There are three key points to know about leading a project:
- There are many aspects of project leadership.
- The project manager is not the sole provider of project leadership.
- Specific leadership providers vary depending on the project environment.
To clarify this idea, let’s take a look at project areas where leadership is needed and who could provide it in Table 16.1. Please note that for agile projects, the reference to “Team leader(s)” in Table 16.1 would include the Scrum Master and Product Owner roles.
TABLE 16.1 Project Leadership Areas
| Project Area | Leadership Provided By |
|---|---|
| Direction and plan | Project sponsorSenior managementProject managerTechnical leader(s)Product management |
| Organizational influence | Project sponsorSenior managementProject managerTechnical leader(s)Product management |
| Commitment | Project sponsorSenior managementProject managerProject teamProduct management |
| Stakeholder expectations | Project managerProject sponsorSenior managementProduct management |
| Facilitation | Project managerTeam leader(s) |
| Communications point | Project managerTeam leader(s) |
| Project team | Project managerTeam leader(s)Technical leader(s) |
| Conflict resolution | Project managerTeam leader(s) |
| Managing business change | Project sponsorSenior managementProject manager |
| Technical issues | Project managerTechnical leader(s) |
| Business issues | Project sponsorSenior managementProduct managementProject managerTeam leader(s) |
| Managing risks | Project sponsorSenior managementProduct managementProject managerTeam leader(s)Technical leader(s) |
We explore managing stakeholder expectations, managing project communications, and building an effective project team in greater detail respectively.
Tip
The ability to effectively communicate (in all forms) is a fundamental skill for project leadership.
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