In-Office, Remote, Hybrid — My Global Company Does All Three. Here’s How to Find Success in Any Setting.

In-office, remote or hybrid? It’s a question that dominates headlines and board discussions, but often overlooks the complex dynamics of global teams.

Instead of being guided by where employees work, let’s reframe the narrative to ask ourselves more meaningful, customer-centered questions. How can we build stronger teams and cross-functional alignment? How can we embed a culture of customer obsession? What actually fuels performance?

Global growth requires flexibility, nuance and a purpose-driven approach. As we scale, success is not defined by location, but how we lead.

Related: I’ve Managed Remote Teams For 15 Years — Here Are My 3 Most Important Leadership Lessons.

Beyond the remote work debate

Rigid work models no longer serve high-performing teams or high-growth businesses. The moment your operations outgrow one office, timezone or region is a milestone to embrace, not a problem to solve.

Location-agnostic leadership requires intentional design and execution. Yes, collaboration requires more effort. Yes, culture must be nurtured. But we shouldn’t shy away from the challenge. If anything, we should run toward the opportunity. Resisting distributed work is resisting growth.

A distributed model expands your talent pool, opens up your business to diverse perspectives and reduces employee turnover:

• Hybrid work has been found to have zero effect on workers’ productivity or career advancement, while boosting retention rates.
• 83% of recruiters say they believe remote work has improved the quality of the applicants they attract.
• 45% of workers who quit their jobs cite lack of flexibility in their work hours as a major factor.

How to lead distributed teams for global success

At Maropost, the way we work is shaped by the distinct needs of our global teams. We operate remotely in North America, in-office in India and hybrid in Australia. Our leadership team travels regularly and meets in person quarterly. In addition to monthly all-team town halls, each region also hosts its own virtual get-togethers. Day-to-day, we rely on one-on-one check-ins and tools like Jira to collaborate.

We strive to maintain a system that balances structure with flexibility. We adapt to regional requirements while remaining grounded in our shared customer focus.

1. Invest in results-driven leadership

Leadership should prioritize results and relationships over micromanagement. A culture of trust that empowers employees is fundamental in any workplace, but it is acutely important in distributed environments. To cohesively manage teams across time zones and markets, hire leaders who can build rapport and inspire performance without constant oversight.

When hiring for leadership roles, I look for candidates who show strong communication skills and who can clearly set and achieve goals with their teams and work through challenges. During interviews, I always ask for specific examples of how they motivated remote team members.

An example of a question I might ask is, “Tell me about a time you had to rebuild trust with a remote employee or team.” I find that the best answers to questions like these focus on proactive communication and problem-solving, which are key for the success of remote teams.

Related: How to Succeed as a Performance-Driven Leader (and the Pitfalls You Need to Be Aware of)

2. Reframe the concept of collaboration

Collaboration can — and should — work differently in a global environment. Resist the urge to impose legacy practices on new dynamics. Embrace tools and tactics that facilitate distributed teamwork and prioritize quality over immediacy. Digital-first workflows, asynchronous communication and open knowledge-sharing aren’t just workarounds; they are powerful productivity tools.

At Maropost, we focus on building transparent knowledge bases in Confluence that the whole team can access and contribute to anytime. Our team leaders routinely establish shared documentation where meeting notes, insights and project decisions are recorded. Then, regardless of time zone, everyone can reference and build on each other’s work asynchronously. This works well for us because it creates a living knowledge base that strengthens the more we collaborate.

3. Nurture culture and connection

How can we recreate spontaneous brainstorms and organic conversations between colleagues who might never meet in real life? Physical proximity doesn’t always equate to connection — nor does it guarantee alignment or innovation. Foster a culture that transcends location with intentional relationship-building and value-informed leadership. Give employees the purpose and clarity to work together, even when apart.

We have a monthly all-team town hall where we openly discuss our progress, invite questions from anyone and explain how what we’re working on now connects to our long-term goals. We’re aiming to foster trust and connection through honest leadership and promote transparency.

4. Restructure KPIs at all levels

Structure goals, KPIs and employee evaluations to reflect impact and outcomes over optics. Set clear objectives, schedule regular check-ins and balance autonomy with accountability throughout the organization. No matter the environment, performance should be measured based on what gets done, not where or when work happens.

Across our organization, each team has pushed itself to publicly share quarterly goals, how achieving them impacts business goals and how we will make it happen. It helps everyone understand how their work contributes to success, and we’ve noticed that performance discussions are more focused on meaningful progress than arbitrary metrics.

5. Avoid distributed downfalls

Distributed work isn’t without its challenges. Leaders must communicate generously and favor public channels over private DMs to fight information silos. Encourage calendar blocks and honor everyone’s right to log off to avoid multi-timezone burnout. Global teams can power round-the-clock productivity, but only when they operate within a sustainable, people-centered system.

As CEO of a global company, my team knows that I am often messaging and posting in public channels around the clock. But I make sure they know that they don’t need to respond outside their normal work hours. This way, we can keep important work rolling without creating burnout.

Related: 8 Things I’ve Learned From Running a Fully Remote Company

Location-agnostic leadership defines the future of work

Where we work is an oversimplified debate that deflects from deeper questions of performance and culture. Growth is determined by how we lead and why our teams show up. Management structures that falter in a distributed environment won’t suddenly flourish in a fixed location. Invest in a leadership strategy that is adaptable, results-driven and guided by customer obsession to succeed in any setting.