Hybrid work forces leaders to master coaching or fail
ONTARIO, CANADA — As hybrid work permanently reshapes the workplace, traditional management tactics reliant on physical visibility are becoming obsolete, forcing leaders to adopt coaching as a critical new skill.
Canadian leadership expert Nancy Dewar warns that organizations clinging to pre-pandemic strategies of control and oversight are undermining performance, arguing that the future of effective leadership lies in building trust and empowering teams through a coaching-oriented approach.
Dewar notes, “In many [organizations], leaders are trying to use old strategies and tactics in a world that has changed.”
Outdated management tactics fail in hybrid environments
In an article published by Canadian HR Reporter, Jim Wilson writes that the transition to hybrid work has highlighted weaknesses in leadership practices that treated physical presence as a proxy for productivity.
Dewar, who has also co-written an upcoming book, Lead for Growth, points out that most leaders continue to use old approaches to managing dispersed teams by meeting them in their offices, which is not the best way to measure output anymore.
Dewar detailed how people worked from 8 in the morning to 10 at night and were thus regarded as hard workers, and this is one of the metrics that cannot be compared with the post-COVID era.
Such reliance on visibility can be counterproductive, leading to micromanagement as leaders strive to compensate for a lack of face-to-face supervision.
Dewar suggests that applying control systems and informal office contact as measures of performance creates a false sense of security, undermining the trust that hybrid teams require to succeed.
To be effective, she stressed, “Leaders need to [recognize] we’re not going back to old ways and we’ve got to really think about new skill sets, new strategies, new ways to do that.”
Coaching redefines leadership through trust and development
To navigate the hybrid landscape, Dewar defines coaching not merely as giving advice but as a strategic tool that supports individual development while connecting it directly to business outcomes.
She contrasts this with traditional directive management, stating that “when we tell people what to do, people are not as motivated,” whereas a coaching perspective involves asking rather than telling.
She believes this works equally well in the virtual world, so long as leaders set aside one-on-one time to discuss not only work but also employee well-being and support.
The key feature of this coaching model is that trust is deliberately built and cannot be based on ad hoc encounters in the office.
Dewar notes, “Strong leaders build really strong relationships and connections with their teammates or their employees.”
She encourages organizations to invest in formal coaching, explaining that leaders who have not been coached may find it hard to do so. Still, those who do will gain confidence and deliver results more quickly in a hybrid world.
“When we work with someone from a coaching perspective, we make them feel like they’re a big part of why the [organization] is doing well,” she said.
As hybrid work cements a lasting shift in how teams operate, Dewar’s warning is clear: leaders who fail to replace oversight with coaching, trust, and intentional connection risk weakening both performance and workforce resilience in the future of work.
