Virtual teams are those whose members work across distances of time, space and organizational boundaries. Their interactions are made possible by information and communication technology. Such teams are formed to benefit from different sources of knowledge, to lower costs, or to create flexibility and responsiveness in staffing. By their nature, virtual teams have particular leadership needs.
Leaders of virtual teams face communication challenges. They do not have the benefit of many opportunities for rich, face-to-face interactions. The absence of in-person interaction has at least two consequences. It can take more effort to gather and disseminate information needed to support a group's performance. It also makes it more difficult for a leader to develop relationships. The lack of social interaction can inhibit trust and group cohesion. The geographic distribution of virtual team members may also involve linguistic or cultural differences that can create barriers to effective communication. To address these communication challenges, e-leaders must communicate more frequently, provide more complete information, and use multiple means of communication technology effectively.
The virtual team leader must also encourage awareness of how group norms are developing. Without regular personal interactions, members may not be aware of how their behavior is perceived by others and how that behavior can affect the team's performance. The virtual leader must make and share observations about how team members work together and encourage them to be attentive to the process by which they collaborate, rather than focus solely on tasks. Drawing explicit attention to group norms and reinforcing them by being a role model, the virtual leader can help build trust between team members and make them a more effective team.