The Leadership Meeting Trap No One Talks About
The business world is buzzing with “return to office” mandates. There’s a renewed appreciation for face-to-face collaboration, the serendipitous hallway conversation, and the energy that comes from gathering around a table. And truthfully, we agree: there is a time and place where in-person interaction is irreplaceable.
But as organizations embrace more in-person work, it’s important not to swing the pendulum too far. Virtual delivery — particularly for leadership team engagement — remains one of the most important and valuable tools available. And in our Optimization Bootcamp, it’s one of the biggest factors driving consistent momentum and results.
Here’s why.
Regular Executive Meetings Are Non-Negotiable for Success
If there’s one thing that’s clear from studying successful companies — whether small, mid-sized, or global giants — it’s this: regular executive team meetings are imperative. No serious strategy, no meaningful growth, no operational excellence happens without a leadership team that meets consistently to set direction, solve problems, and make decisions.
The challenge isn’t whether executive meetings should happen — they must. The challenge is how to ensure that the busy (often travelling) heavily scheduled leaders actually show up, fully engage, and keep things moving forward.
This is where virtual delivery proves its worth.
Leaders Are Busy — And They’re Often in Motion
Senior executives and key decision-makers don’t just sit at their desks all day. They travel. They attend industry events. They meet with clients. They are constantly pulled in multiple directions. The reality is, getting the full leadership team into the same physical room on a regular basis is often difficult — and sometimes impossible — without significant delays.
Virtual delivery provides a critical lifeline. By maintaining a regular cadence of virtual meetings, there are fewer excuses for absence. Executives can join from an airport lounge, a hotel room, even from the side of the road if needed. A ten-minute airport layover doesn’t derail a crucial leadership discussion when a Zoom or Teams link is all that's needed.
Instead of trying to schedule around geographic logistics, we remove barriers — and keep the essential rhythm of leadership work alive.
Virtual Keeps Decisions Moving Forward
When key leaders miss in-person meetings, it can grind progress to a halt. You may recognize these frustrating scenarios:
A critical topic must be postponed until all voices are present.
A seemingly final decision is made, only to be undone later when the missing executive returns and disagrees.
Momentum falters as discussions are continually deferred or revisited.
Worse, if absences become a pattern, the ripple effects are serious. Participants lose motivation. Engagement drops. The leadership team meeting infrastructure — which is supposed to be a driving force behind strategic execution — crumbles into an ineffective, inconsistent gathering.
Virtual meetings aren’t perfect, but they dramatically reduce these risks. When key players are regularly present, decisions can be made faster, strategies can be refined collaboratively, and trust among team members deepens.
In short: you protect the strategic backbone of your organization.
It's About the Right Tool for the Right Job
Virtual delivery isn't about eliminating the value of in-person interaction. It’s about using the right tool for the right situation.
At certain milestones — strategy launches, major team-building exercises, critical change initiatives — yes, being in-person is worth every penny invested and every mile travelled.
But for regular leadership cadence? For weekly or biweekly decision-making forums? Virtual delivery is often the smartest move — ensuring high participation, continuity, and real-time decision-making that keeps your business moving forward.
At the end of the day, virtual delivery isn’t a second-best option. It’s a strategic enabler. It keeps your leadership team sharp, aligned, and active — wherever they are in the world — so your company can move forward, faster.
Let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater.