In order to steer a project, leadership in project management has become an important skill to a successful completion. Leadership term is multi-faceted which entails knowledge related to: leadership theory and other skills such as negotiating, influencing, and coaching like behaving ethically. Leadership in several aspects of business, requires one to demonstrate a range of competencies and behaviors. It includes right from directing a team to project governance, leadership plays a fundamental role in ensuring your projects gets delivered with an exceptional results.
Does Project Management and Leadership are together?
Project management and leadership go-hand-in-hand. Being the lead of a particular project, one has to manage both the project and simultaneously lead the team. Setting the vision and inspiring team is the crucial part of leadership to collaborate and work together in order to achieve the desired success.
By definition, a project environment is dynamic and full of change. But the change could make one feel unsettling for the people who are going through it, that mainly includes the project team. Strong and able leadership skills helps in guiding, motivating and navigating direction for project stakeholders.
What are the best leadership approaches followed?
One of the holistic approach is a leadership approach must be flexible enough to adjust to the person and acclimatize towards the situation when you are leading in under any circumstances on any given project. Leading a person who has lacks confidence and self-motivation, you need to display more of your softer side, whereas someone who is very confident and knowledgeable would respond better to a more challenging approach.
Leadership is both an art and a science. If there was a foolproof ‘how to’ guide to leadership, we probably wouldn’t see such high project failure rates across all kinds of businesses!
However, there are five steps you can take to improve your leadership skills:
· Focus on the team
· Flex your style
· Learn how to facilitate
· Connect and build relationships
· Get out of the way
Serve, command or both?
Many team members fall somewhere in between. They are constantly in need for a healthy mix of support and challenge. In order to perform and generate the best results few challenges are bestowed on the team members. It means an absolute solidarity and nurturing the teams must be done.
It helps to deliver better and grow, while simultaneously setting high standards and expecting the best.
A recent study conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership has sh that roughly 38% to more than half of new leaders fail within their first 18 months. Leaders could avoid becoming part of this staggering statistic, infact they could incorporate able leadership strategies that motivates team members and accomplish the desired goals.
Terry “Starbucker” St. Marie, a renowned leadership writer and consultant, said that “being a “more human” leader requires positivity, purpose, empathy, compassion, humility and love. These key traits will put you on the road to genuine connections with the members of your team’’
Conclusion
Project management is different from leadership. Successful project managers may not be effective leaders. But project managers can develop leadership skills to become effective leaders. And organizations today need successful project managers to be effective leaders, as well.
