They Might Be Leaders II

Have you ever noticed that some people are natural leaders?  These people influence more people from there place in the organization than the appointed leaders.  These people can be a force for good or a force for bad.  As a leader in an organization, especially a leader of a project, you have to recognize these people and make sure they use their power for good.

How do you recognize these natural leaders?  They may not be evident.  They may be hiding in the shadow, instigating others.  I like to say they are on the edge of everything, influencing events.  I have had my share of run in with these type of people and it can be a challenge to use their powers for the good of the project and the organization.

The first step in getting them on your side is to simply talk to them and create a common ground. Many times this is harder than it sounds and it might be time consuming, but it is well worth it.  You have to be careful not to create a trans-actual relationship.  This is the type of relationship where there is a tit for tat.

The next step is to include them in the process.  This will help in bringing the rest of the project team into the process as well. This is important to solidify the participation to the end for the project team.

The last part of this process is to make sure that the team is recognize for the success of the project. This also includes a little mentoring to make sure that the natural leaders on the project team recognize their potential and hopefully move up into the project manager ranks.

Lead From Where You Are

Project managers and leaders have a lot in common.  I would argue that being a project manager is a tough leadership challenge, even for seasoned leaders.  Many times the project manager must influence stakeholders in the organization or they may not have direct reports assigned to the project and have to work with the managers of other departments.

Another area that the project manager may face is when they are not in charge and have to manage the project through a subordinate role.  I have found myself in the situation several times in my career and it does make getting things done hard. I do know how to handle it though.

Leaders lead from where they are. Leaders know that where ever their position there is an opportunity to lead.  A simple definition of leadership is the art of influencing people to complete a mission.  A leader or project manager in a subordinate role must use their influence to get the job done.  This sometimes creates obstacles.  Sure it is easy to get things done when you are in charge, but it is a real art to get things done when you are not in charge.

I view these roles as a chance to spread my leadership wings and to learn a new skill.  It is tough, but it is a lesson in dealing with people that is not soon forgotten.

They Might Be Leaders

From my experience, everyone can be a leader.  There are leaders all over an organization.  They lead by influence or by position.  Some of them do great things and some do not so good things with their influence within the organization.

Organizations need to look to these leaders that are doing good things by trying to figure out how to replicate those good things across the organization.  Replicating the best practices across the organization seems to be an easy task, but generally it is not that easy.

At the same time, the organization needs to find these leaders who are not doing those great things or even doing things that are counter to the needs of the organization and stop those practices.  Many of this practices may actually be obstacles to getting work done or serve the customer.

One thing that organizational leaders and managers need to do is to get all the employees on the same page and thinking like a leader.  In theory, this should put all employees pulling in the same direction that the management in pushing.

What does this have to do with project management?  Well two things.  The first is that those same employee leaders will be members of the project team.  Some will do good things and some will not. They will use their leadership powers for good or evil.  So project managers need to identify this dynamic and get everyone moving toward the project completion. Second, this dynamic across the organization creates multiple projects for the project manager to pursue.  Identifying these areas to create efficiency will assist the project manager in showing the business impact of their projects.

One thing that project managers need to always understand is that a project must solve a business problem and have an impact to the organization.