Why It’s Still Possible to Be a Great Tech Leader in a Remote-First World

Martyna Lewinska, Co-Founder & CTO at Fiat Republic

Being an effective tech leader in a remote-first world doesn't mean reinventing your leadership style. As the CTO of Fiat Republic, I have met my team members on several occasions - something that’s incredibly important and irreplaceable if you want cohesion in your company - but, by and large, my leadership in my current role has always been facilitated remotely.

From my journey, I've learned what changes are necessary and what aspects of leadership should remain consistent to excel in a remote-first environment.

Communication Is Key

I work in the domain of fiat-crypto payment solutions, which can be extremely complex at times. Clear communication and organization are paramount. At Fiat Republic, we’ve honed our communication channels to make them as obvious and accessible as possible.

In practical terms, this means clearly identifying - and almost labeling - what we communicate via each channel.

We have also increased the use of video calls and not just audio calls, which is critical in maintaining the connectivity essential in a tech-driven remote environment.

Empowering Distributed Tech Teams

Our engineering teams, spread across different locations, rely heavily on remote collaboration tools. The key to success in this tech-centric environment is a strong culture of information sharing and organization.

As tech leaders, we are tasked with not only equipping our teams with the right tools but also guiding them on their effective use. We allocate the most effective tools for the job, and this is a non-negotiable across the business.

Be Flexible

There are so many KPIs and metrics you can attempt to measure as a tech lead, but I’ve found it most useful to focus on outcomes. This has been instrumental in maintaining productivity while fostering innovation. Our team members may have different working styles - from those who code intensively for hours to those who ponder before writing a single impactful line of code - but, as long as we all work towards the same goals, it pays to be flexible.

Build Trust

The unique challenges of managing a remote tech team include building trust and relationships. While we do meet in person periodically, our daily operations are online, demanding a balance between oversight and autonomy. This is particularly challenging and critical in a field driven by constant tech innovation.

Personally, I find that clear communication and expected outcomes form the pillar of trust in my team.

On top of that, making sure everyone knows what's expected of them, helping each other hit our goals, and holding ourselves accountable are all incredibly important.

Cultivating a Learning Environment

Each day in the field of fiat-crypto transactions is different, and staying ahead of industry trends is critical. I ensure our team has substantial opportunities for learning and innovation, promoting a culture where sharing tech expertise and exploring new ideas is balanced with timely project delivery.

Be Consistent

For tech leaders, adapting to a remote environment doesn’t mean altering your core leadership style. My approach, developed during my office days, remains grounded in trust, clear communication, and understanding each team member.

This approach is vital, whether leading a team in person or remotely. Everything else - i.e., the tools - can change in a remote-first environment but, if you want to be a great tech leader, your philosophy needs to remain the same.

As tech leaders, especially those transitioning to a remote setting, it’s not about changing your leadership essence but about adapting your tools and methods for a digital world.

For emerging tech leaders, it’s crucial to define what exceptional leadership means in the context of technology and align your team with this vision.

This philosophy has been pivotal in my success as a CTO and in guiding my journey as a remote tech leader.