According to Harvard Business Review (HBR), being forward-looking and enlisting others in a shared view of the future is one of the attributes that most distinguishes leaders from non-leaders. In an ongoing survey, HBR asked tens of thousands of people around the world what attributes they were looking for and most admire in a leader. The number one requirement—honesty—was also the top-ranking attribute of a good colleague. But the second-highest requirement, being forward-looking, applied only to the leader role. Just 27% of respondents said it was something they wanted in a colleague, whereas 72% wanted it in a leader. No other quality showed such a big difference between leader and colleague.

Being forward-looking and working jointly with clients and stakeholders to define the project’s vision, goals and benefits is an essential attribute of project leadership. Project leaders must help shape the vision rather than accepting it as a given. Traditionally project managers are concerned with delivering an output or a product rather than the big vision. They happily leave the big-picture-thinking to the client or to the sponsor – or to whom-ever else we feel is closer to the business and the decision-making process than they are. 

We often make the incorrect assumption that the client and executive sponsor know what they need and that they have analyzed their current challenges and opportunities in depth. But whereas the client, or business owner, do know their day-to-day operations better than the project team, they may not be skilled at specifying how their current and future needs can be met by a new product or service. They also may not be able to predict what the positive and negative impacts will be of a major change program and what to do about it.
 
In some cases the project manager may be fortunate enough to work with executives who know exactly what they need and how the project ties in with corporate strategy. But in other cases the set-up will be entirely different with stakeholders who lack a clear vision of how the project can add value in the short, medium and long term. The PMI support this view as their research shows that up to 60% of projects are not aligned to strategic objectives although such an alignment has the greatest potential to add value to an organization. That’s a staggering amount and the exact reason why project managers – or leaders I should say – need to step up and bridge the gap between strategy and delivery.
 
In order to do that, project leaders must fully engage the sponsor and stakeholders and help them visualize the end state when all changes have taken place and all benefits have been realized. They must challenge assumptions and ask the right set of questions – including the hard ones. What will make you say in x months that this project was a success? In which ways will this project help the company and the end-user in the short, medium and long term, to be more effective, profitable or achieve strategic objectives? How will the company operate differently as a result of this project?
 
The most simple and straightforward enquiries are often the most powerful, and the hardest to ask. We sometimes feel that questions that relate to the client’s business, the project idea or the technologies we are planning to use, are too basic to be asked. But if we don’t ask, we won’t be able to understand how to create added value. In the beginning of a project we are surrounded by people who know more than we do, but we have to push ahead until we fully comprehending the context. That’s the only way to establish a solid foundation for delivery.

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When I researched my latest book The Power of Project Leadership I interviewed a number of project management and leadership experts who I was keen to learn from. One of the people I interviewed was Andy Taylor from People Deliver Projects. I have worked with Andy for a couple of years and have a huge amount of respect for his work and his ability to engage clients and name the issues that need to be addressed.    

I asked Andy which attributes, thinking patterns and actions most distinguish an outstanding project manager/leader from an average one. This is what he said:

What do Andy’s words bring up for you? How good you are at leading through tough conversations and naming the issues? In my experienced this is one of the most challenging aspects of project management and leadership – also for myself. So many of us like to please and find it difficult to say what we feel has to be said. We haven’t always been taught how to have these difficult conversations and prefer to brush over them out of fear of conflict. But as project leaders we have to be authentic and do what is right – even if it feels uncomfortable. Our job is not to ignore the elephant in the room, but to speak the truth. That’s the only way we can add ultimate value and serve our client.

I am keen to hear how you have personally approached this particular topic. Please leave a comment below.


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Provide your team with the best conditions for growth
In order to provide your team with the best conditions for growth and enable them to generate optimal results on the project, you must do two things; 1) You must demand a great outcome, and 2) You must enable your team to generate that outcome. You have to ask challenging questions, set high standards and expect the best quality on the one hand, and on the other you have to provide the team with all the support it needs to deliver.

The ability to fully support and enable your team to grow and at the same time challenge and stretch it, is a skill that can be learnt and honed over time. Let us look at how you can do that by using the concepts of yin and yang.

Yin-leaders support; yang-leaders challenge
Yin symbolizes the feminine elements such as listening, supporting, coaching and maintaining stability. Supportive yin-leaders have a deep respect for people and want to understand what drives and motivates each person. They spend one-on-one time with people assisting them to grow and develop and building up their confidence. They are good at praising people for a job well done and will often ask what type of help the individual needs. Yin-leadership is enabling and is concerned with making it possible for others to flourish, lead and contribute.

