Top 10 Qualities of a Project Manager

Get the PDF Version By Timothy R. Barry

What qualities are most important for a project leader to be effecti e! " er the past fe# years$ the people at %&' 'nternational$ #orld leaders in Project (ana)ement Trainin)$ ha e loo*ed in to #hat ma*es an effecti e project leader. With the unique opportunity to as* some of the most talented project leaders in the #orld on their Project +eadership courses %&' ha e mana)ed to collect a runnin) tally on their responses. Belo# are the top ,- in ran* order accordin) to frequency listed.

Inspires a Shared Vision

.n effecti e project leader is often described as ha in) a ision of #here to )o and the ability to articulate it. Visionaries thri e on chan)e and bein) able to dra# ne# boundaries. 't #as once said that a leader is someone #ho /lifts us up$ )i es us a reason for bein) and )i es the ision and spirit to chan)e./ Visionary leaders enable people to feel they ha e a real sta*e in the project. They empo#er people to e0perience the ision on their o#n. .ccordin) to Bennis /They offer people opportunities to create their o#n ision$ to e0plore #hat the ision #ill mean to their jobs and li es$ and to en ision their future as part of the ision for the or)anisation./ 1Bennis$ ,2234

Good Communicator
The ability to communicate #ith people at all le els is almost al#ays named as the second most important s*ill by project mana)ers and team members. Project leadership calls for clear communication about )oals$ responsibility$ performance$ e0pectations and feedbac*. There is a )reat deal of alue placed on openness and directness. The project leader is also the team5s lin* to the lar)er or)anisation. The leader must ha e the ability to effecti ely ne)otiate and use persuasion #hen necessary to ensure the success of the team and project. Throu)h effecti e communication$ project leaders support indi idual and team achie ements by creatin) e0plicit )uidelines for accomplishin) results and for the career ad ancement of team members.

Integrity

"ne of the most important thin)s a project leader must remember is that his or her actions$ and not #ords$ set the modus operandi for the team. Good leadership demands commitment to$ and demonstration of$ ethical practices. 6reatin) standards for ethical beha iour for oneself and li in) by these standards$ as #ell as re#ardin) those #ho e0emplify these practices$ are responsibilities of project leaders. +eadership moti ated by self7interest does not ser e the #ell bein) of the team. +eadership based on inte)rity represents nothin) less than a set of alues others share$ beha iour consistent #ith alues and dedication to honesty #ith self and team members. 'n other #ords the leader /#al*s the tal*/ and in the process earns trust.

nthusiasm
Plain and simple$ #e don5t li*e leaders #ho are ne)ati e 7 they brin) us do#n. We #ant leaders #ith enthusiasm$ #ith a bounce in their step$ #ith a can7do attitude. We #ant to belie e that #e are part of an in i)oratin) journey 7 #e #ant to feel ali e. We tend to follo# people #ith a can7do attitude$ not those #ho )i e us 8-- reasons #hy somethin) can5t be done. %nthusiastic leaders are committed to their )oals and e0press this commitment throu)h optimism. +eadership emer)es as someone e0presses such confident commitment to a project that others #ant to share his or her optimistic e0pectations. %nthusiasm is conta)ious and effecti e leaders *no# it.

mpathy
What is the difference bet#een empathy and sympathy! .lthou)h the #ords are similar$ they are$ in fact$ mutually e0clusi e. .ccordin) to 9orman Paul$ in sympathy the subject is principally absorbed in his or her o#n feelin)s as they are projected into the object and has little concern for the reality and alidity of the object5s special e0perience. %mpathy$ on the other hand$ presupposes the e0istence of the object as a separate indi idual$ entitled to his or her o#n feelin)s$ ideas and emotional history 1Paul$ ,23-4. .s one student so eloquently put it$ /'t5s nice #hen a project leader ac*no#led)es that #e all ha e a life outside of #or*./

Competence
&imply put$ to enlist in another5s cause$ #e must belie e that that person *no#s #hat he or she is doin). +eadership competence does not ho#e er necessarily refer to the project leader5s technical abilities in the core technolo)y of the business. .s project mana)ement continues to be reco)nised as a field in and of itself$ project leaders #ill be chosen based on their ability to successfully lead others rather than on technical e0pertise$ as in the past. :a in) a #innin) trac* record is the surest #ay to be considered competent. %0pertise in leadership s*ills is another dimension in competence. The ability to challen)e$ inspire$ enable$ model and encoura)e must be demonstrated if leaders are to be seen as capable and competent.

!"ility to #elegate Tas$s

Trust is an essential element in the relationship of a project leader and his or her team. ;ou demonstrate your trust in others throu)h your actions 7 ho# much you chec* and control their #or*$ ho# much you dele)ate and ho# much you allo# people to participate. 'ndi iduals #ho are unable to trust other people often fail as leaders and fore er remain little more that

micro7mana)ers$ or end up doin) all of the #or* themsel es. .s one project mana)ement student put it$ /. )ood leader is a little la<y./ .n interestin) perspecti e=

Cool %nder Pressure

'n a perfect #orld$ projects #ould be deli ered on time$ under bud)et and #ith no major problems or obstacles to o ercome. But #e don5t li e in a perfect #orld 7 projects ha e problems. . leader #ith a hardy attitude #ill ta*e these problems in stride. When leaders encounter a stressful e ent$ they consider it interestin)$ they feel they can influence the outcome and they see it as an opportunity. /"ut of the uncertainty and chaos of chan)e$ leaders rise up and articulate a ne# ima)e of the future that pulls the project to)ether./ 1Bennis ,2234 .nd remember 7 ne er let them see you s#eat.

Team&'uilding S$ills
. team builder can best be defined as a stron) person #ho pro ides the substance that holds the team to)ether in common purpose to#ard the ri)ht objecti e. 'n order for a team to pro)ress from a )roup of stran)ers to a sin)le cohesi e unit$ the leader must understand the process and dynamics required for this transformation. :e or she must also *no# the appropriate leadership style to use durin) each sta)e of team de elopment. The leader must also ha e an understandin) of the different team players styles and ho# to capitalise on each at the proper time$ for the problem at hand.

Pro"lem Sol(ing S$ills

.lthou)h an effecti e leader is said to share problem7sol in) responsibilities #ith the team$ #e e0pect our project leaders to ha e e0cellent problem7sol in) s*ills themsel es. They ha e a /fresh$ creati e response to here7and7no# opportunities$/ and not much concern #ith ho# others ha e performed them. 1>ou<es ,2?34