ÿþ<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//IETF//DTD HTML//EN"> <html> <head> <title>Understanding Leadership</title> <link rel=stylesheet type="text/css" href="http://ittoday.info/ITPerformanceImprovement/ITPIStyleSheet.css"> </head> <body style="background-color:#FCFCFC; font-family:sans-serif"> <center> <div class="banner"> <table width="1050" border="0" cellpadding="5" style="background-color:#1F7AA3"> <tbody> <tr valign="center"> <td width="25"> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="210" align="left" > <form action="http://www.ittoday.info/ITPerformanceImprovement/ITPISearchResults.html" id="cse-search-box"> <p class="banner"> Search This Site <br> <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="007808019282534143292:vj47kjtjrzk" /> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="FORID:9" /> <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="UTF-8" /> <input type="text" name="q" size="15" /> <input type="submit" name="sa" value="Search" /> <SCRIPT type=text/javascript src="http://www.google.com/coop/cse/brand?form=cse-search-box&amp;lang=en"></SCRIPT> <br><br> Share this Site <script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/widget/?tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=default&amp;publisher=c79f04e4-7f5b-483e-8eb1-d52b525c3483"></script> </form> </p> </td> <td width="400" align="center" valign="center"> <a href="http://ittoday.info/ITPerformanceImprovement/"><img src="http://www.ittoday.info/images/ITPIBannerTranspW.gif" border="0" align="top"></a> </td> <td width="30"> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="275" align="left"> <form method="GET" action="http://oi.vresp.com?fid=f853d545d5" target="vr_optin_popup"> <p class="banner"> Subscribe Free to ITPI</b> <br> <input name="email_address" size="20"/> <input type="submit" value="Subscribe"/> <font style="font-size:.9em; text-align:left; vertical-align:center;"> <br> <b>Enter e-mail address</b> <br>Powered by <a class="banner" href="http://www.verticalresponse.com/?ref=oif" title="Email Marketing by VerticalResponse">VerticalResponse</a> </font> </form> </p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> </center> <center> <table width="1100" valign="top" border="0" cellspacing="20"> <tbody> <tr valign="top"> <td> <table width="160" cellpadding="10" border="0" style="background-color:#DDEBF1"> <tbody> <tr> <td> <center> <a href="http://www.auerbach-publications.com"><img src="http://www.ittoday.info/images/Auerbach.gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="62" height="62"></a> </center> <p style="font-size:.75em; text-align:left; vertical-align:center; color:black">For more than 50 years, Auerbach Publications has been printing <a href="http://www.ittoday.info/catalog/cataloghome.htm">cutting-edge books on all topics IT</a>. <br> <br> </p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <center> <a href="http://www.ittoday.info"><img src="http://www.ittoday.info/images/ITTodayLogo125px.jpg" border="0" align="top" ></a> </center> <p style="font-size:.75em; text-align:left; vertical-align:center; color:black"><a href="http://www.ism-journal.com/ITToday/ITTarchives.htm" target="blank">Read archived articles</a> or become a new <a href="http://www.ittoday.info">subscriber</a> to <b>IT Today,</b> a free newsletter. <br> <br> </p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <center> <a href="http://www.infosectoday.com/"><img src="http://www.ittoday.info/images/InfoSecLogo_125px.jpg" border="0" align="top"></a> </center> <p style="font-size:.75em; text-align:left; vertical-align:center; color:black">This free newsetter offers strategies and insight to managers and hackers alike. <a href="http://www.infosectoday.com/">Become a new subscriber</a> today. <br> </p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <center> <hr width="50%"> </center> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p style="font-size:1em; text-align:center; vertical-align:top; color:black;"> <b>Partners</b> <br> </p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <center> <a href="http://www.productivitypress.com" target=blank><img border=0 hspace=0 align=center src="http://www.ittoday.info/images/Productivity_Press.jpg"> </a> <br> <br> <center> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <center> <A href="http://www.guidedinsights.com" target=blank> <img src="http://www.ittoday.info/images/Guided.jpg" border="0"> </a> <center> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <hr width="50%"> </center> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p style="font-size:1em; text-align:center; vertical-align:top; color:black;"> <b>Contact</b> </p> <p style="font-size:.75em; text-align:left; vertical-align:top; color:black; font-weight:normal;"> Interested in submitting an article?&nbsp;Want to comment about an article? <br> <br> Contact <a href="mailto:John.Wyzalek@TaylorandFrancis.com">John Wyzalek</a> editor of <b>IT Performance Improvement.</b> <br> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="1px"> <p style="font-size:.05em; text-align:center; vertical-align:top; color:black;">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="550"> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr valign="top"> <!