Yang, on the other hand, symbolizes the masculine element, which is challenging, demanding and factual. This side of leadership sets a high standard and expects the team to deliver to it. Yang-leaders have a strong sense of direction. They are action-oriented and results-driven. They ask challenging questions, hold people to account and may come across as forceful. They are assertive and push the team to deliver to the best of its ability and expect nothing but excellence.

It is the yang element that pushes the team to continuously improve and innovate, and the yin element that steps back and enables the team to do so. We could say that yin is a predominant heart-based approach, whereas yang is a predominant rational or head-based approach.
 
Project leaders use ample amounts of both yin and yang
Consider the below diagram. It shows that project leadership encompasses a high degree of yin as well as yang. Team members need both from their manager in order to perform and thrive. 

We have to support and enable people to lead on the one hand, whilst on the other challenge and drive results. When these two elements are combined in a holistic way we find tough project leaders who care about people; they care about their client and they care about their team. They involve people in the decisions that affect them and they ask questions that empower and stimulate creative and innovative thinking.

Imbalances in yin and yang creates a lopsided leadership style
When managers have a preference for either yin or yang, they can develop a lopsided or dysfunctional style. Either the yin or the yang element has grown to dominate and stunt the other. Leaders who have a lot of yang, and very little yin, tend to create stress around them. They demand a lot but don’t give the team the security, confidence and space it needs to perform. On the other hand, when leaders only use yin, they run the risk of being too soft and nice and supporting people without looking for a return.

Teams need the dynamic tension of both yin and yang and leaders need to reconcile the two. Leadership is not about “either/or” but about “and”. We must be enabling and forceful; forgiving and demanding; flexible and tough; supportive and challenging.

What is your own style?
Are you aware of how much yin and yang you use to lead and manage people? Why not ask the members of your team how they perceive you? Print off the above matrix and ask each person where they would place you. What you may find is that their perception of how challenging and supportive you are is very different from what you imagined. It will increase your self-awareness and open up a conversation that will improve trust between you and your team member.

Management is said to be the discipline that specializes on maintaining the status quo, conforming to standards and organizing and directing individuals around the boundaries (time, money, quality criteria etc.) that have been set to achieve the task. If you are a good manager it means that you are good at producing a set of products and services in a predictable way, day after day, on budget and to consistent quality. It is a discipline, which requires you to be rational and logical and make use of certain skills and methods.

Leadership on the other hand is concerned with setting goals, making improvements to existing ways of working and motivating and leading the team to reaching this new direction. It is characterized by certain behaviors such as sharing an inspiring vision, producing useful change, leading by example, empowering others and creating the most conducive environment for team success. Leadership is not about the specific skills you possess but about how you approach an assignment and how you relate to others.

Managers rely on authority; leaders on influence
One of the main differences between management and leadership is the way in which the two disciplines motivate people and teams to achieve objectives. Managers rely on their authority to get work done. They allocate tasks to team members based on what needs to get done and expect them to carry out their job, by and large because they receive a salary for it. Leaders, on the other hand, influence, inspire and appeal to people at an individual level. They strive to get the best out of people by aligning each person’s individual objectives to those of the project and organization.

As a project manager you must make use of both disciplines, but as you grow and develop in your career you will likely come to rely on leadership over and above management.

Can project managers learn to lead?
Many project managers come from a technical background and have a rational, logical and analytical way of thinking. It means that they are good at analyzing facts, calculating duration, coordinating activities and making rational decisions. They are task-focused and concerned with how to get things done. They see their primary role as delivering what the customer has asked for within the agreed parameters of time, cost and quality. They are less concerned with why their customers need the product and in which ways it affects their business and the people who develop it and use it. Their strength is in executing and following someone else’s vision and specification – rather than helping to define it.

There is nothing wrong with being logical and task-oriented. As project managers we need those skills, especially when planning and estimating a large project. The issue arises when this is the only style in the toolbox, which is then being used to also manage people and communicate with customers. Building high performing teams, great customer relationships and ensuring that the project actually delivers what the customer needs cannot be achieved solely through logic. It requires creativity, empathy, risk-taking, vision and most importantly the ability to connect with people at a very personal level.

Leadership can be learnt, but it requires conscious effort and a desire to collaborate with clients and team members in a deeper and more responsible way. To find out more, watch out for my new book which will soon be released; The Power of Project Leadership.


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How to avoid the perception of failure

One of the concepts which can help you excel as a project manager – and leader – more rapidly than anything else is the notion of consistently challenging the status quo of what you are delivering and how you are delivering it. Not only will it help you optimize the project you are currently running, it will also help you improve your client’s business processes as well as the organisation or department you work for. 
  
