Project Management Lecture 4 Project Leadership

Lecture 4: Project leadership Overview of leadership concept  In general leadership is the ability to guide, inspire and influence a group of people toward a common goal.  Involves setting a vision, motivating and empowering others, making strategic decisions and fostering an environment where individuals can succeed and contribute to the groups objectives.  Its not just about holding a position of authority, is about gaining trust, respect and commitment.  Project leadership is the art of guiding, motivating and managing a project team to achieve project objectives while balancing constraints like scope, time, cost and quality.  This involves inspiring people, navigating challenges and fostering a positive team environment.  Its crucial for ensuring that projects are completed successfully and that the team remains engaged and productive throughout the process. Functions of a project leader: 1. Planning and organization 2. Implementation and execution 3. Motivation 4. Inspiration 5. Monitoring and controlling 6. Conflict management 7. Evaluation Qualities of an effective project leader  System thinker: project managers must be able to take a holistic rather than a reductionist approach to project  Personal integrity: before you can lead and manage others, you have to be able to lead and manage yourself  Proactive: good project managers act before it is needed to prevent small concerns from escalating into major problems  High emotional intelligence (EQ): project management is not for the meek. Project managers must have command of their emotions and be able to respond constructively to others.    General business perspective: Because the primary role of a project manager is to integrate the contributions of different business and technical diciplines, it is important that a manager have a general grasp of business fundamentals Effective time management: time is a managers scarcest resource. Project managers must be able to budget their time wisely and quickly adjust their priorities. Skillful politician: must be able to deal effectively with a wide range of people and win their support and endorsement of their project. Project manager pitfalls  Unclear goals  Too ambitious  High turnover (talent)  Poor planning  Lack of resources  Unclear priorities Goals must be SMART: Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Timebound Leadership models  Frameworks that describe the various approaches to leaderships.  Outlines how leaders can influence, motivate and manage their teams to achieve organized goals  Provide insights into different leadership styles, behaviors and strategics that can be applied in different situations. Situational leadership model  It suggests that there is no best style of leadership  Instead, effective leadership is contingent upon the situation, specifically the development level of the team members.  Presents four leadership styles that vary in the level of directive and supportive behavior provided by the leader (supporting, coaching, delegating and directing) Benefits  Customizable: allows leaders to tailor their approach to fit the individual needs of team members   Development-oriented: help their team members develop skills and confidence over time Wide application: applicable in a variety of contexts, from corporate environments to education and healthcare. Criticisms of the model  Complexity: continuously adjusting leadership styles can be challenging, esp. in dynamic or large teams.  Over-simplification: the model assumes that all team members progress through development levels in a linear fashion, which may not always be the case.  Subjectivity: accurately assessing the development level of team members can be subjective, and different leaders may interpret the same situation differently. Transformational leadership model  Inspire and motivates their followers by creating a vision for the future  They lead by example. Key elements:  Idealized influence: leading by example and earning thrust  Inspirational motivation: communicating a compelling vision that inspires others  Intellectual stimulation: encouraging creativity and problemsolving  Individualized consideration: providing personalized support and mentorship. Transactional leadership model    Based on a system of rewards and punishments. Leaders provide clear expectations and goals, and followers are rewarded for meeting these expectations or penalized for failing to do so. This model is focused on short-term tasks, efficiency and maintaining order. Project managers power    The power of a project manager refers to the authority and influence they have within the project environment. Comes from different sources, each with unique impacts on the project and the team. Understanding these power sources helps a project manager navigate project challenges. Legitimate power  Formal authority power comes from the position or title the project manager holds.  A project manager is given authority by the organization to manage the project and make decisions. Expert power  Derived from the project managers knowledge, skills and expertise in project management or the specific industry  Team members are more likely to follow their guidance and trust their decisions when they respect the project managers knowledge. Reward power  Comes from the project managers ability to reward team members for their performance.  Rewards can be bonuses, promotions, recognition, additional responsibilities or others. Coercive power (DANGEROUS in the modern world)  Is the ability to enforce consequences or punishments for noncompliance, poor performance or failure to meet expectations.  This is the opposite of reward power. Conflict management    Is in projects a critical skill for project managers, as conflict is a natural part of any team dynamic. Success in this, can lead to better decisions, improved relationships and enhanced performance. Poor conflict management can derail projects, reduce team morale and lead to missed deadlines or failed objectives. Common sources of conflicts  Resource allocation: competing for limited resources  Schedule pressure: tight deadlines and unrealistic timeframes  Role ambiguity: lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities  Stakeholder expectations: differing or conflicting expectations from stakeholders, clients or sponsors  Personality clashes: personal differences including values, attitudes and behavior.  Technical disagreements: conflicts can arise over technical approaches, design decisions or methodologies. Conflict management styles  Collaborating: focus on finding a solution that satisfies all parties.  Compromising: both parties give up something to reach a middle ground  Avoiding: involves sidestepping or postponing the conflict.  Competing: competing a high-assertiveness, low-cooperation approach where one party seeks to win at the expense of the other.