​Inclusion is the action or state of being included or including others in groups, decisions and structures. Inclusive managers and leaders are highly sought after because they have the ability to make others feel safe and accepted, which in turn means that they are more likely to innovate, be a team player and contribute to high performance. Inclusion isn’t just a nice idea. It creates a true win-win situation. Team members feel involved, empowered and trusted. The organisation benefits from a more engaged and motivated team, and the client receives a better product or service.
 
Asked to assess themselves, most managers would say that they strive to involve and empower others. My work with senior leaders shows however, that they’re often not as inclusive as they think they are. Inadvertently, many managers end up disempowering their teams because they fail to delegate, ask, listen and coach. Instead, there is a tendency to retain control, give too much direction, and stay attached to their own ideas and ways of working. 

Feelings of belongingness and uniqueness are at the heart of inclusion
 
A 2014 study by Catalyst, highlighted the striking similarities across six major countries in how employees characterize inclusion and the leadership behaviors that help to foster it. The study, which included employees from Australia, China, Germany, India, Mexico and the US, revealed that:

• The more included employees felt, the more innovative they reported being in their jobs.
• The more included employees felt, the more they went above and beyond the “call of duty”.
• Perceiving similarities with co-workers produced a feeling of belongingness, while perceiving differences led to feelings of uniqueness.

 
The findings from the study show that in order for inclusion to happen, leaders have to value the differences as well as the commonalities of others. Valuing the differences is about recognizing the individual team member for who they are, acknowledging their uniqueness and helping them stand out from the crowd. Being acknowledged for our uniqueness and distinctive talents, is one of the most fundamental needs that all humans have. It makes us feel significant and special and makes us want to go the extra mile. 
 
Valuing someone’s commonalities on the other hand, is about making team members feel that they fit in and are accepted within the group. This part speaks to another human need that everyone has – the need to develop rapport and closeness with like-minded people and feeling that we belong to the group. 
 
When these basic needs are met, team members open up, collaborate and happily share their ideas. When they’re not met, for instance when a manager criticizes or excludes someone, it causes people to withdraw, stop engaging, or become overly critical and argumentative.
 
According to Catalyst, there are four major leadership behaviours that help to foster inclusion and lead to feelings of uniqueness and belongingness. The four attributes are Empowerment, Accountability, Courage, and Humility. Mastering these behaviours enables leaders to create an environment where team members can thrive and bring their whole selves to work. 
            
1. Empowerment
Empowerment is the ability to enable team members to develop and excel and to give them the best conditions to do so. This is about helping team members to grow, giving them the freedom to handle difficult situations, and providing the coaching they need without taking back control. When leaders coach, they trust that the team member can handle the situation on their own with a bit of guidance. That’s very different to micro managing someone and telling them exactly how to do something.
 
Empowerment is also about allowing the team to work flexibly and make decisions about when, where, and how work gets done. That means accepting and celebrating different ways of working, even if they're different from their own preferences. Some people are most productive in the morning, whereas others work better in the evening. Some people work well in loud coffee shops, and others prefer to be in a space that’s quiet. It shouldn't matter whether an employee is leaving early, as long as they're getting the work done and are collaborating effectively with others. 
 
2. Accountability
Accountability is the act of demonstrating confidence in team members by holding them responsible for performance that’s within their control. Many managers struggle with this, and find it difficult to give direct feedback when someone is not delivering what was agreed. Inclusive leaders first and foremost have to make sure that expectations are set – and mutually agreed – and that the team member is fully equipped to carry out the task. Secondly, they have to provide clear and regular feedback on performance as a way to support and coach the team member. It becomes much easier to hold someone accountable without the need to show aggression or become overly controlling, when outcomes and deliverables have been mutually agreed. 
 
We also shouldn’t forget, that in order to lead effectively, leaders have to hold themselves to account as role models and as champions for work-life effectiveness. Team members must be able to rely on their manager and feel that they’re human and that they sometimes need to take time off as well. When the manager leaves work early on occasion, it sends a message to the team that work-life effectiveness is an accepted part of the culture, and that both work and life matter. The key message is that we focus on the results that individuals produce rather than the time they spend in the office.
 
