The term “project manager” is not a misnomer, but it doesn’t always capture the full extent of the job. Yes, project managers do manage a project, but what the most successful ones do is lead. In that sense, project leader might prove a better title.
Certainly, experts in the field emphasize the need for leadership skills as much as technical skills in project management. As noted by Project Management Professional Wayne Brantley, a study from the Project Management Institute (PMI) found that leadership skills are even more important than technical skills.
“The study determined that although it’s important to oversee cost and schedule performance, that isn’t enough in itself,” Brantley said. “The need to manage ambiguity, political and personal conflicts, and decentralized teams creates numerous challenges for project managers.”
What is Project Leadership?
Project leadership involves placing more emphasis on people than on the technical components of project management. Expertise in project management tools and techniques combined with the people and strategic skills of excellent leaders makes for high-quality project leadership. These include the skills of negotiation, persuasion and collaboration.
Why is Leadership Important for Project Managers?
PMI has always maintained that there is a strong correlation between project management success and the skills of the project manager, which makes developing leadership skills a priority for those learning to become project managers.
Brantley noted that leadership is an essential area of development for successful organizations. “It is critical that leadership be a part of an organization’s talent management strategy,” he said. “Aligning an organization’s talent management strategy to organizational strategy will lead to more successful projects.”
Project Management vs. Project Leadership
Despite the importance of project leadership, many project managers have not learned important leadership skills. Part of the issue is that there is a vast difference between management and leadership.
In his book “Leadership Skills For Managers,” Charles D. Caldwell created a famous chart that showed leaders “innovate” while managers “administer.” Other differences include:
- Leaders seek challenges; managers seek to maintain the status quo
- Leaders think long term; managers think short to mid-term
- Leaders motivate and inspire; managers control
- Leaders worry about doing the right thing; managers worry about doing things right
- Leaders have a wide area of influence; managers have limited influence
Both leaders and managers are necessary for organizational success. But in the case of project management, a combination of skills in both areas is optimum.
What is the Role of a Project Leader?
Project leaders guide project teams. They ensure the project meets established goals on time and within budget. Doing so requires expertise in risk management, cost and schedule controls and maintaining high quality.
Brantley notes that many project managers entered the field not because they dreamed of being a project manager, but because they excelled in one of those technical skills. In the modern workforce, he said, a project leader plays a different role.
“Today, we must take a more holistic approach to the development of effective project managers,” Brantley said. “In addition to schedule, cost, quality, risk and other traditional aspects of project management, organizations should consider leadership, communication, negotiation and presentation skills, along with management theory, motivational techniques and conflict management training.”
What Makes a Good Project Leader?
Leadership skills are increasingly important to project managers. According to PSMJ Resources, project managers today need the skills to sell a project to a client, motivate team members, negotiate a fair contract and take charge when needed, in addition to technical skills.
PMI also listed several specific skills. They include:
- Motivating and inspiring
- Team building
- Negotiation and communication
- Listening and influencing
- Overcoming team dysfunctions
That last one may rank as one of the most important. To become a project leader, it’s necessary to have strategies to deal with any type of team dysfunction. Such issues can arise in many ways, including an absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoiding accountability and inattention to results.
According to Brantley, this accumulation of necessary skills could change how people refer to the career. He said, “As we look toward the next decade of project management, perhaps we should be referring to these professionals not as project managers, but as project leaders.”
