Staying human at a distance in Remote, Not Distant
Remote work has been discussed endlessly over recent years, often in terms of productivity, policy and preference. Remote, Not Distant shifts the focus somewhere more useful: connection.
Gustavo Razzetti writes with clarity about the risks of physical distance becoming emotional distance, and the quiet erosion of trust that can follow if leaders are not paying attention. This is not a book about tools or tactics, but about relationships.
As I read, I found myself reflecting on how easy it is to confuse presence with engagement. Meetings happen. Messages are sent. Work gets done. And yet something can still feel slightly off. Razzetti names that gap and explores what it takes to close it.
What works particularly well is the emphasis on intentionality. Culture does not disappear when teams go remote, it simply becomes more visible in behaviour. What leaders say, what they notice, and what they ignore carries even more weight.
The book avoids nostalgia for office life and instead focuses on the skills required to lead well across distance: clarity, empathy, trust and follow-through. It treats remote work not as a compromise, but as a context that demands better leadership, not less of it.
Remote, Not Distant is a grounded, practical reminder that connection is not automatic. It is built, moment by moment, especially when people are not in the same room.