3. Courage 
Courage is the ability to put personal interests aside to achieve what needs to be done. That means acting based on convictions and principles, even when it requires personal risk-taking. There are many different ways for leaders to show courage, for instance questioning the status quo, advocating for new ways to get the work done, and standing up for what they believe is right. They can also show courage by standing up for the team and fighting against a mentality that emphasizes hitting deadlines at the expense of everything else. Courage is also related to trusting that team members will get the work done based on the support they are receiving, and giving honest and fair feedback when required. Everyone needs feedback, but not all managers take the time, or have the guts to do it. 
 
4. Humility 
Humility is the capacity to admit mistakes, to accept and learn from others and to ask for help in order to overcome limitations. Leaders aren’t perfect beings who always have the answers and who never make mistakes. In fact, if we try to project that kind of image it most likely means that we’re not a very good leader. When we can ask for help and admit that we don’t know everything, we show that we’re human and create the space for others to step up and grow. What’s important isn’t what we know personally, but what the team knows. This sends a clear signal that the entire team is needed, as the leader doesn’t have all the answers on their own.
 
We can also demonstrate humility by taking on board criticism, double-checking our assumptions, admitting that our own way isn’t the only way, and by giving the team the credit for successful results.
 
 
In summary
Inclusive leadership has the power to make an enormous difference to the level of collaboration, innovation, and performance of a team. When applied correctly inclusive leadership can provide the tools, behaviours and mind-set for team members to be more effective, not only at work but also in their personal lives. Inclusion happens when leaders value the differences as well as the commonalities of others. By actively demonstrating the four leadership attributes of Empowerment, Accountability, Courage, and Humility, leaders can create a safe environment where team members can thrive and be their best.
​

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In recent years there has been much debate on how to characterize management versus leadership. 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. You could say that managers use a push approach whereas leaders use a pull approach. 
 
Leaders have a high level of emotional intelligence
The differentiating factor between management and leadership isn’t the level of cognitive ability or technical skills that someone has – it is to a large extent their level of emotional intelligence (EQ). Managers may have a high level of cognitive intelligence or IQ, but not necessarily EQ. They may be good at implementing effective management systems, but they aren’t necessarily good at communicating change or bringing people with them. Leaders are skilled at understanding, motivating and influencing people. They keep their emotions in check and set a great example for others to follow. Because of their people skills, their approach is often described as transformational rather than transactional. These leaders are able to build strong relationships with others, whereas people with low EQ may be socially out of touch and have problems working in teams due to their individual behaviours.

It’s difficult to imagine a great leader who doesn't have a high level of emotional intelligence. Think about some of the leaders or role models you have worked with over the years. Would you agree that they have something over and above cognitive intelligence? 
 
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 getting 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 customer needs the product and in which ways it affects their business and the people who develop it and use it. Their strength is in executing someone else’s vision rather than defining 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. Being good at management isn't a bad thing. 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. Project managers need both disciplines. We need to manage tasks and lead people. 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.

The good news is that leadership can be learnt. In contrast to IQ, our level of EQ is never set. Emotional intelligence is a flexible skill set that can be learned and improved upon at any age. To find out more about how to develop your project leadership skills, get hold of the The Power of Project Leadership, now in 2nd edition.


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Consider the most successful team you have been part of or that you know of, and what the characteristics were of that team. How many members did it have? How did the team members communicate with one another? How did they make decisions, and what was the feeling you had when you interacted with the team? 
 
Many of us know instinctively what it feels like to be part of a great team. We feel accepted and trusted and communication seems easy. And when conflict arises it doesn't cause a breakdown. The team is able to openly discuss differences in opinion and agree a way forward.

But even if we deep down know what a great team looks and feels like, the steps we need to take to create such a team aren’t always obvious.
​

Performance depends on the team’s communication patterns
Several studies have been carried out with the aim of identifying the factors that contribute to a team’s performance. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Google for instance have gone to great lengths to study teams and analysed if it made a difference to performance that team members socialised outside of work, had flexible working hours or that they had a high level of cognitive intelligence. But their studies didn’t show any correlation between the factors they studied and team performance. What they did show however was that high performance is closely correlated to a team’s communication patterns and whether all team members actively contribute to making decisions and moving the project forward. 
 
On the topic of communication patterns, the researchers found that high performing teams seemed to spend a lot of time communicating face-to-face or via videoconference. Emailing, texting and speaking on large conference calls were found to be a lot less effective and led to poorer performance. In the same vein, videoconference proved to loose its effectiveness the more people attended the call. What this shows is that for high performance to take place, it’s the quality of the communication exchange that matters, and that quality tends to be higher when people interact face-to-face. On remote teams, of course, it isn’t practical to meet face-to-face, but at least we can encourage people to connect individually and to activate their webcam.
 
