For over two decades, I have lived and worked in virtual setups — long before remote work became fashionable. In the pre-COVID era, advocating for virtual leadership often felt like a lonely pursuit.

Not all leaders stand at the front of the room. Some stand at the back—watching, shaping, holding. And often, no one sees them until they’re gone.

There’s a kind of leadership that doesn’t start in boardrooms—but in back rooms, factories, family disputes, and long nights. It’s the kind where survival is the only strategy, and where leadership means holding everything together, silently, until the next crisis.