Brian Elliott’s Post

"Hybrid work is not a policy challenge — it’s a leadership capability challenge. Organizations that are excelling under flexible work policies have common characteristics that have nothing to do with specific attendance policies...organizations excelling at flexible work today share identical capabilities that have nothing to do with specific attendance policies. Instead, they’ve discovered that workplace transformation isn’t about where people work — it’s about how they work together to drive outcomes." This concurs with what my research showed on how tech leaders build and maintain trust in remote and hybrid environments. Instead of wasting energy trying to control people, some organisations are focused on creating the conditions for teams to work together towards desired outcomes!

Every organization today faces a paradox. Despite technological advances, hybrid flexibility, and a digitally skilled workforce, productivity growth remains stagnant. Leaders across industries are asking: “Where is the gap between effort and output?” Here’s the truth: it’s not about people working harder; it’s about organisations understanding how people work. That’s where People Analytics comes in. By bringing visibility into workforce dynamics, from time allocation to collaboration effectiveness, leaders can finally see what drives productivity and what hinders it. Imagine unlocking just a 5% improvement across your global teams. That's billions in recovered value, greater engagement, and a stronger organizational rhythm; all powered by data-driven insights into human productivity. At #ProHance, we believe the future of work isn’t about monitoring. It’s about empowering leaders to optimize work intelligently and empathetically. Because when you address the productivity problem through people analytics, you don’t just boost output, you unlock human potential. #PeopleAnalytics #WorkforceIntelligence #Productivity #FutureOfWork #CognitiveCollaboration #ProHance #Leadership #DigitalTransformation #EmployeeExperience #HumanCentricProductivity #BusinessPerformance

💡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 - 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. We’ve spent years talking about digital transformation, hybrid work, and the future of leadership. But here’s the paradox: the more connected we are technologically, the more disconnected many people feel. 💬 In this new world of virtual meetings and asynchronous messages, the leaders who stand out aren’t the ones with the biggest titles or budgets. They are the ones who know how to 𝒔𝒆𝒆, 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕. 📊 Gartner’s research on employee experience emphasizes that people expect their voices to be heard, their contributions to matter — and that “moments that matter” (where recognition, connection, feedback happen) are the structural levers of 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠. ➡️ Real leadership isn’t about managing tasks or owning decisions - it’s about 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞! 👉 What small moment of connection could make the biggest difference for your team? ✍️ comment ♻️ repost ➕ follow me 🔔 get notified on my posts 📩 DM me to discuss how I can support your organisation #Leadership #HumanConnection #HumanLeadership #Recognition #Engagement #GrowthHacks

Feeling overwhelmed by the hybrid work culture? Studies show that 70% of leaders struggle with this new normal. When I first transitioned to a remote leadership role, the challenge was real. Communication gaps widened, and team cohesion seemed like a distant dream. But here's the shift I made: adopting the "Know, Go, Show" formula from the Vertex Professional System. It transformed how I approached leadership in this hybrid era. Step 1: **Know the Way**. Begin by defining your leadership style with clarity. Use tools like the Leadership Identity Alignment Tool to know exactly who you are as a leader and align this with your team's goals. Step 2: **Go the Way**. Implement structured communication practices. SOPs, developed with systems such as the Vertex Clarity Map, ensure your team is aligned and informed. Scheduling regular check-ins became our routine, and it reduced misunderstandings by 40%. Step 3: **Show the Way**. Demonstrate adaptive leadership through visibility and influence. Engage your team actively on platforms where they are, reinforcing your presence and leadership. This built trust and strengthened our team dynamics. Ready to transition your team successfully? Start with clarity, communicate with intent, and lead by example. Subscribe for more insights: https://lnkd.in/gqHV96Qm. Book a free strategy call: https://lnkd.in/gVkC4szM. How are you tackling hybrid work challenges? #LeadershipDevelopment #HybridWork #TeamDynamics #VertexFramework #CareerTransformation

Hybrid work isn’t the challenge; leading hybrid teams well is. In a world where burnout rates are rising and work-life boundaries are blurring, leadership demands a new kind of sensitivity and structure. Today’s great leaders don’t just manage performance; they design systems that protect energy, build connection, and promote clarity across both physical and digital spaces. In our latest post, we explore: - What’s really driving burnout in hybrid teams - How to build trust without micromanagement - Strategies for maintaining engagement and accountability remotely #LeadershipTransformation #HybridLeadership #EmployeeWellbeing #ModernLeadership #OrganizationalCulture #ByrdAndPartners