Everyone speaks roughly the same amount
The researchers also found that in high performing teams the communication exchanges were distributed evenly among the team members. In other words, everybody on the team was actively communicating with each other and at the end of the day everyone had spoken roughly the same amount. Team members didn’t just communicate through the team leader and there weren’t pockets of people who weren’t involved. What this means is that if you are leading a team where only four of the team’s seven members are interacting frequently with each other and are actively contributing to making decisions and influencing the project’s direction, then it’s important that you spend time engaging the last three people. 
 
Regarding the size of the team, it’s been found that high performing teams tend to consist of less than ten team members – presumably, because it’s a lot easier to communicate effectively and engage a small team than a large one. Don't let your team's size be an excuse however to creating a productive team. If you lead a large team, split it into sub-teams and focus on creating high engagement within each of these smaller units. 

The interesting thing about Google’s research, isn’t just the conclusions that communication and contribution are the most important factors for high performing teams, but also how such an environment can be created. This is where the role of the team leader or project leader becomes vital. 
 
The studies show that equal communication and contribution happens when the project leader is able to create an environment where team members feel safe enough to contribute. In teams where a few members are allowed to dominate discussions or where the team leader is too controlling or judging, many members simply don’t come forward with their views and ideas out of fear of being dismissed. 
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​Project Leaders need to have a high level of social sensitivity
For you as a project leader this means that you need to take on the role of a facilitator and that you must moderate the team’s discussions in such a way that the members feel that it’s ok and safe to come forward and share what’s on their mind - be it concerns or new ideas. You can do that by explicitly asking the more reserved team members what their views are and by recognizing their contributions during meetings. At the end of a meeting for instance, you can let each person summarise their reflections and take away's to make sure that everyone has contributed.

Team leaders need to have a high level of social sensitivity and emotional intelligence to do this, as moderating a conversation and making people feel safe is all about reading people, listening, empathising and knowing how to make people feel that they belong in the group.  
 
First, examine what you feel your own role is within the team. Do you feel that it’s your job to come up with great ideas and to show the way - like the perfect superhero? Or do you feel that your primary role is to encourage the team members to contribute and to bring forth ideas? Those leaders who perceive themselves as strong, decisive and fast moving don’t always realise that they cut off the team in the process because they are not sufficiently inclusive. What we have just seen from the research is that high performance happens when all team members play along. This requires the team leader to sometimes slow down and take the council of all members of the team instead of rushing to fix a problem or implement a decision, which only a few contributed to. 
 
Show your vulnerability and create psychological safety
As time is of essence on most projects it can be tempting to jump in like a superhero, force a decision and to ignore the quieter team members. But Google’s research shows that you must be sensitive to everyone within the group and encourage people to be sensitive to each other.

What you want to avoid is a group of bright individualists where people are only thinking about themselves. Instead, help people to be mindful of each other and to share personal stories and emotions. Begin by setting a good example yourself. Become an advocate for trust and respect by sharing something personal that has some weight and that shows your vulnerability. This could be a time in the past when you made a wrong decision, failed at implementing a project or made a faux pas with the client. Or you could share something entirely personal about a health issue or a family conflict. What you will find is that you begin to create what psychologists refer to as psychological safety – a sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject or punish someone for speaking up or for sharing something sensitive.
 
When psychological safety is present, people feel free enough to share what’s on their mind – whether it’s a bright new idea or a tough personal challenge. They are able to talk about what is messy and have difficult conversations with colleagues who have different opinions. And this is when high performance can occur. Because when people feel psychologically safe, they bring their entire personality to work where they contribute with all that they have without fear that they will be judged or criticized.

​So dear project managers and leaders, be mindful of how you come across to the team and the extent to which you like to be the superhero. Reduce your levels of control and judgment, and replace it with humility, empathy and sensitivity.

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The ability to identify, articulate and share a clear vision for the project is one of the key ingredients to project success. When we run projects we must begin with the end in mind as Stephen Covey put it in his best-selling book; The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Beginning with the end in mind – in a project context – is about envisioning what we ultimately would like the project to achieve and how it fits into the bigger context of organisational change. 

