Leadership Drivers in Project Management

Leadership Drivers in Project Management

In this article, I am trying to summarize my vision on both administrative and emotional intelligence leadership aspects learned from the distinguished professors, other educators, practitioners, and own experiences and believes, applied in project management practices.

The following list doesn’t pretend to be complete or perfect; any input is welcome.

  • Positive attitude.
    – Show your positive attitude, make it contagious – use opportunities to show your positive attitude.
    – Do not play blind or deaf about the problems – opposite, take a structural approach and effectively address the roadblocks – let them being solved better earlier than later.
    – Find positive sides in noticed incidents as key to finding problems.
    – Fuel your team with vim and charge vigorous energy.
    – Be within the team, lead from inside.
    – Mind the business or the project as your own.
  • Clear the goals, objectives and success factors.
    – Keep the project goals understandable and objectives measurable.
    – Make each team member clear the importance of their portion of work and its influence on success of the team.
    – Make sure the success factors of specific project deliverables are clear and communicated to the team.
    – Make team aware about key performance indicators for whole project and their individual value for project success.
  • Defining the roles.
    – Determine the roles and skills that require to meet the objectives.
    – Make sure the RACI is formal – you don’t want to hear “why this is my job” during execution.
  • Lead in the way as you want to be led.
    – Direct by asking, control by inspiring, mentor by sharing.
    – Speak with people the way you want they speak with you. People may forget what you said or did, but they won’t forget how you made them feel.
    – Save other’s time so they will save yours.
    – Pay respect to others, be polite and rationed.
    – Don’t be delusional, nobody wants working for you but with you; people prefer working for and being a part of the company, not a person.
    – Stay in light and you will be blessed.
  • Personal value.
    – Let people express themselves, respect their ideas and opinions.
    – Document every comment and its author, and refer to that when it used.
    – Don’t make big deal out of yourself.
    – Don’t play the smartest one in the room.
    – Learn about and consider your team personal goals on the work and project.
    – Support developing self-esteem and bring up in others.
    – People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care (John C Maxwell).
  • Be proactive.
    – Look ten steps ahead – there is no chance to have luck, but plan.
    – Ask right people right questions – give them reasonable time to find the best answer.
    – Build a solid base for ability to see further.
    – Make discussion of risks a priority on the meetings; run “what if” sessions.
  • Sharp, crisp and concise.
    – Meet the ability to adapt, understand and remember your message.
    – Make each word in your message to hummer the nails down.
    – Make the requirements needs or wishes crisp, clear and measurable when possible.
  • Be predictable.
    – Let your team know about your vision and be open for critics.
    – Make others know the goals and ask their vision on the best way to achieve it.
    – Set the objective before your agenda and give your team a time to be prepared for proper collaboration.
  • Opportunity to learn.
    – Challenge people by giving them a chance to learn something new or make their knowledge more mature.
    – Most people consider education as foundation for their future success – use it as a motivating leverage.
    – Encourage people to share their knowledge and experience with others – sharing is one of the best way of maturing your own knowledge.
  • Awareness and warning.
    – Observe, learn and confirm what your team will be needed to reach project objectives.
    – Keep others aware about possible pitfalls.
    – Keep others aware when confirmed information become available.
  • Truth or silence.
    – Say truth or don’t speak – do not tell truth in wrong place, time or audience.
    – Truth leads you to wanted results in the most inexpensive and shortest way.
    – Admit your own mistakes, don’t blame others.
    – False is hard to maintain, and repair; it will be hunting you forever.
    – False information can lead to significant expenses and consequent negative outcomes to all.
  • Gratuity (this had to take a higher place, though)
    – Thank everyone for contributing, including what they are paid for.
    – Be specific what you are thanking for.
    – Make others aware about the value created by specific contributions.
    – It is important to thank people in real time, they may do things even better next time.
    – Make people feel they will be thanked on time for what they do; they might be gone afterwards.

I encourage the reader to share your personal or others experiences. I think, this is a good chance to express your own vision to leadership publicly, and make difference.

Posted in Articles, Leadership, Project Management

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