Project Leadership, a Declining Attribute....

Have project managers become too dependent on the project plan, processes and procedures to manage their projects? Are project managers losing their ability to manage/lead the project staff?

Yes and Yes!!

I have never thought of a project manager as someone who was great at leadership, but over the last few years I've witnessed an actual decline in what I perceive to be one of the most important yet over looked attributes in project management and that is Leadership.

As project managers have we allowed the command and control environments project methodologies to manage our projects for us?


Do you think project failures can be attributed to failing project leadership??

Comments

[David Bulkin]

Tony,

I think your point is a good one and fortunately I believe that agile methods are returning us to true leadership.

In the mid to late 1990's, there was a shift to "professional grade" project management, which ostensibly meant professional project managers running a project, for a short period of time, then moving on to another project. During their time running the project their goal was to hit two parts of the triple constraint: budget and schedule.

As you propose, hitting budget and schedule, or at least giving the appearance of doing so, is primarily about processes and procedure. Unfortunately, what is lost is a focus on long lasting internal quality and business value.

Fortunately, I think agile returns us to true leadership; leaders inspire true long term success by providing a clear coherent vision, and by helping the team help them-selves (servant leadership).

[Post-it Projects]

Thank you for your insight, David.

Servant leadership says it all. Reminds me of the old paradigm, "Get what you want, by helping others get what they want". While the same approach applies, and the thinking is the same, Servant Leadership implies that to be a great leader, you must serve those around you. As a servant leader you must be accountable and responsible for your helping your teams achieve success. A project plan cannot do that for you. It is something an APM, must do themselves...