Leading Distributed Teams: Collaboration Across Time Zones, with John Poelstra & Michael Doyle

Distributed teams are no longer a special case. For many organizations, they are the default. And while tools make remote work possible, they do not automatically make collaboration easy.

In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership, John Poelstra, Michael Doyle, and I explore what it takes to lead and work effectively in distributed teams.

A conversation across 15 time zones. This conversation took place while we were spread across 15 time zones — John Poelstra in Portland, Oregon; Michael Doyle in Brisbane, Australia; and myself in Boston, Massachusetts. The episode is republished from John's show, and the format itself reflects the reality we discuss.

Beyond efficiency. Rather than focusing only on efficiency, we explore distributed work as a leadership challenge. We discuss how collaboration changes when people are not co-located, why clarity becomes even more important in distributed contexts, how trust is built when interactions are mostly asynchronous, and what leaders need to let go of when teams are not physically present. Distributed teams make invisible issues visible — assumptions, habits, and gaps in communication surface quickly.

Practices that support remote collaboration. Throughout the conversation, we share practical approaches to improve communication across time zones, reduce unnecessary meetings, create shared understanding through writing, and support autonomy without isolation. These practices help teams stay aligned without resorting to micromanagement.

Distributed teams make invisible issues visible. The fix isn't more tools — it's better leadership.