Uncovering the New PM Triangle (Part 2): Project Leadership

Mr. Bridges is a recognized leader in the PMO domain with over three decades of experience in business and project management. He is the PMO Setup Practice Lead at BOT International. Mr. Bridges has over a decade of PMO setup and PMO process implementation experience and has worked with corporations, government agencies and non-profits to implement PMOs. These efforts have included process development, implementation of portfolio management capabilities and PMO implementation.

  Communications Management   Talent Management   Using PMI Standards  

Part 1 of Uncovering the New PM Triangle explored the Business Acumen point; in Part 2, we look at Leadership.

In many organizations today, projects exist in a matrix environment. In other words, the project team members do not report directly to the project manager. This creates some unique challenges for project managers since they are responsible for the success of the project. How does a project manager develop a high-performance project team? The most successful project managers are adept in leadership skills.

Many times we hear the phrase, “She is a born leader.” But is this really true? Are certain people “born” leaders? If so, what about those who are not born leaders? Are they destined to be only followers?

I strongly disagree with the notion of “a born leader”. Leadership is learned. Some people may be better at learning how to become a leader, or may have attitudes and personalities more inclined toward leadership; but no one is born a leader. We all learn leadership skills. Some people learn these skills very early in their lives; maybe that is why we think of them as “born leaders.”

Project managers are often put in the position of having a project team whose members do not report directly to the project manager. So how do project managers develop productive teams to ensure successful project …

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