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The amount of effort that leaders invest in relationships now will determine how well their teams perform, but they must "make a conscious decision around creating time and space", says a leadership expert.

"People are more than just the role that they play in the workplace. We find that leaders who invest in a genuine way are better placed to have the right conversation at any point in time," says Leading Teams chair Justin Peckett.

This is particularly important when it comes to discussing matters such as performance, and a "strong relationship" between a leader and employees "means they can have that conversation at any point, whether they're in the office or not".

"More and more leaders have realised that relationships have been a key component of keeping people connected and feeling like they're still a team, they're valued, and can still have conversations around work, even if they're not seeing each other face-to-face..."