What Is a Leader?

Does leadership have an effect on project success?
Is there a difference between management and leadership?
Can leadership be learned?

The answer to all these questions is yes.

In this article, I look at six essential attributes of project leadership. This is not a complete list, but one that provides a good jump start to successful project leadership.

1. Lateral Thinking

The first essential attribute, lateral thinking, represents a variety of methods to get us out of our usual way of thinking. In essence, lateral thinking breaks down the instilled and predetermined patterns we often employ when working on a problem.

Through lateral thinking, project managers try different perceptions, concepts, and points of entry. They consider multiple possibilities and approaches instead of a single approach.

The variety of perspectives used in lateral thinking allows us to solve difficult project challenges more successfully.

2. Empowerment

Often, there is little recognition given to people who spend time solving elementary problems. And yet, it's those problems that can plant the seed for bigger, more complex problems.

Typically, and because of preset leadership attitudes, employees develop the habit of ignoring an issue until it becomes unmanageable. Often, leaders seek to go on record for being a problem solver.

Empowered project teams counter this attitude. They focus on getting the job done while solving or preventing problems while the problems are still nascent.

The ultimate paradox of project leadership power is that, to be an effective leader, project managers must develop all team members into leaders.

In this way, processes (such as relationships and the issues of leadership) and empowerment become important. Successful leaders are able to motivate, energize, and empower others. When people are excited and empowered, it affects both their task initiation and task persistence.

In other words, empowered people get more involved, take on more difficult situations, and act more confidently.

3. Active Optimism

The third essential attribute is optimism.

Leaders are optimistic. They think positively. Positive thinking is more than just avoiding negative emotions. It translates into actions that are forward thinking and involved. When negative events happen, excellent project leaders focus on the positive aspects of the event. They look at a problem as an opportunity for learning and team development for the team and for themselves.

4. Determination to Improve

On-going self-assessment and self-evaluation are critical exercises for ensuring that your project is meeting its objectives and generating a positive impact.

A strong determination to constantly improve is simple idea. Just ask, What can I/we do even better?

By asking this question, leaders focus on challenging themselves and project team members. Further, it sets on-going self-evaluation and achievement into motion. In turn, this focus on continuous process improvement reaps results.

5. Encouragement of delegation

Delegation is one of the most important roles of your job as a leader. Your primary job isn't to execute but rather to motivate and accomplish tasks through your project team members. Delegation of tasks and authority means less time spent on fighting fires and correcting errors and more time on vision development, motivation, project change control, and goal setting.

Delegating relieves time-pressures. It provides your team members with an opportunity to expand their decision making and problem solving skills and encourages creativity and initiative. This, while motivating them to achieve their potential.

In addition, delegation forces you to spend time with your team members, thus developing interpersonal relationships. Your feedback and attention will encourage your team to attain higher levels of responsibility. Delegation helps set performance standards based on team member rather than purely on their activity. As a leader who encourages delegation, you will be able to step back and look at the bigger picture rather than being caught up in the minutia of the project.

6. Real potential

To meet future challenges, leaders must be inspired by real potential and strategies for the future.

Only then can they set a vision with reasonable goals and promote the process of developing effective strategies to achieve them. Considering the organizations potential and future enables leaders to think constructively about what could be and what would be necessary to achieving a vision. Proactive and realistic-future-oriented-thinking can lead to greater project success. For leaders, a successful future requires real planning now.

In summary, a successful project leader is one who considers:

Lateral thinking
Empowerment
Active optimism
Determination to Improve
Encouragement of delegation
Real potential