Leading in a Virtual World: The Association for Talent Development (ATD) conducted a survey to determine the most important leadership skills for a co-located environment. The top responses included the ability to do the following: set clear goals and measurements for projects, provide a consistent focus on the big picture, operate in a highly complex environment promote, and stimulate organizational commitment. Some of the challenges facing virtual leaders include the potential feelings of isolation for remote workers. Lack of face-to-face contact can limit the clarity of communication and also can act as a barrier to organizational commitment. The ATD concluded that several best practices are associated with virtual leadership. First, and most importantly, effective communication is essential. The second-best practice identified by ATD was team building. When your team is geographically dispersed, its essential that leaders plan intentional team-building activities, including structured work-related events as well as more casual social events, if possible. Finally, leaders must establish the ground rules for their organizations. The unwritten rules of corporate culture are harder to communicate in the virtual world, so its important to be clear about work-hour expectations as well as risk tolerance. The authors of the ATD report arrive at a very important conclusion: While at first glance it may seem that all the same leadership skills are needed, it may be that leaders in a virtual environment need just a little more of everything: more knowledge of technology, more knowledge on how to work with team dynamics, stronger communication skills, and, of course, a little more patience. Questions Do you think virtual leadership requires a different skill set than traditional leadership? Why or why not? What skills would they need (list at least 5)? How would you feel about working for a boss who lives halfway around the world? How would a team that works in a distant location from each other work be successful