I recall that the early days (and nights) of my banking job was spent in the office working on ppt slides and having discussions with my VPs and directors.

Occasionally when they wanted to work directly on the numbers or show me how something was done, they would come over and sit at my desk space, typing away at my computer while I stood and watched how it was done.

It was a simple gesture - fixing a problem right when and where it was needed, in person. And that simple gesture didn't only solve the problem (whether it was a glitch in the model or some formatting on powerpoint), it also demonstrated leadership right then and there.

This seems quite different today. No more in-person consultations and discussions, no more live demonstrations. Nearly everything is done over Zoom. There's a Chinese saying that goes "fighting the bull from across the mountain" (隔山打牛) - which basically translates to trying to solve a problem from afar.

So right now, that's how a lot of things are for people working away at their desks or from home. Clients and suppliers trying to deal with new normal of doing deals virtually without a handshake or sighting of the product.

Employees and their line managers trying to make a project or a pitchbook work while being separated hundreds and thousands of kilometers, connected only by email or whatsapp / wechat.

To take the challenge up a notch, imagine the difficulty of new joiners who may have never seen their bosses, co-workers and their office desks.

Leadership and management in a virtual world is also extremely difficult, especially when it comes to showing how things should be done, or to foster camaraderie without having a meal together in person, or simply chugging a few beers after work. It is extremely hard to show charisma and motivate others when you can't show up in person. Lots of things get lost in translation when you don't see, don't talk directly to the other party.

Zoom calls can only do much in facilitating communication in a physically disconnected world. But in order to restore the current situation back to equilibrium or the good ol' days, we'll eventually need to be able to go out and travel, meet people and forge collective experiences together.