Not sure how to stand out as a leader on Zoom calls? It starts with how you communicate

More companies are embracing remote work, and with that comes a need for more frequent communication. Teamwork through a screen isn’t always the same as having a group in the same room, so how are companies cultivating leaders in these virtual settings?

New research shows how, in virtual teams where nonverbal cues are limited, a person’s engagement and influence in conversations can significantly shape whether they’re perceived as a leader.

But taking charge of the conversation isn’t enough, the study found; for leadership to be effective and teamwork to be successful, all the group’s participants must also speak up. The study’s findings could guide the development of new training programs to strengthen verbal communication skills in virtual workspaces and help organizations improve the structure of virtual teams.

What the researchers say: “Emerging leadership is really important in a virtual environment because we have to rely more on the effectiveness of our communication since we cannot observe formal leaders directly or as easily,” the lead author said. “If you want to be recognized as a leader in a virtual group, you need to pay closer attention to how the audience responds to what you’re saying and support others’ ideas so you can better facilitate communication.”

In the study, researchers based their findings on data gathered from 51 participants in 12 virtual teams at universities between 2021 and 2022. They found virtual team members whose contributions received inspiring or affirming responses from others in the group were more likely to be viewed as emergent leaders because their central role in team communications was being highlighted.

Using a machine-learning program to gain a detailed look into the virtual teams’ verbal dynamics, researchers tracked affirmative responses such as “You are correct,” “Indeed it is,” and “I agree with you.”

One important takeaway from analyzing the data was that just because someone dominated a team discussion, that didn’t necessarily make them a better leader.

“We found speaking up in Zoom-type settings becomes important for everyone because, in these virtual settings, you can’t capture many nonverbal backchannel behaviors that would indicate whether people agree with or understand you in the same way as if you were meeting in person,” the researchers explained. “This work reminds us that the audience matters as much as the person speaking, so both should have some common ground. That will enhance the perception of leadership, making you more effective in that role.”

“This study represents a promising direction in artificial intelligence research because it shows how AI can be used to better understand and possibly improve human collaborative teams instead of seeking ways to replace them,” the added.

Researchers also noted in the study that if companies focused more on developing a person’s ability to engage in verbal interactions while also fostering team socioemotional support, virtual teams could more effectively nurture potential leaders.

“Regarding the scientific value of the key findings, we learn how leadership emerges from the complex interactions among people,” they concluded. “A classic, traditional view would attribute leadership to individual traits (vision, determination, charisma, etc.), but our study clearly showed that leadership is more relational.”

So, what? Alicia and I spend a great deal of time teaching virtual teams to communicate effectively and persuasively. Much of this work revolves around what we call the PALS, the four essential keys to good dialogue—whether in person or virtual. PALS stands for Praise (and acknowledgement), Asking good questions, Listening skills (we don’t really hear some 60% of what people are saying to us) and Specificity (generalities create disputes and misunderstandings).

A good meeting (real or virtual) is composed of 70% questions and 30% statements—however most never get to this level without training.

A recent study showed that dogs have more facial expressions than humans. Most of this is centered on their eyebrows. However, the way we use our facial muscles to show expressions denoting interest, listening, empathy is a key part of “body language” and are a vital part of successful participation in a Zoom meeting.