The vision clarifies the clients’, sponsors’ or organisation’s strategic objectives, focuses the team and provides a target to plan against. It gives the project manager a view of where the client wants to go, but it won’t give them all the stepping-stones to getting there. The stepping-stones will be derived by the team and will typically consist of tangible deliverables and outcomes. For the vision to be as effective as possible it should be clearly articulated, have an inspiring and energising effect and be aligned to corporate strategy.
 
Many project are tactical and not strategically aligned
Oftentimes projects get kicked off and executed without a clear vision. The result could be tactical project outcomes that are short-term in nature and that quickly get superseded by other changes. Without a clear vision there is a high risk of a disconnect between the project’s tangible outputs and what the customer or organisation really needed. The project may fail to deliver the expected benefits, either because the business needs weren’t fully understood, or because the initiative wasn’t fully thought through or aligned with corporate strategy. According to PMI’s research 60% of projects are not aligned to strategic objectives although such an alignment has the greatest potential to add value to an organisation. Unfortunately, this means that although many projects are delivered more or less to specification, the end product is tactical and ends up not adding as much value as it could have. 
 
We could compare the importance of having a clear vision to how great cities are built and developed. If a new area needs to be redeveloped the developers won’t just start building houses and roads without a master plan. The master plan sets the vision for how the entire area will look with houses, offices, public spaces, services and infrastructure. If the master plan isn’t in place the area may never function well or become an integrated part of the city. The same is true for other types of projects. We have to look as far into the future as possible and create a map of the project’s long-term outcomes and benefits. And we have to envision how the project will interact with other change projects and with existing business processes.
 
Leaders think differently to managers
In my book The Power of Project Leadership I have written extensively about the differences between manages and leaders.  One of the characteristics of managers is that they are good at delivering an output on time, to budget and to the expected quality. They are skilled at executing a vision, which has been set by others. Leaders on the other hand help set the vision by considering the bigger picture and by looking further into the future. When delivering a project they ensure that the strategic context is well thought through and that the project will add value in the long term.
 
Being visionary has been a characteristic that we associate with leadership for a long time. According to Harvard Business Review (HBR) being visionary and forward-looking is one of the attributes that most distinguishes leaders from non-leaders. In a survey of tens of thousands of people around the world HBR asked people what attributes they were looking for and most admire in a leader. 72% of people said that being visionary and forward-looking was something they wanted from a leader. Among respondents in more senior roles, the percentage was even greater, at 88%. 
 
When project professionals head up a project it's imperative that they don’t act like constrained managers who are just accepting the brief as given by senior management or the client without questioning it and engaging with it.  They have to partner with the client and play an active role in shaping the project’s goals and benefits until it makes sense and until they fully understand it. 
 
This may be a new way of thinking for many project managers who are used to the traditional way of operating. Traditionally project managers are concerned with delivering an output or a product rather than the big vision. The customer – internal or external – normally specifies what they want and the project manager helps deliver it. They happily leave the big-picture-thinking to the client or to the project sponsor who they feel is closer to the business and the decision-making process. 
 
The problem however, is that we often make the incorrect assumption that the client and sponsor know what their needs are and that they have analysed their current challenges and opportunities in depth. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Whereas the client, or business owner, know their day-to-day operations better than the project manager, 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 programme and what to do about it. Ultimately this may lead to a failed project. 
 
For this reason strategic projects require a leader who thinks and acts differently to the execution-oriented project manager. These projects need someone who knows that they can improve the project’s success rate and value by getting involved in the big picture and by fully engaging with the client’s views and ideas. This doesn't mean that they own the vision. It means that they query it, draw it out, improve it and align it with the project.
 
In addition to seeing the project in a strategic context project leaders are also skilled at sharing the vision with the team members who need to execute it. They know that working on projects that have meaning and purpose motivates team members. Many tactical projects don’t have a real impact on the organisation whereas strategic projects that are part of a bigger vision do. Having a clear vision isn’t just inspiring for the team it also provides an essential element of focus and alignment. 
 
Conclusion 
The main benefit of having a clear and meaningful vision is to help ensure that there is congruence between the actual project deliverables and the strategic objectives of the project – and that those objectives serve a greater purpose for the organisation. Whereas the project manager isn’t ultimately responsible for the vision they do need to ensure that the project delivers what the users need rather than what they want, and that the project will add as much value as it can in the long term. Having a sound project that’s backed up by a great vision gives the project manager and the team the ultimate focus and motivation that’s needed to deliver a strategic project.

