Principles of Project Leadership

 

Principles serve as guideposts or beacons that help you stay on course with your project. Let's review six principles of project leadership.

Principle number 1: People own what they participate in creating.
When team members work together to create a project planand monitor and control the project, they take ownershipnot only for their own work, but for the project as a whole. This ownership takes the monkey off the back of the project leaderand allows him or her to share it with the entire team.

Principle number 2: Team members that understand the project are more committed to making it successful.
When people on a team understand the project--why it's being done, what they are supposed to do, how what they do affects others and fits into the whole picture--they are more effective as individuals and more effective as a team. Understanding can best be achieved through team participation in the project managementprocess.

Some projects leaders fear losing control of the project if the team participates. The illusion that you have control when you do something yourself is very strong, but being the sole decision maker or planner for the project doesn't usually produce the best results. Inevitably a plan created in a vacuum by the project leader is flawed. You're better off focusing on having a structured process for team members to follow so they'll make good team decisions. …

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