When you challenge the status quo, it means that you identify new and better ways of doing things on behalf of your project, your client and your organisation. It also means that you add value, and that’s the very basis for being successful. In order for you to step up and become a project management leader, you must add more value than anyone else. It is not enough to just turn up and do a good job. We have to stay competitive and consistently look for new and better ways of doing business, saving money and adding benefits to our customers. 

Challenging the status quo is a mindset shift which you can bring about by being conscious about how things operate today – and by proposing a new and better way of doing things. The steps involved are outlined below:
 
1. See things the way they are.
The first step is to have a realistic and accurate understanding of today’s
state of play. What are the project processes, technology and company procedures you currently make use of? What are the business processes that your client follows on a daily basis and what are the expected benefits from your project? These aspects represent the status quo. It is how you normally go about things and how you usually execute projects. It is also how your client normally does business. 

2. See things better than they are.
The second step is to have the vision and ability to see a better future than
what currently is. Be inspired and imagine what the future would look like if
you made use of more simplified processes, new and better technology, were able to build a highly motivated team, had better relationships with your customers, and if you were able to improve the way they do business. Look at the end game; that of adding value to your client in a faster, cheaper and better way. Then identify the gaps between the end game and the current state. These gaps represent opportunities for improvements, and opportunities for you to step up and lead! 

3. Implement your view of the future.
When you have a clear vision of how your project and team can add more value and work more effectively, the third step is to believe in your vision and make it happen. Be the champion and seek to motivate others to help you implement the vision. Paint an appealing picture of the future and make people understand what’s in it for them. They will be more supportive and willing to follow when you demonstrate how they fit into the vision and what the benefits are to their career and reputation of delivering more value in a faster, cheaper and better way.
 
One of the best ways of bringing about this mindset shift is to regularly take a step back and ask a set of insightful questions. Set time aside in your diary and allow yourself to get away from your desk for 30 to 60 minutes. Go to a place where you feel inspired and where you will not be disturbed. Take a “balcony” view of the project and observe it from afar. What is working well and what is not working so well? How could you run it in a more successful and effective manner? How could you help your client get more benefit and maybe even save money in the process? How could you improve customer satisfaction and team motivation? 
 
Another good way of challenging the status quo is to ask open questions of your team members whenever you get the chance. Ask them how they feel you can work more effectively as a team, how you can improve quality and what they think the biggest unaddressed risks are. This approach is excellent for engaging and empowering people and for changing the mindset of the entire team. 

When you consistently challenge the status quo, you have the potential of unlimited success, because you add an unlimited amount of value. You also have the potential to demonstrate your leadership skills, because you make things happen based on your vision. Thought leaders are not satisfied with following others or doing a “good” job. They are committed to excellence
and they see things better than they are. They make their own models of how things should be and are brave enough to implement these models. 
 

Questions:  
>>On a scale from 1-10, how good are you at adding value every single day?
>>How can you start to challenge the status quo right now?

For a list of insightful questions to ask yourself and others, download the “Power of Questions” worksheet from the RESOURCES page. You can request access for free here.


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The quality of your project depends on the quality of the questions you ask

Good project managers do not take anything for granted. They are proactive and positively sceptical. They are constantly looking to improve the way the project operates and how they can add value to the client by challenging the status quo. The more quality questions you ask on a continual basis, the bigger the likelihood that you will steer your project in the right direction.

To improve your success rate, ask yourself the below questions and take action to address any gaps you identify:

1. How can I become more certain that the products and features we are   developing are what the users really want and need? 
2. How can I, and my team, get to understand my clients business so well that we are able to actively challenge the requirements and the project’s vision?
3. How can I improve my relationship with my customers and more frequently ask into their feedback about the project?
4.  How can I get better at identifying and mitigating the project’s risks? 
5.  How can my team start to focus more on product quality?
6.  What could get in our way of achieving the end project goal? What have we not yet thought of? 
7.  How can I better motivate and utilize the strengths of my team members? 
8.  How can I better inspire my team to contribute to the project’s end goal?

And here are some more questions that will really help you to improve your performance and add value to your client:

9.   What is my unique contribution to the project and how can I focus more on it?
10.  How can I instantly start to add more value to my client?
11.  What are the 20% of actions that I do on a daily or weekly basis that contribute to 80% of my results? How can I amplify those 20%?
12.  How can I spend my time more proactively?
13.  Which bad decisions have I made that need to be reverted?
14.  Which important tasks and activities have I been putting off or procrastinating on?
15.  Who can I start to delegate to, so that I free myself up to focus on the activities that really matter to the success of the project?
16.  What are the most important business benefits for my client, that I can help them track and deliver?


