The role of leadership in remote work

The objective of the thesis was to research the role and significance of leadership in remote work by identifying remote employees' wishes for leaders and the challenges encountered in remote work. Ultimately, the thesis sought to determine what role leadership plays in remote work and to identify suitable leadership styles and practices for remote work. The topic was chosen because the Covid-19 outbreak required many organizations to adjust to remote work, and the author was interested in leadership and believed it would be fascinating to explore the role of leadership in a timely theme. There was no commissioner for the thesis. The thesis was written in a research format, with theory, research, analysis of results, and recommendations. To begin, the thesis separated theory into three chapters: remote work as a phenomena, leadership, and remote work leadership. The first chapter examined the advantages and disadvantages of working from home. The second chapter looked at the concept of leadership and illustrated a few distinct leadership styles for remote work. The third chapter merged the first and second chapters by exploring leadership's role in remote work. Secondly, the thesis included a research chapter that described the research methodologies utilized in the thesis. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to acquire a big picture and a detailed picture of the research questions. Finally, the research findings were discussed, and the author recommended practices and leadership styles based on the results of merging theory and research findings.¨ The results of the thesis indicated that remote leadership should prioritize employee well-being in many dimensions, and focus on fostering excellent communication and collaboration because isolation and lack of communication are common challenges encountered in remote work. Remote leadership requires emotionally intelligent leaders that are empathetic and connect with employees on a personal level, as communication may be more superficial due to not meeting in person. Giving regular and tailored feedback was discovered to be an important source of progress and employee motivation. Although the theory and research findings shared many parallels, the research findings highlighted the relevance of employee well-being and ergonomics. All in all, leadership has a critical role in fostering communication and collaboration, guiding employees, providing feedback and the equipment needed for remote work. It is critical to remember that remote leaders should strive to be compassionate, prioritize employees' well-being, and make an effort to get to know employees on a personal level in order to assist employees in maximizing their potential and guide them toward their goals