. It is indispensable and required reading for leaders in the modern workplace."
"This book will guide you to becoming an effective and graceful leader of virtual teams. Penny Pullan hits all the key points around establishing, nurturing and working with diverse groups, wherever their individual members may be located. Virtual Leadership reveals the importance of a leader mindset, deals with technology and virtual meetings, lays out a path for managing virtual work in between meetings, and addresses the complications and pitfalls that every virtual worker faces. Throughout it all, the author shines a light on the often-overlooked truth about virtual work: that its most important aspect has nothing to do with technology, and everything to do with being human. Stop suffering through virtual work. Instead, transform it through applying the skills and practices in this essential handbook."
"I am so pleased that Penny has written this book and can share her skill and inspiration for really successful virtual working with even more people. When I met Penny, I was working with three global companies and was spending half of my days (and lots of early mornings and late nights) on calls with colleagues. Penny taught me so much about how to make these into really successful meetings and reading this book reminded me of all that and more. Penny is also the master of communicating in a clear and simple way, even though the subject matter is complex. I recommend this book to everyone who needs to do business in a "same time, different place" context - I am confident that practising what Penny recommends will transform the quality of your work."
"Penny has done a magnificent job of covering every single element which you need to master. I've been managing virtual teams for over 20 years and thought I knew it all. I didn't. And you won't either until you have read this book."
"'With a new chapter on the formidable challenges that hybrid working presents, Virtual Leadership is more relevant than ever. Like it or not, more and more organizations are moving to a hybrid work model, yet few leaders know how to create a truly level playing field among when some team members work in person and others remotely. This book provides dozens of practical tips for mastering the hybrid workplace and avoiding "proximity bias" by creating shared team norms and policies that all regard as fair. This newest version of Virtual Leadership comes at a perfect time for those who struggle to create an equitable workplace, no matter where, or when, people work.'"
"Dr Pullan drills down on the world of virtual work teams to build a baseline for managers in the 21st century. Virtual teams are flexible in place and time, pull from the brightest talent and offer a 24/7 cycle, and yet have challenges that require knowledge for effective leadership. Pullan puts the benefits of virtual working in a context that managers can trust. Virtual Leadership should be required reading for every leader, project manager and executive, virtual or traditional. Get this book in the hands of your leadership team."
"As a GP working as the Clinical Director of a Primary Care Network requiring GPs at different practices to work together at scale, the suggestions and practical advice on convening virtual meetings has been invaluable. We have even managed cross practice collaborative workshops using suggested resources. General Practice teams are changing for example, the introduction of virtual Multi-Disciplinary Teams to facilitate patient care. I have used the book to support colleagues' development, facilitate tutorials with GP registrars and support hybrid patient virtual consultations, This is truly a book for our time."
"With the prevalence of digital workplaces and the popularity of remote and hybrid work models, the subject of virtual leadership could not be more timely. Drawing on her project management roles across different organisations and sectors and her vast knowledge of the subject, Penny presents an exceptional and practical guide that will be of use to those business leaders and project managers who increasingly need to manage dispersed employees."
"Penny's latest book is your own personal leadership coach. Pragmatic and practical, this book will help you avoid horrible virtual meetings and quickly boost productivity wherever your team are based. Targeted sections let you dive into solutions for issues you are facing with your teams today. Highly recommended for team leaders, managers and those working virtually whether in a formal leadership position or not."
"This book is a boon for anybody working with other people in the post pandemic world. Penny's updated guidance on how to both anticipate and manage the challenges of hybrid working will benefit teams of any size. Especially useful are the hacks for supporting a hybrid team as a leader, these really help you set the culture and connect your team together."
"Since the pandemic began, the virtual world has become our oyster. Love it or hate it, we now teach, learn, lecture, attend committees, manage staff, harmonize, hold teambuilding events and get to know and trust one another online. This book is packed with evidence-based tips and useful anecdotes from someone who has operated in this virtual space for more than 20 years. A timely book at a unique time in history."