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1. Spend your time pro-actively – the number ONE project leadership tip is to focus your attention on the long term as opposed to being reactive and firefight in the present moment. The more time you spend planning and building relationships, the fewer issues you will encounter later in the project. 

2. Deliver on your promises – it’s essential that what you say is credible and that your stakeholders trust your opinion. Always be conservative in your estimates and never promise a delivery you are not sure you can meet. To be safe, produce a detailed plan and remember to build in contingency.

3. Focus on business benefits – to be of ultimate value, you must focus on the delivery of business benefits to your client; not just the tangible outcomes of your project. This requires you to have a good understanding of the business domain, to challenge the status quo, and to fully embrace the project’s end goal and vision.
 
4. Listen with your heart – one of the keys to project success is to build strong relationships – and to do that you must be able to really listen. Listen to your team members and to your stakeholders. Forget your own agenda and listen from the heart. Then great relationships will be built.

5. Focus on customer needs – focus on what your customers really need rather than what they think they want. Get into their heads and involve the end users as much as possible when gathering requirements. Demonstrate and prototype the product and constantly check that what the team is building matches the requirements and customer needs.

6. Act as an inspirational mentor and a guide – be an inspiration to the team and share the project’s vision and end goal whenever you can. Don’t tell your people what to do but coach them to find the right solutions and to make decisions on their own. Let your vision and engagement be the prime motivator for the team. 

7. Take a big picture view – step back from the project on a regular basis and take a balcony view. Observe what is going on.  What is working and what is not? Examine ways in which the project could operate more effectively and take action to implement your ideas and risk mitigating actions.

8. Utilise the strengths of your team – in order to build a truly motivated and high performing team, you must understand what drives each individual. Listen to each team member and understand what their strengths and  aspirations are. Then take action to utilise them in the best possible way. 
 
9. Delegate  administrative tasks – if you are to add maximum value, you must focus on those tasks that matter the most to the success of your project. That means that you must learn to delegate. Get a project administrator on board to help with tasks such as documentation, timesheet tracking, financial tracking and low level task tracking.  
 
10.  Establish a solid foundation – before the project kicks off in earnest, spend time fully defining it, estimating it and planning it. Document your findings in a project initiation document and get it signed off by the steering committee before you proceed. This becomes the contract you deliver to.

11. Take control of risks – effective project leaders consistently manage risks by asking “what could go wrong” and “what have we not yet thought about”. Brainstorm risks with your team on a regular basis and ask them what they worry about. Then take action to mitigate them or put in place contingency plans. 

12. Ask for help and guidance – have the courage to talk openly about  project issues and to ask for help when required. It is a sign of strength to seek guidance when you are faced with a major decision. Your team and stakeholders will respect you for being honest and will appreciate that you ask for advice. 

13. Draw on the steering committee – gather the most important stakeholders on a monthly basis to make decisions about the project’s risks, issues and deliverables and to report on financials. Prepare a flawless presentation and take the opportunity to showcase the team’s good work. Summarise decisions and distribute meeting minutes within 24 hours. 
 
14. Get close to your stakeholders – to build great relationships with your stakeholders, set up regular one-to-one meetings with those who have the most power and influence over your project. Listen to their concerns and suggestions and act upon their feedback. Pay special attention to those who are opposed to the project and seek to win them over.

15. Know your numbers – stay in control of your project by tracking the project’s key performance indicators. Know how much money the project is burning per month, and how much scope you have delivered to date compared to plan and budget. Include these key metrics in your project reporting.

16. Get the best people involved – a large part of your success as a project leader will depend on how skilled you are at recruiting and retaining the right kind of people. Never compromise when building your team and go to great lengths to reward and motivate people who do a good job.

17.  Adapt your leadership style – all good leaders adapt their style to the individual they are interacting with. You can do this by providing more guidance to those team members who are inexperienced, by giving more moral support to those who lack confidence and by delegating to those who are both experienced and confident.

18. Stay calm in stressful situations – set a great example for others by managing your state of mind and appearing calm under pressure. Maintain a balanced perspective and think of solutions rather than placing blame. Take on the role of a mediator whenever you can and convey both sides of the argument. 

19. Stand up for the project – be confident enough to stand up for yourself and your project when required. Protect your team from unnecessary noise and from unreasonable demands. Never accept an increase in scope without further funding or time allowance – and never accept a shortened timeframe without reducing scope.
 
20. Ask for feedback – one of the most rewarding actions you can take for your career and for your project, is to ask for feedback. Ask the following three questions to your boss, peers and project staff: What should I continue doing?, What should I start doing? and What should I stop doing?


To take this a step further, let yourself be coached by
The Project Management Coaching Workbook - Six Steps to Unleashing Your Potential.
 
