"How do we want to be led?" Team aspirations and adaptive leadership in virtual and hybrid work

Purpose: As virtual and hybrid work become embedded in organisational life,understanding how leadership can best support well-being and effective team functioning is vital. This study explores how leadership is experienced and enacted in virtual and hybrid teams, using the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model as an interpretive framework and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory to deepen interpretation of strain and sustainability over time.

Methods: Qualitative data were gathered from thirty interviews with leaders and twenty-nine focus groups with team members (n  =  110) across multiple industries and geographies. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results: Three overarching themes were identified: “Connected Leadership Aspirations,” “Leadership as a Positive Social Influence,” and “The Leadership Tension.” Findings highlighted a strong convergence between leaders’ and team members’ aspirations for relational, emotionally present leadership, while also revealing the strain leaders experienced in sustaining this form of leadership amid low visibility, emotional labour, and limited systemic support.

Conclusion: This study extends understanding of leadership in virtual and hybrid teams by showing how leadership can be both supportive and demanding. Interpreted through JD-R and COR, the findings highlight the need for organisational systems and development approaches that adequately resource leadership demands to support well-being, connection, effective team functioning, and leadership sustainability.