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Faith in the 8th, Part 1

Categories: 8th Edition PMBOK Guide

The 7th Edition of the PMBOK(R) Guide cracked open the door of Project Leadership. As a principles-based Guide it set up future editions to help our discipline mature.

The 8th Edition boldly kicked that door wide open and sent us through, even daring to change the very definitions of project and project management - changes that start to make even our discipline's name - Project Management - seem quaint and inadequate, relative to what we need to do as we walk through that door.

There are multiple aspects to to this passage, and in this series of two or three posts, I want to focus on People, Planet, and Profits - mainly because that's the title of the blog.

This post is short. It is simply going to introduce a summary graphic which has my assessment of how the 8th Edition moves us forward (through the passageway, if you keep my metaphor in mind) from project manager to project leader.

I believe the graphic will be mainly self-explanatory, however, if you have followed the blog, you know I won't be able to resist the temptation of fleshing this out with a paragraph or two about each row, and I hope that will be helpful for you. For now, have a look at the graphic and think about what it might mean for you personally, or your organization, especially if you are in a PMO or Center of Excellence sort of position. Of course if you have any comments on the graphic, or the post in general, they're welcome and appreciated.

Posted by Richard Maltzman on: January 29, 2026 02:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Resolve!

It’s time to make New Years’ Resolutions. One of mine is to have shorter, more concise, and helpful blog posts.
So…

I have a few suggestions for _{project managers} who want to 'elevate' to ^{Project Leaders}:

Commit to being a lifelong learner

AI is here, there, and everywhere (apologies to The Beatles) so learn about it, practice using it, understand its limitations and (amazing) capabilities
The PMBOK® Guide 8th Edition is here – get familiar with it, PMI has done a fantastic job compressing valuable knowledge (about value!) in this edition

Expand your thinking

BROADLY – consider people, planet, profits
Consider the broadest variety possible of stakeholders
Consider how stakeholders interact with each other, not only with your project
DEEPLY – beyond the end-date of your project.
Consider the project’s PRODUCT (whether it’s a physical entity or a service) and what that PRODUCT does in the longer term
Develop a VALUE mantra – In all you do, ask: “is this chunk of work adding value to the project?”, and of course, “Is this project adding value to the mission, vision, values, goals, and objectives of the organization?”, and even, “are the goals and objectives of the organization aligned with a healthy balance of people, planet and profit?”

Develop your systems thinking capabilities

Consider certifications like STSI®
Remember that your project, program, or portfolio is part of a much larger, connected series of things
Understand perspective – remember that you have your own (and be aware of it) and others have strikingly different ones that you don’t have to adopt, but of which you should be aware
Consider the relationships of the pieces of work within your project but also consider the relationship of your project to the rest of your enterprise, its customers, competitors, employees, and… the world
Develop your critical thinking capabilities

Don’t doubt yourself, but be willing to question yourself (from multiple perspectives)

Check anything that an ‘expert’ tells you – and that ‘expert’ can be AI. Is what the expert told you:

Relevant?
Accurate?
Applicable?
Complete?
Logical?
Unbiased?

And, importantly when YOU are the expert, check your ‘transmitted’ advice for the above set of attributes

Become more self-aware and develop your Power Skills

• Communication: Clearly conveying information and ideas.

• Problem-Solving: Effectively addressing challenges and finding solutions.

• Collaborative Leadership: Guiding and working with teams to achieve common goals.

• Strategic Thinking: Seeing the big picture and making plans for future success.

• Active Listening

• Adaptability

• Conflict Management

• Emotional Intelligence (EI)

• Negotiation

• Relationship Building

• Team building and teamwork

That’s it – I am consciously avoiding a long, boring post to keep my resolution! I hope to sustain it through 2026.

Happy New Year!

