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This study examines how members of a global virtual team chose communication media while managing multiple boundaries. The study is unique in that it considers the perspectives of U.S. managers who teleworked from

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore balanced leadership behaviors, which exhibit ambidexterity, in a top management team (TMT) recognized for innovation and operational success.Design/methodology/approachAn action research case study was conducted in a single global organization in an industry requiring high levels of innovation. Operationalized as a balance of exploratory and exploitative behaviors, leadership ambidexterity was measured using the strategic-operational dimension of the Leadership Versatility Index (LVI©) which when completed included 67 assessments provided by TMT peers, supervisors and direct reports. Using quantitative and qualitative data, we examined the behaviors of six executives and the degree of flexibility they exhibit when switching opposing behaviors.FindingsThis study provides empirical evidence that TMT leaders of a highly innovative company strive to flexibly move between explorative and exploitative behaviors both as individual members and as an executive team. A high degree of exploitation–exploration versatility was also linked to the TMT effective performance.Practical implicationsFor organizational practitioners, the study offers a quantifiable measure of individual and team leadership ambidexterity. It can be used to raise awareness and suggest ambidextrous behaviors to TMT leaders and “high-management-potentials”.Originality/valueThis study measures leadership ambidexterity of individual executives and the TMT as a group using a quantitative instrument supported by 360-degree qualitative data. Access to both secondary and proprietary information allowed in depth examination of the TMT behaviors in an innovative firm, which was acquired at a premium and was recognized with multiple innovation awards.

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This research focused on the question: What leadership constraints contribute to the complexity of the working environment faced by global virtual team leaders and how do those leadership constraints impact the behavior of leaders when they are trying to meet team member expectations? This qualitative study of a high performing team within a multinational corporation (MNC) identified four constraints facing leaders: virtuality, globalization, the domestic workplace, and the matrix organizational structure. These constraints and their interactions contributed to the complexity that leaders faced when attempting to influence followers. While work/life roles have changed dramatically for leaders, team member expectations remain rooted in the past.