MONTHLY COLUMN:

ADVANCES IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

In search of project leadership

By Darren Dalcher, PhD

Middlesex University
London, UK

Editor’s note: The series on Advances in Project Management was launched with a Guest Editorial by Professor Darren Dalcher and first article in the December 2009 edition of PM World Today. Please read that introductory editorial here, where Professor Dalcher explains and sets the stage for articles in this exciting series by leading authors in the field of project management. Please read previous articles in the series by visiting the archives, beginning with the December 2009 edition. Each month’s article is introduced by Professor Darren Dalcher, editor of the Series on Advances in Project Management. Here is Professor Dalcher’s introduction to this month’s article.

Introduction to July Advances in Project Management Series Article

In search of project leadership

What makes a good leader? Indeed, are leaders born or made?

Leadership is often shrouded in mystery. It has a lot to do with facing dilemmas and overcoming challenges. Leaders search for opportunities and rewards that can reflect the intentions and desires of their organisations, thereby offering the inspiration to others to follow and deliver.

Many cultures and disciplines have struggled to define leadership. Many have also searched for the ideal way to develop, or grow, leaders. Leadership requires power to influence and realise, especially under difficult conditions. Consequently, leadership often boils down to the dealing with and thriving under conditions of change.

Our most recent column made a case for a new kind of project risk leadership: a more inclusive approach that embraces uncertainty and unpredictability in the search for a better future. A similar case can be made for skilled project leadership. Yet, while the concept of project management is well understood, there is very little guidance on project leadership and even less understanding of what it takes to develop good project leaders.

The development of leaders can be focused through attention to traits, skills, capabilities and competences that characterise good leaders. However, a different mix of skills will be required to deal with specific situations taking into account the characteristics of the specific sector.

The article by Dr. Ralf Müller and Professor Rodney Turner draws on their book Project-oriented Leadership published by Gower in the Advances in Project Management book series. The book emphasises the key areas of managerial, intellectual and emotional competence leadership explaining how they can be integrated to form a deeper understanding of leaders and leadership.

The authors have given the discipline a model for the development of leadership competence-based theory of project performance. The model shows the process required for development, highlighting the enablers and obstacles involved in each step. The authors have also succeeded in enriching the literature in this area and through the integration of findings from a range of diverse areas have also provided a new perspective of project leadership. What makes a good project leader depends on the specifics of a given situation and what needs to be achieved in the context of the project and the environment. Until we discover how to give birth to excellent project leaders, we can begin to explore the attitudes, perspectives and competences needed to deliver project successfully. A good starting point would be the work of the authors described in their recent book and in this article.

Darren Dalcher, PhD
Middlesex University, London
Series Editor