PROJECT LEADERSHIP

Project Leadership

Abstract

Teams are increasingly becoming a part of the organizational landscape, as they are being used with ever greater frequency to perform knowledge work and operate with high levels of autonomy. Teams have also been shown to have a positive relationship with organizational effectiveness. Despite the importance of teams to organizational practice and the proliferation of research on various aspects of team effectiveness, theory surrounding leadership of work teams is sparse and tends to focus on individuals serving in a formal team leadership capacity. Leadership is widely considered to be a crucial variable in understanding team effectiveness, even if there is not wide agreement over the exact nature of its role.

Table of Contents

Abstractii

Introduction1

Organizational Assessment1

Successful Leadership aspects for the Project2

Difference between Leadership and management3

Leadership Assessment Method Appropriate for the Organization4

Assessment of Current Leadership Capability within the Organization4

Modeling the Way5

Inspiring a Shared Vision5

Challenging the Process5

Enabling Others to Act6

Encouraging the Heart6

Best Practices and Measuring Success7

Best Leadership Practices7

Versatility7

Cultivating Team Ethos8

Trust and Accountability8

Vision and Clarity of Objective8

Motivation and Inspiration9

Conclusion9

References11

Project Leadership

Introduction

Projects share a similar framework although they may be unique in purpose. Temporary endeavors that exist for a specific purpose are regarded as projects. Projects differ from operational activities, which are recurring and regular. Projects are ubiquitous and vary in level of risk and complexity, and are constrained by distinct beginnings and endings (Henrie & Sousa-Poza 2005).

The discipline of project management was conceptualized as a means to accomplish project-type work. The project management approach was established in the 1960s as a method for managing complex endeavors that must meet a specific set of objectives within the constraints of resources, time, and performance expectations (Liu, Fellows & Fang 2003). The aim of the project management methodology has been to advance the ability of organizations to achieve project objectives.

Organizational Assessment

The project management approach is a framework for accomplishing project goals through a disciplined method of planning, controlling, and monitoring project activities. The application of project management tools and techniques does not ensure projects will achieve their expected outcomes (Liu, Fellows & Fang 2003). Success also may be reliant on the project manager's ability to lead. While leadership may be important to project management, many practitioners tend to underestimate its value. To understand the form of leadership best suited to project situations, it is necessary to consider leadership in the context of projects.

Successful Leadership aspects for the Project

Project managers typically rely more on leadership skill than their level of formal authority. Leadership techniques vary among project managers and are applied as warranted by the project situation or the managers' preference. Some project managers prefer to use team-building methods, while others prefer structure and control as a form of leadership for managing complex projects (Turner & Muller 2005).

Following are some aspects of leadership and managerial skill which may prove successful for the project:

Frankness and integrity [leadership]

Technical acumen [management]

Resourcefulness [leadership/management]

Sense of urgency [leadership]

Salesmanship [management]

Buffer (between the cross-functional team and management) [leadership]

General understanding of marketing, control, contract work, purchasing, law, and personnel ...