As a principle, the success of a project is dependent on the leadership skills and behaviors of the project manager. Leadership is the act of guiding or directing a group of people. Leadership skills can be applied to any group, whether it's a team, company, or organization. The leadership principle in project management, is in close relationship with the team performance domain.
Leadership is one of the most important skills in project management as it helps to solve problems and guide the team through obstacles. Project managers need to be able to guide their teams with clear instructions and tasks in order for them to succeed.
Leadership is also essential for successful project management because as a principle it provides guidance and direction for the team members on how they should work together. Project management principles provide guidance for how to lead projects effectively.
A good leader must be able to demonstrate their values in order to inspire others to follow them. A leader must also be able-minded, innovative, and decisive when necessary. These qualities should be demonstrated as early as possible in project management endeavors.
Successful project leaders understand the importance of effective leadership and they develop practices that support it. Effective leadership can be challenging to acquire and requires a sustained investment over time. It is the ability to lead a team to accomplish the project goals.
When leading a project, successful leaders often engage their teams with a vision of what the outcome will be. They facilitate aligning stakeholder expectations early on in the process to promote collaboration and positive relationships. Effective leadership allows team members to understand their roles, makes them feel valued, and encourages them to become committed to the project itself and to each other.
Leadership, It’s easy to confuse authority with leadership because they both have power as a common bond. Unfortunately, many of us have been trained to seek authority rather than leadership. Authority is often associated with more senior position titles, and as a result, we tend to look up to leaders based on their position rather than their ability to inspire the masses.
The principle of demonstrate leadership behavior is about being a leader by demonstrating the behaviors that you want to see in others. These behaviors are:
- Communicating the vision and strategy,
- Setting the vision with the project vision statement,
- Setting clear expectations,
- Developing people,
- Promoting accountability,
- Building trust and credibility,
- Creating unity and collaboration,
- Inspiring innovation and creativity.