Posted by Richard Maltzman on: December 28, 2025 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Guest Post: How Neuroscience Applies to Project Leadership

Neuroscience (even empowered with AI) for Project Management
by Luigi Morsa and Richard Maltzman

Why Neuroscience

The famous former basketball player Scottie Pippen once said: “Chemistry is a very important element for any team that wants to be serious about winning.” [1] By chemistry, most likely, Pippen meant the intangible bond and synergy among teammates that makes them function as a team - far more capable than just a collection of individuals.

Pippen's quote bounces far beyond basketball. Similar expressions are heard in business, music, and any group effort where success depends on collaboration. In these contexts, chemistry acts as the emotional glue that makes cooperation smooth. It enables people to handle conflict constructively, celebrate each other’s achievements, and remain resilient under pressure.

This raises an important question: What’s the science behind this? And if so, in project management — our field of interest — who is responsible for creating good and productive team chemistry and, above all, how is it best done?

As underlined in a recently published article in PM World Journal (Bassi 2025, [2]), Neuroscience has achieved extraordinary progress in recent decades in helping us to understand the brain processes underlying decisions, emotions, and social interactions. The synergy between neuroscience and Project Management represents a promising frontier, capable of transforming the discipline into a truly predictive, adaptive, and sustainable approach.

A leader who is aware of neurobiological dynamics can implement so?called ‘Neuroleadership,’ with evident benefits. Some of the most important are listed below.

Better Decision-Making. Neuroscience reveals how cognitive biases, that are mental shortcuts our brains use to make quick decisions, shape choices. By recognizing these biases, project managers can make more balanced, evidence-based decisions [3].
Managing Stress and Resilience. Chronic stress compromises working memory and problem-solving capacity, generating defensive behaviors and reducing creativity. A project manager who takes these mechanisms into account can adopt stress-regulation strategies [2].
Enhancing Motivation and Engagement Neurobiology shows how neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin drive motivation, trust, and confidence. Leaders who understand these mechanisms can design environments that boost morale and productivity. More details on this are provided in the next section.
Improving Communication and Empathy. Neuroscience helps leaders tailor communication strategies to build trust and reduce resistance to change [3].
Creating Psychologically Safe Environments. Research in neuroleadership backs the value of psychological safety; not just for team motivation, but also for innovation, performance, and overall project success [4].

Key Brain Chemicals in Leadership and Project Management

Let´s take a closer look at the Key Brain Chemicals of our interest. In order to introduce them, it is appropriate to give a general definition before. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry messages between nerve cells, also called neurons. Neurotransmitters help neurons to communicate and regulate everything from mood to muscle movement. Common neurotransmitters - for instance serotonin, dopamine, and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) play critical roles in mental health and emotional balance [5].

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter produced in the brain that regulates functions like motivation, reward, movement, attention, mood, and learning [6]. Dopamine is linked to pleasure because it activates the brain’s reward system, driving motivation, anticipation, and reinforcement of pleasurable behaviors — but it’s more about wanting than pure enjoyment. The actual sensation of pleasure is mediated by other chemicals, like endorphins and serotonin, while dopamine drives the anticipation and effort to reach pleasurable outcomes [7].

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in regulating mood, sleep, appetite, digestion, and overall emotional well-being. Lack of enough serotonin is thought to play a role in depression, anxiety, mania and other health conditions [8].

Oxytocin is a hormone and neurotransmitter often called the “love hormone” because it plays a key role in bonding, trust, and emotional connection [9]. Low levels may be linked to social anxiety, depression, and difficulty forming relationships.

Norepinephrine (also called noradrenaline) is a neurotransmitter and hormone that plays a key role in the body’s stress response, alertness, and regulation of blood pressure [10]. It helps prepare the body for action during stressful situations. Low levels are associated with depression, fatigue, and poor concentration [11].

GABA is the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, meaning it helps calm down neural activity. It plays a crucial role in reducing anxiety, promoting relaxation, and maintaining a balanced mood [12, 13].

