PROJECT LEADERSHIP

Project Leadership and the Art of Managing Relationships: Summary



Project Leadership and the Art of Managing Relationships: Summary

The article titled as 'Project Leadership and the Art of Managing Relationships' by Barbara Anderson primarily focus on the importance of peoples' management in the success of project. Anderson explains that project managers have to go beyond the learning of typical project management techniques that primarily focus on the technical aspects of project management (Anderson 2010). Anderson begins by highlighting the growing interest in the peoples' aspect of project management by asserting that the PMI has formally included guidelines regarding 'interpersonal skills' in its PMBOK (A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Moving on, the author presents an outline of a leadership plan outlining the basic issues project leaders must resolve to effectively manage and align their project teams. These issues need resolve for conflicts as well as development and assessment of leadership role and attributes like motivational powers.

Anderson also throws light on the 'soft side' of project management. She also stresses that effective management is the key to a project's victory. Team cohesion is the important attribute of project management. For proving this importance, Anderson gives examples from the book 'The Wisdom of Teams' by Katzenbach and Douglas Smith. In addition, she also quotes Bruce Tuckman's model of team Development, and Ken Blanchard's, Leadership and the One Minute Manager, both of which identify the varying leadership styles and interpersonal aspect of leading people (Anderson 2010).

The leadership styles recognized by Goleman include the authoritative style, the coercive style, the coaching style, the affiliate style, the democratic style, and the pace setting style. Goleman stresses practicing each of these styles to get maximum organizational outcomes. Goleman's theory was further expanded by Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey. Both classes of qualities are indispensable for contemporary leadership. A project manager needs to recognize his strengths so that he can count on them when desired. A leader must also be able to adapt to various situations and have the best leadership style for maximum effectiveness. In all, Goleman stresses that leaders should not choose a style. Rather, they should evaluate and practice different styles as per the needs of a particular situation (Goleman, 2000). In Goleman's view, therefore, managers need to incorporate the organizational climate in their choice of a particular leadership style.

Anderson also sees motivation as one of the key leadership ...