Project Management (and life) Wisdom straight from the mouths of the horses

 

oops, I mean project managers:

Leadership

1. Keep your approach friendly: People are not looking to make friends at work, but refraining from an aggressive approach towards your employees is a good idea. The whip – your – team – into – submission approach worked with the “Pyramids of Giza” project – but it is outdated now. The days when you could bully and scare the s*** out of your team are over. Be diplomatic and assertive, instead.
2. When taking on a new project/responsibility at work, convey to your management the extent of authority you need in order to effectively execute your project. Ensure that you have the authority that you need before you start work on your project.
3. Being people-oriented does not mean that you cannot be task-oriented (and vice-versa).
4. One-to-one: Meet regularly with your team members on a one-on-one basis. When you apply this principle to your kids, it makes each of them feel special.
5. Nobody appreciates a micro-manager: Don’t sit on the heads of your team members.
6. Giving autonomy does not mean not keeping track of progress.
7. Learn how to manage people (more difficult than it sounds, believe you me!), and the rest of your job will that much easier to execute.
8. As a leader, you should have the ability to bind the team together and give them a sense of “we’re in this together.” For instance, as the head of your family, you can promote bonding by setting aside time for family board games, story-telling sessions, family picnics, family prayers and the like.
9. Stay visible – As a leader, you need to be visible in good times, as well as when there are problems to address.
10. Your reputation depends on your perceived credibility and integrity: A very basic item for leaders is to ensure that promises made are promises kept. If action is committed, it must be performed.
11. Personality: As a leader, does your personality influence and inspire your team?
12. Leadership CAN be learned.Focus on these areas to improve your leadership skills:* Initiative* Leverage your charisma to influence others* Lead purposefully and with commitment* Develop a result-oriented approach* Cultivate an attitude of optimism