Ideal Set of Leadership Traits for Project Managers
Introduction
A trait is defined as a distinguishing quality or characteristic, typically one belonging to a person. Leadership can be definedas a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task [1] OR organizing a group of people to achieve a common goal.[1] Hence Leadership trait can be defined as those distinguished characteristics in an individual that is geared towards success
There is indeed an ideal set of leadership traits for Project Managers for Project Success but these sets are broad and cannot be totally found in an individual. Different combinations of project leadership competency (leadership traits) are correlated with success on different types of project. [2] The required trait for success is also dependent on the type of project and the success criteria defined.
Leadership Traits
Notably amongst the leadership trait a Project Manager must have is Emotional Intelligence. What differentiates a manager is not his intelligence but his emotional response to situations. [2] The present day Manager must be very emotionally mature to understand human dynamics with respect to their unique views and expectations on a project in order to achieve Project success. Key indices in Emotional intelligence are Conscientiousness, Sensitivity, Self-awareness, Emotional resilience and Intuitiveness.
Also the ability to communicate is a very essential leadership trait a Project Manager must have for project success. Effective communication is creates a bridge between diverse stakeholders involved in a project, connecting various cultural and organizational backgrounds, different levels of expertise and various perspectives and interests in the project outcome. [3]The degree of communication may differ in various projects as stated in Muller R. and Rodney J. (2006). “We can understand why conscientiousness is important on engineering projects but less so on information and organizational projects, and why communication is important on the latter two types, but less so on engineering projects.” (p. 28) but it is still imperative at all stages of any project type or when any issue/situation arises.
Lastly, for the success of a project, the leadership trait a PM must demonstrate is ‘leadership by example’. This basically means following up on your responsibilities identified in your plan. [4] Leading by example encourages trust as this is vital to project success, provides motivation and shows reliability.
Conclusion
The leadership traits listed above are broad and are really under various leadership styles such as Managerial, Emotional and Intellectual stated in Muller R. and Rodney J. (2006). Projects vary in various categories and attributes such as Application orientated projects e.g.: Engineering and Construction; Life-cycle projects e.g. Design; Contract type just to name a few. Which invariably makes the success criteria different (not in all cases) such as Meeting project’s overall performance; Meeting user requirements; Suppliers’ satisfaction et al. In as much it is argued in Muller R. and Rodney J. (2006) that the project manager’s competency, which includes his or her leadership style, is positively correlated and to project success and that Different combinations of project leadership competency are correlated with success on different types of project. I believe that the leadership trait of Emotional Intelligence, effective Communication and leading by example are an ideal set of leadership traits for project managers that ensure successful project outcomes.
References
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership#Leadership_traits
- ^ Muller R. and Rodney Turner J.R.: Matching the project manager’s leadership style to project type. April 2006
- ^ Project Management Institute. (2008). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (4th ed.) (page 243)Newtown Square, PA: Author.
- ^Riley K. (2011) 6 Leadership Skills for Project Managers. Retrieved May 29, 2013 from http://edge.papercutpm.com
The information contained in this publication is only intended as a general review of the subject concerned and should not be treated as a substitute for specific advice concerning specific situations.
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