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​As COVID-19 has put most of the Western world in lockdown, managers, leaders and their teams are finding themselves with a plethora of new challenges. People have to quickly adapt to working from home, protect the physical and emotional well-being of themselves and others, revamp businesses to better serve the public and simply staying afloat.

When a crisis hits it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, to let our emotions run away with us and to get distracted by the many threats and limitations we face. And whereas our physical safety will always come first we have to be determined to not let fear dominate us. Out of crises and extreme threats can emerge incredible opportunities for individuals, organisations and for society as a whole. As we navigate our way through uncertainty, we must seek not just to overcome the crisis, but to learn and grow from it - and that’s exactly what good leaders help us do. 
 
Leaders always put people first
John Maxwell, author of 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership says that during a crisis, real leaders rise and become visible. They show up with openness, honesty and clarity and they always put people first. They ask What is best for the people? How can I lift them up? How can I serve and help them get through the crisis and get better from it?
 
With a solid focus on people, good leaders rise above the circumstances and see into the future. Their ability to manage their emotions helps them to stay focused and become ambassadors of hope. The key is to keep fear at bay and to not get emotionally caught up in the crisis. But how can the leader give hope to others and show up with clarity when things are so uncertain? In spite of not having all the answers and not knowing when the crisis will be over, leaders can convey that this too shall pass. They also put a great deal of effort into clearly communicating why they’re making the decisions they are. Being clear, honest and authentic is often more important than the decision itself. 
 
Together we will find a way through
Maxwell says that during a crisis people want authenticity more than they want perfection. The leader needs to always tell the truth and stay close to people. And it takes a great deal of courage to tell the truth and admit to not having all the answers. The crisis is an opportunity to set clear priorities, to leverage the team and to convey that together we will find a way through. That’s what hope is. Hope is saying that together we can make things better. It’s not the same as optimism, which is simply the belief that things will get better. It takes no courage to be an optimist but it takes great courage to have hope. 
 
During a crisis, great leaders stand out by inspiring people to develop the right perspective. They help people focus on what they can do and let go of what they cannot control. We cannot control the external events of a crisis but we cancontrol our choices and our responses. As Maxwell reminds us: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! It’s about getting the best out of the situation and using our creativity to solve new problems, to serve and to build wherever we can. This may be the time to review existing practices, to forge new relationships, to adapt and to innovate. Take this opportunity to put people first and to send a message of hope. Together we can overcome this crisis and we can make things better.

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​Project leadership: Challenge the status quo

Yin-leaders support; yang-leaders challenge
Yin symbolizes the feminine elements such as listening, supporting, coaching and maintaining stability. These are characteristics that are hugely important when establishing a high-performing team, especially in the early days when people don’t yet trust their own abilities or roles within the team. Project leaders use the supportive yin element to build the team’s confidence and develop skills that are lacking. They encourage collaboration and provide a safe environment for team members to work together and come up with their own solutions. 
 
Supportive yin-leaders have a deep respect for people and want to understand what drives and motivates each person. They often spend one-on-one time with team members, assisting them to grow and develop. 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, 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 elements from their manager in order to perform and thrive. 

I tend to refer to Project Leadership as the epitome of good project management – or as an extension of traditional project management. Project Leadership is the art and science of leading successful change, and ensuring that we add as much value as possible to our organization, teams and customers. Project leadership is as much about vision, innovation, engagement and people as it is about tasks, plans and resources. It is characterized by a person’s ability to build relationships with customers and end users, understanding their real needs and leading the team to successfully deliver those needs.
 
We can gain further insight into project leadership – and how to get there - by examining The Project Leadership Matrix™.  

People who operate on the left-hand side of the matrix predominantly have a rational and logical mindset and are focused on skills, events and processes. They make use of their logic and authority when assigning work and will often tell their team members what to do. We could say that this approach to managing people is a push approach.
 
On the contrary, people who operate on the right-hand side of the matrix have a natural tendency to focus on people. They don’t rely on their authority, but appeal to people by finding out what motivates each person at an individual level. People-focused leaders involve team members in the decisions that affect them and show them how they fit into the overall vision. They don’t just tell people what to do, but inspire them by painting an appealing picture of the project’s objectives that they would like them to contribute to. We can call this a pull approach. They pull people with them like a magnet instead of pushing, or forcing them.
 