Our focus, of course, lies on the relationship between neurotransmitters and leadership. The table below summarizes how leaders may leverage neuroscientific insights to enhance motivation, cultivate trust, and regulate stress.

Neuroleadership in Action: Platforms and Software — Final Advice

The table presented in the previous section offers a valuable overview and general guidelines. However, to act effectively and navigate the complexities of daily leadership, project managers and project leaders must undergo proper training. Specialized courses are essential—and fortunately, today there are even AI-powered tools that provide real-time support.

Among the most notable platforms, several stand out with remarkably similar names:

NeuraLead Institute – The World’s Most Advanced Conscious Leadership Transformation Platform, according to its website [24].Neurolead Institute offers neuroscience-based leadership programs that help project leaders enhance performance, motivation, and emotional intelligence. Leaders learn how brain functions influence behaviour, performance, and team dynamics. Some of the courses offered by the Neuralead Institute are “Neuroscience of Leadership: Rewiring the Executive Brain” and “The Resilient Leader: Building Mental Toughness Through Neuroscience”.
NeuroLead offers practical training, coaching and tools to help organizations in their specific situation, challenges and needs for better performance and well-being. One of key message is the following: “When you communicate, you activate in the brain of your interlocutor, either the Pain Network or the Reward Network with 2 totally opposite effects: defensive reaction versus engagement. Thanks to our SAMENESS® Model, we help you activate the levers of the Reward Network to get the best of your teams and motivate them in a sustainable way. This model develops trust and psychological safety, the 1^st conditions to create performant organizations” [25].
NeuroLeadership Institute created NILES, the Neuro Intelligent Leadership Enhancing System, a natural-language AI coach trained on decades of NLI’s research and practice. Unlike generic chatbots, NILES is built with neuroscience at its core. It understands real leadership challenges, reinforces organization’s unique values and models, and delivers real-time, high-impact coaching that helps leaders and managers get smarter every day [26].

Clearly, investing time in training and equipping oneself with the right tools is essential. This also requires support from companies, which should recognize that having managers trained to lead people and teams more effectively yields significant benefits: greater efficiency and productivity, improved retention and knowledge growth, and enhanced innovation. In short, it is a smart investment—not a wasted one. According to a recent Forbes article titled “The Neuroscience Behind Business Growth” [27], companies that adopt neuroscience-based strategies have reported a 12% improvement in productivity, along with increased creativity and innovation among employees.

References

[1]. Basketball Mindset Training. "51 Basketball Team Quotes on Sacrifice, Teamwork & Chemistry." Last modified March 20, 2024. https://www.basketballmindsettraining.com/blog/basketball-team-quotes.

[2]. Bassi, Antonio. “Neuroscience and Project Management: Towards a New Frontier in Project Management.” PM World Journal 14, no. 10 (October 2025). https://pmworldjournal.com/article/neuroscience-and-project-management.

[3]. Magnusson, Olga. “Project Management and Neuroscience: Leveraging Cognitive Biases for Better Decision-Making.” Institute of Project Management. June 25, 2025. https://instituteprojectmanagement.com/blog/project-management-and-neuroscience/.

[4]. Miller, Ben. “What Is Neuroleadership? Definition, Examples, and Applications in Project Management.” The Digital Project Manager. October 24, 2023. https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/project-management/what-is-neuroleadership/..

[5]. Olivia Guy-Evans, "Neurotransmitters: Types, Function and Examples", Simply Psychology, updated May 16, 2025, https://www.simplypsychology.org/neurotransmitters.html

[6].Harvard Health Publishing, “Dopamine: The pathway to pleasure”, no date, https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/dopamine-the-pathway-to-pleasure.

[7]. Editors of ScienceNewsToday. "Your Brain on Dopamine: The Science of Motivation and Pleasure." ScienceNewsToday, 8 Aug. 2025, https://www.sciencenewstoday.com/your-brain-on-dopamine.