The Talent Beat: Hybrid Work Isn’t the Problem ▪ Source MIT Sloan Management Review, “Hybrid Work Is Not the Problem. Leadership Is.” by Brian Elliott, Nick Bloom, and Prithwiraj Choudhury (Nov 3, 2025). Leaders chasing badge swipes miss the point. The differentiator is capability: clear outcomes, trusted teams, and managers trained to lead distributed work. ▪ Why it matters RTO mandates drain attention and morale without moving results. Companies that manage to outcomes recruit better, keep top performers, and adapt faster. ▪ What smart companies do • Know the talent edge: set flexibility to win key roles. • Measure results, not presence: goals, receipts, and reviews. • Let teams lead: publish working agreements that fit the work. • Invest in managers: coaching, space redesign, and funded meetups. ▪ Our take Hybrid exposes leadership habits. If goals are vague, calendars bloat. When outcomes are clear and proof travels, teams ship. Treat flexibility as operating design, not perks. Principle: Results beat presence. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gFzjJ3Bx #TheTalentBeat #HybridWork #Leadership #PeopleStrategy #TalentGurus

The workforce evolved. Leadership didn’t. We’ve rebuilt how work happens — flexible teams, remote structures, distributed expertise. Yet many leadership models still look like they did a decade ago: fixed hierarchies, rigid roles, and narrow definitions of what “leading” means. That mismatch is what creates friction. Teams become more dynamic, but decision-making stays slow. Leaders are stretched thin across priorities because the system they operate in was designed for predictability, not adaptability. The next generation of organizations isn’t hiring faster — they’re deploying smarter. They’re designing leadership as a scalable layer of capacity, not a static layer of management. It’s what lets them flex with market shifts, scale sustainably, and retain momentum through change. How is your company rethinking leadership design right now? ⬇️ Share what’s worked (or hasn’t) in your experience — I’d love to hear how others are approaching this shift. --- The FEAT | Redesigning Leadership for the Modern Workforce Connected. Dynamic. Built to Scale. → https://lnkd.in/gUpt_-Dr #FutureOfWork #LeadershipDevelopment #AdaptiveLeadership #OrganizationalDesign #BusinessStrategy #ScalingCompanies #TheFEAT

🚨 The Corporate Crisis No One Is Talking About: The Vanishing Middle Everyone’s talking about AI. Everyone’s talking about hybrid work. Everyone’s talking about quiet quitting. But almost no one is talking about “The Vanishing Middle.” This is the silent erosion of mid-level employees — the crucial bridge between ground-level teams and top management. As companies chase lean structures and automation, the middle layer is slowly disappearing. 🔹 Senior leaders are stretched thin, trying to manage both strategy and execution. 🔹 Entry-level employees are lost — with no real mentorship or growth guidance. 🔹 And mid-managers? They’re either burnt out, laid off, or stuck in roles with no direction. The result: Communication gaps widen. Culture weakens. And organizations lose the very people who keep them stable, human, and scalable. Maybe it’s time we stop glorifying “flat structures” — and start valuing the human middle that actually holds everything together. #CorporateCulture #Leadership #FutureOfWork #HRInsights #EmployeeEngagement #PeopleFirst #WorkplaceTrends

The world of work has changed, and it’s still changing. But every now and then, I still come across organizations holding on tightly to policies and practices that just don’t make sense anymore. Things like discouraging remote work, measuring productivity by “time spent at a desk,” or insisting that every process has to follow a decades-old template, even when better, more efficient ways exist. The rigid procedures, outdated expectations, and “that’s how we’ve always done it” thinking are holding back innovation, creativity, and people. The truth is that the workforce has changed. People think differently, work differently, and value different things. The most successful leaders are the ones who understand that flexibility and trust don’t weaken an organization; they strengthen it. It’s time to stop treating change like a threat and start treating it like an opportunity to grow. #Leadership #WorkplaceCulture #ChangeManagement #ModernWorkplace #Adaptability

Burnout doesn’t start when you’re tired, it starts when everything you do stops feeling meaningful. The modern workplace is brilliant at rewarding motion, but terrible at preserving meaning. We chase dashboards, deadlines, and metrics until our calendars are full… and our purpose is empty. But here’s the truth most leaders ignore: People don’t quit because they’re overworked. They quit because they’re under-connected to the why behind what they’re building. In tech, we automate everything, except emotion, direction, and culture. That’s why the best leaders don’t just manage output. They protect alignment, they make sure every sprint, every task, every late night still connects to a purpose that feels worth it. Because a system without meaning scales fast, but it burns out faster. #Leadership #Culture #TechThinking #BusinessStrategy #WorkplaceWellness #TalhaMujahid #MindfulLeadership #GrowthMindset