Leadership and Management - Project Manager Characteristics

     The terms leadership and management are two different concepts that are often used interchangeably. Each term has a different meaning. Leadership is the ability to lead other people. Management is the skill about making decisions about a business or a department. Leaders oversee doing the right things. Managers must do things right to make a business run correctly and make a profit. Several differences can be found between leaders and managers. Project managers can learn and develop their skills through the “knowledge of the standard project management framework and through experience in utilizing best practices in implementing project management methodologies.” (Kumar, 2009) Leaders innovate, while managers administer. To improve the productivity level of their team’s productivity, the project managers work to innovative ways to do things and challenge others to improve. Managers’ focus is to implement and follow processes. They attend to the daily routine and ensure teams are productive with any tools needed to perform the tasks.

     Next, the project leaders are seeking challenges, while managers are maintaining the status quo. Leaders are looking to find new ideas to improve the current process. Managers are maintaining the status quo because that is how they learned to do things. They resist changes. Leaders have long term thinking, while managers have short to mid-term thinking. Leaders have a vision where their organizations are going long-term. They are focused on achieving it. Project managers are focused “on achieving the short-term and mid-term deliverables to accomplish the project goals, as part of achieving the long-term strategic goals. (Kumar, 2008) To achieve short-term and long-term goals, both leadership and project manager skills are essential. Leaders are motivating and inspiring, while managers are controlling. According to the way leaders work with their people, they inspire them. They are goal setters and help their people make meaningful contributions. They encourage their people to be the best they can possibly be. On the other hand, manager implement processes and control their people/working environment. Continuously developing leadership skills to motivate and inspire teams is a key aspect of project managers. To be effective project managers, they practice effectual team development. Leaders are worried about doing the correct things, while managers are worried about getting things done correctly. After decisions are made, project managers take care of the project delivery to ensure that things are done correctly. They utilize project management to get the project implemented. Leaders have a large circle of influence, while managers have their limited influence. Project managers’ dominance is over their own project with limited outside influence.

     For example, the formal education for engineers is focused on the technical analysis and engineering design. There is little to no time spent on addressing management and leadership education. This occurs in other education programs for technical positions as well. Many of these technical positions lack people, leadership, and management skills. Engineering, as well as many technical positions, must spend a large amount of time interfacing with other outside people, including the public, clients, contractor, and others. Therefore, they need people and leadership skills, even if they are not project managers.

     The first key skill for an effective project manager is to be an excellent communicator all levels of the company, both internally and externally. A project manager must be able to deliver constructive feedback, as well as receive it. Being a great communicator is the key to working well with others in any group/working environment. All leaders, including project leaders, are active listeners, understanding and considering the team members' perspective before making team decisions that will affect the team. To get everyone working toward common goals and cooperating with each other, project team leaders must get team members and others to collaborate. Also, there needs to be cross-functional communication with only one critical communication channel between the project manager and the company leader. Along with communication skills, project managers need to be excellent problem solvers (or rated as one), who can lead their colleagues, along with managing the available resources efficiently to complete the project. During the projects, problems/conflicts will inevitably arise. Excellent project managers can lead their colleagues through the problems/conflicts. The project managers will find the problems, big or small, and find solutions quickly to these problems with the help of their colleagues. When conflicts arise, projects managers will listen to both sides of the conflict. All parties involved will sit down with the project manager to discuss possible solutions. In the end, the project manager will find the final solution, with consideration for all parties involved in the conflict.

      Negotiating skills are a part of communicating skills. Often, project managers must use negotiating skills with suppliers/vendors to receive the best price on what items they need to complete a project. Negotiating skills are also useful when working with other employees. Communication skills are important in any job. In working on projects, project managers need to listen and clearly convey their thoughts and ideas to others. Project managers must use influencing skills to get the project work completed on time. A project takes a team and influencing that team is important. The most important in project management is to build a good team who understands and is willing to work to complete the project.

     Leaders, including project leaders, have an ability to see the ‘bigger picture’ behind the project and being able to convey that vision to the others.  This is an invaluable quality for project managers. They must be able to articulate a clear vision of their projects to the team members. This will help get the team members on board quickly. The project leaders must continually communicate that vision throughout the organization, working with the team to achieve the vision. Leaders keep their people enthusiastic in doing their work and focused on the project vision. They encourage the team members to do their best and accomplish the work with full self-satisfaction for the making their contribution towards the project vision. Project managers need to be honest and open with the team members.

     Project managers should show their high motivation for completing the projects correctly and within the given timeframe. To be a leader with the ‘full cup’ attitude and maintaining a positive mental attitude, makes a project manager a pleasure to work with. The project managers need to be confident and committed to the project. This makes for a positive attitude and a productive and cheery work environment. When project leaders show they adhere to values and ethical practices, they will gain the trust of others. This display of these practices shows the project managers are honest leaders. Also, by displaying your confidence and by showing you know what you are doing, the project managers are showing they are in control.