[8]. “Serotonin.” Cleveland Clinic. November 21, 2025. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22572-serotonin.

[9]. “Oxytocin: The Love Hormone,” Harvard Health Publishing, November 21, 2025, https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/oxytocin-the-love-hormone.

[10]. “Norepinephrine (Noradrenaline),” Cleveland Clinic, November 21, 2025, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22610-norepinephrine-noradrenaline.

[11]. Adrienne Dellwo, "What Does Norepinephrine Do in the Body? A Chemical/Hormone That Affects Mood, Energy, and More," Verywell Health, October 9, 2025, https://www.verywellhealth.com/norepinephrine-noradrenaline-5208854.

[12]. “Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA): What It Is, Function & Benefits.” Cleveland Clinic, 25 Apr. 2022, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22857-gamma-aminobutyric-acid-gaba.

[13]. Pugle, Michelle. “6 GABA Benefits That Can Support Long-Term Health.” Last updated October 20, 2025. Medically reviewed by Violetta Shamilova, PharmD. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/gaba-5095143.

[14]. Gonzalez, Marlene, Justin James Kennedy, and Kerrie Alanen. “Neurotransmitters of Leadership.” Psychology Today. June 23, 2023. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-reboot/202306/neurotransmitters-of-leadership.

[15]. Falk, Stefan. “Understanding the Power of Intrinsic Motivation.” Harvard Business Review. March 8, 2023. https://hbr.org/2023/03/understand-the-power-of-intrinsic-motivation.

[16]. Hails, Daniel. “The Neurological Chemistry of Leadership.” People Development Magazine. November 9, 2023. https://peopledevelopmentmagazine.com/2023/11/09/chemistry-of-leadership/.

[17]. Harvard Health Publishing. “Serotonin: The Natural Mood Booster.” Harvard Health. Accessed November 22, 2025. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/serotonin-the-natural-mood-booster.

[18]. Wisconsin School of Business. “The Chemicals of Leadership.” Wisconsin School of Business. Accessed November 22, 2025. https://business.wisc.edu/chemicals-of-leadership.

[19]. Rudd, Julie, and Jane E. Dutton. “Connect, Then Lead.” Harvard Business Review. July–August 2013. https://hbr.org/2013/07/connect-then-lead.

[20]. Neurolaunch. “The Neurochemistry of Focus.” Neurolaunch. Accessed November 22, 2025. https://neurolaunch.com/neurochemistry-of-focus.

[21]. McKinsey & Company. “Performance Under Pressure.” McKinsey & Company. April 2, 2020. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/performance-under-pressure.

[22]. McLeod, Saul. “GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid): Function & Effects.” Simply Psychology. August 15, 2023. https://www.simplypsychology.org/gaba.html.

[23]. BetterUp. “Psychological Safety and Leadership: How Leaders Can Create Safe Environments.” BetterUp. June 28, 2022. https://www.betterup.com/blog/psychological-safety-and-leadership.

[24]. https://www.neuralead.org/

[25]. https://neurolead.net/model/

[26]. https://neuroleadership.com/niles

[27]. McGruer, Dawn. “The Neuroscience Behind Business Growth.” Forbes. September 4, 2024. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2024/09/04/the-neuroscience-behind-business-growth/.

From the Blog: Thanks to Dr. Luigi Morsa for this guest post. Below is his bio and other information. The relevance to People, Planet, Profits, and Projects is this: understanding ourselves - being self-aware and knowing how we think - that's key to thinking long-term and to providing value in our projects.

Luigi Morsa is a Team Leader, Project Manager, and Aerospace Engineer who has been working in the aircraft industry in Germany since 2012. He holds a Ph.D. in Space Fluid Dynamics from the University of Naples. He holds a Ph.D. in Space Fluid Dynamics from the University of Naples and was a Visiting Ph.D. student at the University of Michigan (2011).

