Leadership and The Project Manager

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Leadership and The Project Manager

Chapter 4 Learning Objectives

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

Understand how project management is a “leader intensive” profession.

Distinguish between the role of a manager and the characteristics of a leader.

Understand the concept of emotional intelligence as it relates to how project managers lead.

Recognize traits that are strongly linked to effective project leadership.

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Chapter 4 Learning Objectives

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

Understand the implications of time orientation on project management.

Identify the key roles project champions play in project success.

Recognize the principles that typify the new project leadership.

Understand the development of project management professionalism in the discipline.

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Leadership

“The ability to inspire confidence and support among the people who are needed to

achieve organizational goals.”

Project management is leader intensive!

Leaders Vs. Managers

Managershave official titlesin an organization

Leadersfocus on interpersonal relationships rather than administration

Important differences exist between the two on:

•

Creation of purpose

•

^Outcomes

•

Network development

•

Execution

•

Focus timeframe

Differences Between Managers and Leaders

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Demand respect

maintain the status quo focus on systems

strive for control

short-term view focused on the bottom line imitate

do things right

state their position innovate

Command respect

develop new processes focus on people

inspire trust

have long-term goal focused on potential originate

do the right thing

earn their position

LEADERS

MANAGERS

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2 How the Project Manager Leads

Project managers function as mini-CEOs and manage both “hard” technical details and “soft”

people issues.

Project managers:

acquireproject resources

motivateand buildteams

have a visionand fight fires

communicate

Acquiring Resources

Project are under fundedfor a variety of reasons:

vague goals

no sponsor

requirements understated

insufficient funds

distrust between managers

Communication

It is critical for a project manager to maintain strong contact with all stakeholders

Project meetings featuretask orientedand group maintenancebehaviors and serve to:



update all participants



increase understanding & commitment



make decisions



provide visibility

Leadership & Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence refers to leaders’ ability to understand that effective leadership is part of the emotional and relational transaction between subordinates and themselves.

Five elements characterize emotional intelligence:

Self-awareness

Self-regulation

Motivation

Empathy

Social skill

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Traits of Effective Project Leaders

A number of studies on effective project leadership reveal these common themes:

Good communication

Flexibilityto deal with ambiguity

Work well with project team

Skilled at variousinfluencetactics

Leading & Time Orientation

Alignment

• timeline orientation

• future time perspective

• time span

• poly/monochronic

• time conception

Skills

• warping

• creating future vision

• chunking time

• predicting

• recapturing the past

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3 What are Project Champions?

Champions are fanatics in the single- minded pursuit of their pet ideas.

Champions can be:

 creative originators

 entrepreneurs

 godfathers or sponsors

 project managers

Champion Roles

Traditional Duties

technical understanding

leadership

coordination & control

obtaining resources

administrative

Nontraditional Duties

• cheerleader

• visionary

• politician

• risk taker

• ambassador

Creating Project Champions

Identify and encourage their emergence

Encourage and reward risk takers

Remember the emotional connection

Free champions from traditional management

New Project Leadership

Four competencies determine a project leader’s success:

1. Understanding and practicing the power of appreciation

2. Reminding people what’s important 3. Generating and sustaining trust 4. Aligningwith the led

Project Management Professionalism

o

Project work is becoming the standard for many organizations

o

There is a critical need to upgrade the skills of current project workers

o

Project managers and support personnel need dedicated career paths

Creating Project Managers



Match personalities with project work



Formalize commitment to project work with training programs



Develop a unique reward system



Identify a distinct career path

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4 Summary

1. Understand how project management is a “leader intensive” profession.

2. Distinguish between the role of a manager and the characteristics of a leader.

3. Understand the concept of emotional intelligence as it relates to how project managers lead.

4. Recognize traits that are strongly linked to effective project leadership.

Summary

5. Understand the implications of time orientation on project management.

6. Identify the key roles project champions play in project success.

7. Recognize the principles that typify the new project leadership.

8. Understand the development of project management professionalism in the discipline.

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