Five Useful Lessons From a Michigan Ross Professor for Business Leaders in the Zoom Era

Ross School of Business Professor Emeritus George Siedel has learned a few things about teaching via Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he believes those lessons hold value for business leaders as well.

Siedel recently shared “Five Zoom Lessons for Leaders” in an essay on the AACSB Insights blog. 
“Not surprisingly, the pandemic has placed business leaders at the same disadvantage as other educators. They have had to use still-developing video communication technology to engage employees scattered around the world — at a time when employee engagement is of utmost importance,” Siedel writes.

The essay details lessons like “solve the eye contact dilemma” and “embrace flexibility — and humility” that have arisen from Siedel’s remote teaching work, but that also apply to business leaders now and into the future.

“As a larger number of people continue to work remotely, it’s likely that leaders will continue to use video conferencing to keep their teams engaged, even after the threat of COVID-19 has passed. After all, providing teams with motivation and a sense of purpose will always be an essential part of leadership,” Siedel writes.