Over the course of his career, he has gained substantial experience in leading teams within highly challenging and demanding environments.

His passion for project management has led him to contribute chapters and case studies to several books by Dr. Harold Kerzner, the globally recognized pioneer in the field. These include Project Management Case Studies (Wiley, 2017, 2022), Innovation Project Management (Wiley, 2019, 2023), and Global Project Management (Wiley, 2026).

Together with Richard Maltzman, PMP and Master Lecturer at Boston University Metropolitan College, Luigi co-authored the chapter 10 Lessons Learnt from Irresponsibility in Project Management for the De Gruyter Handbook of Responsible Project Management (De Gruyter, 2023).

In April and June 2023, Luigi delivered online lectures on the “Boeing 737-Max Case Study” for the courses Portfolio and Program Management and Project Value Strategies at Boston University.

In 2018, Luigi was a speaker at the Project Management Institute EMEA Congress in Berlin, where he discussed the complexity of the aircraft industry market, with particular emphasis on aligning product development with customer needs. He also presented at the 18th Annual Project Management in Practice Conference in Boston (2024), showcasing the latest advancements in artificial intelligence software for project and innovation management. In November 2024, he spoke alongside Richard Maltzman at the International Project Management Day hosted by International Institute for Learning, delivering a talk titled Human-AI Synergy in Practice: From Traditional to Innovation Project Management.

Since 2019, Luigi has been a regular contributor to the IIL Blog, publishing articles on topics such as employee engagement, innovation, team management, risk management, conflict resolution, Agile methodologies, and artificial intelligence.

Posted by Richard Maltzman on: December 18, 2025 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Post-haste, Post-Summit Poster Post Part 2

Categories: definition of a project

In my last post, I discussed how a simple poster at the PMI Global Summit in Phoenix, AZ, USA made me feel like there is real progress being made towards a value-based view of project management – a LEADESRSHIP role for project ‘managers’ (really project LEADERS) who see themselves – and through their mindset and actions convince others that they are indeed leaders and not just a project task overseer (manager).
In this brief post (more later) I will discuss the brand new PMBOK® Guide’s 8^th Edition, announced also at that PMI Global Summit – which I was honored to attend.

The 7^th Edition of the PMBOK® Guide did bring value to the forefront and in a limited way, encouraged project managers to think long-term and to think broadly about not only their projects’ outcomes but also of the impact (benefits and nasty impacts) of the product of the project in steady-state use. It made some steps forward in terms of triple-bottom-line thinking (as in the title of this very blog – People, Planet, Profits).
A scan of the document shows that “sustainability” in one form or another is mentioned quite a bit (see figure below).

Section-by-Section Summary

Below is an overview of how sustainability is referenced throughout the PMBOK® Guide – 8th Edition. While the PMBOK® Guide emphasizes sustainability most strongly in Section 3.7, related themes thankfully are not only segregated into one section – they appear in several principles and performance domains.

Section 3.7 – Integrate Sustainability Within All Project Areas

This is the dominant focus area for sustainability. It contains the majority of the sustainability terminology and establishes sustainability as a core project management principle. This is where the 8^th edition is taking leaps instead of steps forward.

Section 3.3 – Adopt a Holistic View

Sustainability is referenced through systemic thinking and interconnected project impacts. Now, I would have liked to have seen this say ‘impacts of the project’s product’ but this is still a big step forward.

Section 3.5 – Embed Quality Into Processes and Deliverables

Sustainability is included as one of the dimensions of quality (of course, quality itself should not be limited to any one section, a project leader would think broadly and deeply about what he or she is doing at any stage of a project and in thinking about the project’s product in use a week from now, a month, a year, a decade from now.

Section 2.3 – Schedule Performance Domain

Mentions integrating sustainability into scheduling considerations.

