234: Denis O'Shea - Leading People You Never Met

Published: Dec. 8, 2021, 8 a.m.

Our world is going more "online" by the day. This shift has led to a massive question I believe all leaders should be able to answer, how do you lead people you never met? 

In this episode, Denis O\u2019Shea answers this question beautifully!


Denis is the founder and chairman of Mobile Mentor. He founded Mobile Mentor in 2004 in New Zealand and moved to the USA in 2017 to open a US office. He has also worked in Finland and Switzerland and has extensive experience doing business in China, Brazil, and Australia.  


Denis grew up in Ireland, but he and his extended family all relocated to NZ over the past 20 years.  Denis has a New Zealand wife, and they have 3 teenage kids studying in the US.  


With such a diverse background and wealth of experience with different cultures, let\u2019s tap into Denis\u2019 wisdom as we talk about leading people you never met.


On this episode:

  • Learn more about Denis\u2019 background and journey into leadership 
  • There has been a huge shift in leadership, we have to lead people in remote locations and get them connected to our purpose and mission 
  • Denis talks about the rigorous process he uses to onboard new talent into the organization to get them to success (or failure) faster 
  • This is the future model, not the exception: How remote workers have become the norm. 
  • Denis shares how the importance of authenticity of your relationship with remote workers. They need human connection
  • Tips and tricks to keep things fresh and overcome \u201cZoom Fatigue\u201d 

Key Takeaways:

  • Do one thing well 
  • When you get tired, bring in fresh people 
  • Power has shifted from the employer to the employee
  • Remote workers need to be pulled into your vision 
  • Set up self-management by giving a strong \u201cWhy\u201d 
  • Your relationships need to be authentic 


Tweetable Quotes:

\u201cYou will at some point get tired\u2026 When that happens it doesn\u2019t mean you need to get out, or diversify, or leave what you\u2019re doing .but rather bring in fresh people.\u201d - Denis O\u2019Shea

\u201cWe\u2019re hiring people in remote locations that we never met. We have to lead them, we have to set a mission, we have to pull them into our strategy, we have to be able to get them connected with our purpose\u2026 and this all happens through the screen.\u201d - Denis O\u2019Shea

\u201cI think today\u2019s employees are looking for more than a job, more than a paycheck; they\u2019re genuinely looking for a purpose, and they\u2019re restless.\u201d - Denis O\u2019Shea

Connect with Denis O\u2019Shea on LinkedIn or reach out to denis@mobile-mentor.com. Check out https://www.mobile-mentor.com/ to give the security your employees want. 


Resources: 


Email: denis@leadingchangepartners.com

Website: http://www.leadingchangepartners.com/ 

Leadership Is Changing Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LeadershipIsChanging/

Leadership is Changing LinkedIn Page:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadership-is-changing-podcast/