If you are in doubt where on this scale you operate, think about how easy or difficult you find it to approach a person who doesn’t report to you. In matrix organizations, where team members don’t have an organizational reporting line to the project manager, we cannot rely on our authority to allocate work. This is a situation that task-oriented project managers find challenging – not least when the team member they need to interface with is in a senior position and has a lot of experience. In such situations we need to make use of our people and influencing skills and of our understanding of human behaviour rather than relying on authority.
 
Let’s examine the dimensions of the vertical axis, reactive versus proactive. People who operate in a reactive manner – towards the bottom of the matrix – are drawn to immediate issues that crop up. Even if they arrive at work with a clear intention of what they need to achieve, they may not achieve it because something urgent or unexpected comes up and derails them. They spend their time following the flow of events rather than defining it and are constantly on a back foot.
 
At the other end of the scale we find people with a proactive mindset. People who operate towards the top of the matrix are concerned with the project’s strategic vision and they take steps every single day to create a successful future for the project. They set their own agenda to the benefit of the project, the client and the team. They don’t make knee-jerk decisions and only firefight when a true crisis emerges that cannot wait and that no one else can deal with. In that situation they will strive to address the root causes and put in place measures to ensure that the issue doesn’t reoccur.
 
Although most of us operate in all four quadrants depending on the situation, we have a tendency to spend the majority of our time in one of them. Project managers who are not getting the results they want operate predominantly in quadrant number II. They spend too much time firefighting and dealing with events and tasks that urgently need to be resolved. They are good at getting things done but will never be successful at implementing a strategic change initiative as long as they operate from this space. The biggest sign that something is wrong is the lack of clear direction and the number of project issues that crop up – interpersonal or otherwise. Oftentimes projects are kicked off before they are fully defined, roles and responsibilities are unclear, rules of engagement haven’t been agreed, stakeholders are not engaged, requirements are too vague and objectives aren’t aligned to corporate strategy. Ultimately the project fails to deliver the expected benefits – or if it does deliver them, it’s a long and arduous road to getting there.
 
Project managers who get outstanding results tend to operate in the top part of the matrix – in between quadrant III and quadrant IV. They are proactive and focused on the project’s long-term strategy and they are partly oriented towards tasks and partly towards people. This is the domain of Project Leadership. Project leaders continue to be mindful of the task side of the project and will not be effective if they operate exclusively in quadrant IV. People who operate exclusively in quadrant IV have great ideas and are good at inspiring people, but will often have no concrete plans or operational strategies to back up their vision. Project leaders may also spend time in quadrants I and II, but it is not a strategy they rely on to get results.
 
Many project managers find if difficult to break out of the reactive and task-oriented pattern. They don’t see how they can free up time and energy to proactively deal with people and the strategic side of the project. They are caught in the reactive management trap and find it hard to shift their over-reliance on control and rational thinking to a more people-oriented approach of trust and openness. After all, most of us are trained in mastering the detail and in thinking logically rather than building relationships and leading people. In addition, the more-for-less culture isn’t helping. In many cases it may be increasing the workload and pushing people into a reactive and task-oriented mode.
 
But no matter why we find ourselves in these situations, there will always be ways around them by thinking creatively and knowing that we have a choice. We may not be able to change external factors, such as limited budgets, reduced workforces and a reactive company culture, but we can control how we respond to them, what we choose to focus on and how we influence people around us. I was almost at the point of giving up my job as a project manager in financial services because I found it to be too exhausting. Little did I know that my working patterns were self-imposed and not the fault of the industry, the company, the project, the client or my manager. It is easy to feel victimized and look for someone to blame outside of ourselves. But the reality is that we hold the answer and the key to working more effectively, getting better results, feeling more energized and working with people to deliver better projects. Had I left my job at that time I would have found the exact same problems elsewhere. Instead I started examining what I could do to change the situation. I started looking at how I could work smarter rather than harder.

• Look at The Project Leadership Matrix and determine where you operate most of the time. Do you have a natural preference for tasks or people?
• Do you rely on your authority over people, or do you inspire and influence people at an individual level?
• Are you good at attending to important activities that lead to success of your project, or do you often get side-tracked and interrupted?

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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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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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