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- 🌍 Build Your Remote Leadership Legacy 💫
🌍 Build Your Remote Leadership Legacy 💫
Lead From Anywhere, Impact Everywhere
Ric Pratte, Shellie Sullivan, Elizabeth Lotardo & Alan Fuhs
January 23, 2025
In partnership with
Ever noticed how the most influential people in your virtual workspace aren't always the ones with fancy titles?
That's the magic of peer leadership – your secret sauce for making waves while working from anywhere.
In this issue, we're unpacking how to lead without the crown and inspire without the corner office.
Want to level up your remote career? Let's jump in. 🦘
— Ric, Shellie, Alan & Elizabeth
PEER LEADERSHIP
Unofficial Leader, Official Impact: Getting Things Done in Your Remote Team
Leadership isn’t just a skill for managers.
The ability to inspire others, prompt action, and drive results without formal authority is a hallmark of standout employees.
In my work with high-performing organizations, I’ve observed three habits of effective peer leaders:
They Calibrate to a Shared Purpose (Instead of Personal Objectives)
Instead of relying on blanket authority, effective peer leaders inspire action by calibrating their teams to a shared purpose. These leaders articulate why their peers should engage and what’s at stake (beyond simply supporting their colleagues).
Take a look at the difference between these two requests:
My marketing report is due Wednesday - Could you help me out by pulling the social media comments?
We have some big goals around customer retention this year. The social media comments help us proactively address customer concerns before they escalate. Could you pull the social media comments for this week’s marketing report?
Calibrating to a shared purpose results in more lasting engagement.
They Set Expectations (Instead of Giving Orders)
You may not have the authority to give direct orders, but you do have the ability to set expectations with your peers. Ensuring your peers are aligned around who is doing what by when reduces the likelihood of challenges down the road.
Language like “to confirm” and “based on this conversation” sends a respectful and collaborative tone while still being clear about the desired outcomes.
They Model Leadership Behavior (Instead of Demanding It)
In peer leadership, the collective consequences for ghosting emails, overtalking, and missing deadlines often seem less severe than in boss-employee dynamics. You can inspire performance by modeling the behavior you want to see from your peers.
As people, we often mirror the tone, language, and urgency of those around us. Uplevel your entire team by showing them what exceptional peer support looks like in action.
As organizations become wider and lines of ‘authority’ continue to blur, the ability to lead your peers has become a cornerstone of creating success at work
Elizabeth Lotardo is a consultant, writer, and online instructor who helps organizations drive emotional engagement. Her new book, Leading Yourself, has been called a refreshingly candid playbook that helps you create a work experience worth loving, right now. She is also a popular LinkedIn Learning instructor for topics like Leading without Formal Authority and Leading Yourself. |  |
QUICK TAKES
Making the Dream Work
✅ The Essentials of Effective Peer Leadership
✅ Peer leadership traits every emerging leader should posses
✅ How to Develop Leadership Skills as a Remote Worker
✅ Building Trust is Key to the Success of Your Remote Team
✅ 7 Leadership Communication Skills for Managing a Remote Team
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LAST WEEK’S POLL RESULTS
When it comes to leading teammates (without the fancy title), what's your go-to superpower?
“The little things go a long way. I try to consistently tell people they've done a good job, that they're asking good questions, or that their ideas are valuable. Feeling appreciated on a daily basis makes a huge difference in team morale.”
“Swatting away bullshit from other teams before said bullshit becomes a to-do for my team (one they shouldn't be doing in the first place!). Going to bat for my team so they don't have to negotiate salaries on their own and so they know I am on their side. Encouraging my team to DO LESS WORK! Automate, improve, and move on to bigger and better things.”
POLL – NEXT WEEKS TOPIC
Our next issue will dial into practical strategies for identifying where your personal interests enhance your professional capabilities, and how to design an intentional growth path that serves both your career ambitions and personal aspirations.
What's your biggest "aha moment" about mixing personal passions with professional growth while working remotely?Feel free to add some additional thoughts on your choice 🤩 |
THRIVING TRIBE CHRONICLES
Leading Without the Crown: Finding Power in Curiosity
Meet Alan Fuhs, a business advisor and co-founder of Liberated Leaders, where he helps organizations achieve mindful transformation through technology and human-centered leadership. When not advising company leaders, he channels his passion for community impact through AVL Digital Nomads, organizing events that bring Asheville's remote professionals together for connection and growth. |  |
After five years leading an organization of 50+ professionals, I chose to become an individual contributor at a new company.
What I didn't expect was how quickly my leadership identity would be tested.
Three months in, I learned my peer - who started the same day as me - would become my boss. The news hit hard. With years of senior leadership experience, I was no longer "in the room where it happens." I watched as she led high-profile projects from a desk next to our VP, with a more seasoned team. I assumed favoritism was at play.
A conversation with our executive changed everything. "Alan, your behavior shows you don't see yourself as valued as part of this leadership team," he said. "Is this how you want to be showing up?"
That moment forced me to confront an uncomfortable truth: I was letting assumptions about authority diminish my actual influence.
My peer had been hired specifically to build a new function - the decision was never about me. Rather than leading, I was letting my bruised ego drive my behavior.
Humbled, I chose to channel my energy into helping my boss build out the crucial new business function. This decision led to unexpected opportunities, including relocating to Krakow to build our European operations.
The principles from this experience speak to today's remote workforce. While physical distance may separate us from decision-making, true influence isn't about being in every room – it's about showing up in the spaces you occupy.
Key takeaways:
Choose curiosity over speculation - when something doesn't make sense, ask questions that invite clarity for yourself and others
Transform uncertainty into opportunities by seeking to understand the 'why' behind decisions
Remember that your response to unclear situations shapes others' responses too - model the engagement you want to see
True leadership isn't about position – it's about seeking possibilities within difficulties. When we lead with curiosity instead of assumptions, we create opportunities for everyone around us.
SHARING IS CARING
Sharing the Thrive Remotely newsletter shows you care about others' success and builds a supportive remote work community.
With two referrals you gain superhero status. You’ll get a warm-hearted email and a shout out on the Community Builder Superheros. You currently have 0 referrals, only 2 away from receiving Superhero Status. |  |
Perfect people to share with:
Remote workers craving community
Business leaders managing virtual teams
Friends in your co-working space
Anyone you want to impress
Here's a ready-to-share message with your unique referral code embedded in the link for your network:
"Check out Thrive Remotely, I think you’ll like it. The newsletter is a go-to source for expert tips, community connections, and inspiration to help you live your best life as a remote worker."
Ready - Set - Share 🚀
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Connection Opportunities this Week
WatchStack :: 🌅 A Reframing of Masculinity, Rooted in Empathy | Thur Jan 23rd 6:30 | Asheville, NC
Coloring Book Night | Fri Jan 24th 5:00 | Austin, TX
Laptops Down, Laughs Up! 🎭 | Sat Jan 25th 6:00 | Asheville, NC
Co-working in Fuquay: Mondays at The Mill | Tue Jan 28th 9:30am | Fuquay-Varina, NC
Trivia Night at Hells Kitchen | Mon Jan 27th 7:00 | Wilmington, NC
Coworking at Lanza's Cafe | Tue Jan 28th 9:00am | Raleigh, NC
Happy Hour @ Urban Orchard | Wed Jan 29th 5:30 | Asheville, NC
New Year, New Area! Hendersonville Area Digital Nomads Social | Wed Jan 29th 5:30 | Hendersonville, NC
AVL Digital Nomad 2025 Kickoff Party | Thr Jan 30th 5:30 | Asheville, NC
It all happens in Thrive Local Chapters – Learn more
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