 
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The need for highly competent, confident, and effective project managers is growing, in a world where projects are becoming larger, more complex, and increasingly cross-cultural. It is no longer enough to master the essential tools and techniques involved in managing tasks, costs, and resources. To be an excellent project manager, you must have drive, confidence, and attitude, and be able to lead your team to success through your vision and engagement. You must become a project management champion and take your team on a journey by sharing an appealing project vision and a road map for achieving that vision. 
 
It is not your ability to manage tasks and resources that will set you apart. It is your ability to build relationships and lead the team to success through your vision and engagement. As much as knowledge matters, it is your drive, confidence, and attitude that will really help you get your projects over the finishing line.

To become a project management champion, you must fully embrace the goals, objectives, and plans of the project. Spend time visualizing what the end state looks like once the changes have been implemented and the objectives achieved. See it the way the end users and beneficiaries see it. Feel it, taste it, and smell it. Take ownership, not just for delivering project outputs and capabilities, but for delivering the ultimate business benefits.
 
The greater clarity you have regarding the future you wish to create, the easier it will be for you to provide focus and direction to the team. When you understand and take ownership of the strategy for achieving a successful outcome, you are able to inspire and motivate the team and make the day-to-day decisions necessary to reach that future. Keep the vision alive and make it relevant to your people. Draw them into it by illustrating how they fit in and how each of their roles matters to its overall execution.

As a  project champion, you are more than a manager of people and resources. You become an inspiration to the team and the embodiment of the project. You become an agent of change who measures and monitors the ultimate business benefits. You become the person who makes sure that the customer adopts and implements the necessary business processes and procedures to support the end product so that the change initiative is ultimately successful. As a project champion you serve your team and your customer and you set a great example for others to follow.

 ***

· How well do you understand your project’s vision and objectives?  
  Give yourself a score between 1 and 10.

· What would need to happen in order for you to rate your understanding of
  the vision 10 out of 10?

· What can you do to inspire your team to achieve the vision?

· What can you do to become an agent of change?


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Proactive project managers are people who focus their efforts and attention on the long-term as opposed to being reactive in the present moment. They believe that their actions matter and that they can positively influence a situation by doing something about it. 

One of the best ways in which you can be proactive as a project manager is to work with your team and stakeholders to actively identify, analyze and mitigate project risks before they turn into issues. You can also make a concerted effort to build strong and lasting relationships with your stakeholders so that you are able to draw on their knowledge and support the day you need it. When you keep your stakeholders abreast of developments and have an excellent rapport with them, they are very unlikely to ever turn against you. They respect you and they know that you are actively working to improve all aspects of the project on their behalf. 

Another way to be proactive is to carry out project reviews and to liaise with your team members on a one-to-one basis. Ask for feedback and investigate if there is anything at all you can do to optimize the way the team works. In addition, be proactive and explore if your QA activities are as good as they can be. Poor product quality is one of the biggest reasons for project failure.

Reactive is the opposite of proactive. Reactive people often hold a belief that they have no control over a situation. This could relate to the behavior of an unreasonable stakeholder or the issues that arise during a project. They surrender and wait until a potential problem has become a burning issue before they take action. 

One of the reasons why some project managers give in and become reactive, is that their workload is so big that they feel they have no option but to fire fight in the present moment. But in reality we always have an option even if it is not an easy one. If you feel overloaded and overworked, look at how you can delegate more, how you can get better at saying ‘no’ to new requests and how you can optimizing the way you manage your time. 
 
To become more proactive, make it a habit to regularly engage in the following;  

- Spend time on your own and with team members identifying anything which could go wrong on the project. Thoroughly analyze the risks and identify an owner and mitigating actions. Do this as often as possible.

- Ask team members as often as you can what is preventing them from moving forward or what could make them work more effectively.

- Build strong relationships with all key players on the project. See things from their point of view, understand their interests and address their issues and concerns.

- Carry out project reviews and encourage a culture of learning and contribution. Discuss how past issues can be avoided and take action to make improvements.

- Demonstrate and prototype the solution to the customer and end users as often as possible. Ask for feedback and verify that what you are building matches their requirements and expectations.

- Identify and review your project controls on a regular basis. Assess if they are working as expected and keeping cost, quality and time under control.

- Actively manage your stakeholders’ expectations through face-to-face meetings and regular project reporting. Make them appreciate which risks, issues and constraints you are facing. Make sure there are no negative surprises. 
 
- Organize knowledge sharing and fun team building activities to improve morale and motivation. 

- Assess your own working practices and determine how you can optimize the way you spend your time. Could you for instance start delegating more?


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