"At a time of increasing globalization, virtual working is a very real challenge to organizations and to my own world of project, programme, portfolio and change management. Both the 24/7 global economy and mobile working without a permanent office means we have to find different but effective ways of working. We also need to find successful ways to collaborate and to build strong relationships, confidence and trust with clients and teams when we cannot meet face-to-face. Virtual Leadership helps to address and resolve these issues. Penny has a wonderfully engaging and straightforward way of writing, and her book looks across a range of sectors and situations for virtual working and virtual leadership. I certainly recommend Virtual Leadership to individuals and organizations grappling with the complexity of virtual working."
"During the Covid-19 pandemic, virtual and now hybrid working have become essential. We can choose whether we see and experience them as constraints, or routes to new possibilities. Penny has lots of advice on how, with intentional design and thoughtful use of appropriate technology and tools, we can lead virtual and hybrid teams and teamwork to be engaging, inclusive and high-performing while maintaining the inherent advantages such as flexible location and lower cost. She explores the all-important mindset and behaviour to do this well, and gives practical suggestions and illustrations."
"When I first began to think about virtual working, I didn't predict all the different factors that need to be taken into consideration and learned a lot by trial and error. I would have saved a lot of time and energy by reading this book! Even now, with several years' experience in virtual working, I found this book chock-full of useful tips and ideas that will help me to be far more effective going forward. I hope that this book will become a classic. It certainly deserves its space on my bookshelf as both a primer that I can lend to newbies and a very useful resource for me to use as I think through and address increasing the complexity of virtual working in multiple time zones in the world of work."
"What I love about this book is the richness of practical insights. These come from Penny's impeccable academic background, her vast corporate experience and her ability to simply connect challenges to solutions. If you are leading virtually, your colleagues will be glad you've read this book. They should too."
Author of 'Executive Presentations' and former B Jacqui Harper MBE
"As someone who has spent over twenty years living the virtual life, I loved this book! Penny's book has creatively captured the foibles and tricks and tips for success with virtual leadership."
"Penny Pullan has written the definitive guidebook for the problem vexing managers, leaders, entrepreneurs and employees all over the globe -- how do we stay connected and on purpose with our team while working virtually? The tools, frameworks and recommendations in this book will make a world of difference to morale, productivity and engagement."
Founder of K'é and bestselling author Pamela Slim
"In my role within a Global organisation, I see daily the need for better leadership for remote teams working towards a common goal. Dr Penny Pullan offers us all the help that we need in this with insight, practical guidance and a dash of inspiration, which is always welcome. Covering all the aspects of time, language, culture, and generations which make this a complicated leadership task the book shows us all a clear path to success in this virtual world we all work in today."
Head of Global PMO at Kronos and ‘The Lazy P Peter Taylor
"This is a book for everyone who works in a modern organisation, from a team member approaching their first encounter with virtual working, to an enterprise leader looking to transform to an effective, efficient, distributed organisation. Dr Pullan has provided everything from guidance for organisations looking to deploy communication and collaboration tools, to advice for users on how to maximise their effectiveness whilst avoiding destroying their lives by being 'always on'."
John Greenwood CPhys MInstP PMP
"By building on her own life and work experience, combined with an extensive survey of real-life practices and studies, Penny will inspire many to wake up their inner virtual leadership skills and engage people from afar to get things done together."
Author of 'Global Project Management' Jean Binder
"In my role within a Global organisation, I see daily the need for better leadership for remote teams working towards a common goal. Dr Penny Pullan offers us all the help that we need in this with insight, practical guidance and a dash of inspiration, which is always welcome. Covering all the aspects of time, language, culture, and generations which make this a complicated leadership task the book shows us all a clear path to success in this virtual world we all work in today."
Head of Global PMO at Kronos and ‘The Lazy P Peter Taylor
"In this book, Penny provides a very complete list of virtual teams' pitfalls that allows a better understanding of what is not working today. And before one gets overwhelmed by the sad reality of far flung teams, she provides a 360 view of how we can make it work. By building on her own life and work experience, combined with an extensive survey of real-life practices and underpinned by several books and studies, she will inspire many to wake up their inner virtual leadership skills and engage people from afar to get things done together - and live happily ever after."
"This book is a comprehensive handbook for anyone who spends time in the virtual world of work. It is indispensable and required reading for leaders in the modern workplace."
TomorrowToday. Futurist and expert on the future o Graeme Codrington