Value
How about value? Does the PMBOK® Guide 8^th Edition value value? It certainly does. Here are a few highlights:

“Value, also referred to as project value, is the ultimate success indicator and driver of projects.”
“Value represents the overall worth of the project outcomes and the net benefits to stakeholders.”
“Value per unit of investment is the ultimate indicator of project success.”
“Project teams focus on outcomes that maximize value creation…”
“A value-focused approach aligns the project with business outcomes…”

The “Focus on Value” principle is arguably the most emphasized of all principles—it is repeatedly presented as the ultimate success marker, not scope, cost, or schedule.
I’ll close this quick review post with the very definition of PROJECT.

Here it is:

This is is no small change. And it is a change that is a long time coming As you'll hear in the video below, we thought this was etched in stone. Nope. Rather than taking my word for it, or hearing my opinions on this change, I invite you to watch this video conversation between Cornelius Fichtner and Jesse Fewell (the Chair of the PMBOK® Guide 8^th Edition Development)

ttps://www.linkedin.com/events/insidepmbokguide8-whatprojectma7397053929219346432/

Posted by Richard Maltzman on: November 30, 2025 08:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Post-Haste Post-Summit Poster Post

Categories: 8th Edition PMBOK

The year was 2008 (or so). Maybe earlier. My colleague, Dave Shirley and I each led groups of about 10-15 project managers, deploying telecom networks around the world. We had neighboring offices and often discussed project management issues.

One topic that kept coming up in conversation was the fact that our project managers were such amazing “get it DONE” people. Their focus on the end date and the turnover of the telecom network to customers such as Deutsche Telekom, KPN, Singtel, Verizon and Comcast was intense.

At the same time, both of us were noting what was being said about the environment – climate change, declining species, and also the whole concept of economic and social sustainability – thinking past the end of the project. One day, over a mediocre meal at the cafeteria (or maybe it was coffee… or a beer…too long ago to remember) we lamented that there was no ‘thought leadership’ in this area. Perhaps someone should write a book about how project managers could (and should) think past the end of their project to include the effects their project – and importantly their project’s product – would have on the customers and other stakeholders, and the economic long-term effects (maintenance, energy use, ability for the network to make money for our customers).

And so we did. We wrote and published (with the help of our publisher CRC press) a book called Green Project Management.

At the time, it got mixed reviews, with the most negative coming from those “get it DONE” project managers (not our folks, but others like them) who pretty much expressed frustration with ‘yet another constraint’ and ‘this is not our job – we just get the product out’ types of comments.

Others liked the book. Alot. This included PMI, apparently as they gave the book the Cleland Award for Literature in 2011.

We focused, however, on those who were skeptical about the idea of long-term, sustainability-oriented thinking in Project Management, following up the book with a second one called “Driving Project, Program, and Portfolio Success – The Sustainability Wheel”. Realizing that the behavior of project managers came from their line management, and a more strategic level, we aimed this book at the Program and Portfolio managers, often the supervisors or at least overseers of project work.

We don’t know how much that book (or for that matter, the Green Project Management book) made a difference, but to bring this to current times, I was thrilled to see a poster at the PMI Global Summit 2025 this month, pictured at the top of this blog post.The poster encapsulates the ideas we were pushing (and continue to promote).

And it’s not ‘just’ a poster – although this messaging is super-important. It’s the overall increasing importance that leaders in PM are placing on VALUE DELIVERY, and that ‘value’ is multi-faceted. It is not just the delivery of a ‘thing’ or a ‘service’ on time, under budget, and meeting requirements, it is really about the steady-state availability of the benefits of that product-of-the-project for months, years, decades, and it takes into account any 'disbenefits' (negative impacts) to the planet, the people (employees, neighbors, customers) that may come along with that product. Thus the title of this long-running blog post series!

In Part 2 of this post (arriving post-haste), I will provide some thoughts and analysis on how this poster connects with the new 8^th Edition of the PMBOK® Guide.

Posted by Richard Maltzman on: November 30, 2025 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)