--August 2011--> <td> <h2>Understanding Leadsership</h2> <h4>Jack Ferraro</h4> <p class="text"> What is project leadership and how do we achieve it? There is no simple answer, but the first step is to understand the various leadership theories and how they relate to project management. It is common for senior management to ask an ordinary manager to take a leadership role in a corporate strategic initiative often overlooking a project manager poised to lead. This usually requires an individual to dedicate a significant portion, if not all, of his time to the initiative. Most project managers would love to be dedicated to just one project. The downside of this situation is that everyone from the CEO to the administrative assistant knows who is driving the initiative and whose reputation is at stake. Consequently, the outcome of the initiative is likely to have a significant impact on the individual&#039;s career. </p> <h3>Carol&#039;s Story</h3> <p class="text"> Such was the case with Carol, a vice president who was tapped to lead an organizational change initiative associated with a new business model and technology. The project would affect over 5,000 employees. Readiness required significant changes in job functions, consolidation of positions, restructure of geographic territories, and $50 million in new technology. To meet senior management&#039;s benefits expectations, Carol would lead a team in implementing new processes and change the ingrained mindset of the business unit managers who had operated independently for years. In defining the readiness activity, management offered Carol some needed coaching to help her adjust to this new high&#045;profile leadership role. In my first conversation with Carol, she said, &#034;Jack, I know my strengths and weaknesses; I have taken a 360&#045;degree and various other assessments. Besides, there are thousands of books on leadership available&#151;who is to say which one is better than any other?&#034; </p> <p class="text"> Carol&#039;s point is a valid one: who <b><i>is</i></b> to say which one holds the answers? So I asked her, &#034;Which ones do you like? Which authors do you gravitate toward: Bennis, Bass, Blanchard, or Goleman? Which theories make the most sense&#151;the trait, behavioral, participative, situational, or transformational? Maybe we can discuss them.&#034; Carol stumbled a bit, and then confessed she had not read much on leadership, but felt she did need some help. The point is: anyone serious about project leadership must have a broad base of leadership knowledge because it will allow a better understanding of oneself and one&#039;s environment, and help define the kind of leader one aspires to be. Just as project managers must continuously build project management knowledge, skills, and experience, if one desires to become a project leader, one must continuously build leadership knowledge, skills, and experience. This base allows the sharpening of awareness, application of natural or learned skills, and experimentation with leadership skills on projects you lead today. </p> <p class="text"> There is extensive research on how one becomes an effective leader. All of the competing theories flow from either the Trait theories or Behavioral theories. </p> <p class="text"> The Trait Theory states that leadership is inherited. Many people still believe that leaders are born with innate qualities that make them more likely to be good leaders. The Behavioral Theory of leadership takes the position that by observing the actions and behaviors of leaders and mimicking them, one can learn to be an effective leader. Behaviorists attempt to measure the actions and behaviors of leaders by observation to determine how they lead.<sup>1</sup> Then, aspiring leaders can mimic or learn these actions and become effective. </p> <p class="text"> But these theories are really just the beginning of understanding leadership. Project managers must also have insight into an extended project environment. They must still have keen insight into a situation and how it impacts their customer, team members, and themselves. Some environments foster top&#045;down decision&#045;making while others prefer consensus&#045;driven decisions. Either one will influence and impact the effectiveness of the project leader. The unique circumstances of the situation play an enormous role in leader effectiveness and team behavior. What is at stake? Who is impacted by the outcome? Who is accountable? What are the perceptions of influential stakeholders? These questions and many more create a myriad of circumstances that influence a project leader. </p> <p class="text"> Leadership is complex; there is no set formula and project leadership is uniquely problematic due to the lack of authority inherent in the project manager title. Success is often temporary at best. <b>Attempting to lead in project management requires knowledge of self, awareness of stakeholder preferences and their messages, and the ability to quickly interpret, synthesize, and act upon the continually changing situational dynamics of the project environment.</b> </p> <p class="text"> Leadership is also changing. It is becoming more dynamic due to greater reliance on interdependent workers instead of a dominant leader and follower model. Leadership competencies are also changing; decisiveness, resourcefulness, and &#034;doing what it takes&#034; are being replaced by participative management, relationship building, and the creation of an environment in which teams flourish. Leadership is being viewed as a collective and shared process rather than as a top&#045;down one.<sup>2</sup> </p> <p class="text"> A practitioner once asked me after a presentation where the practice field for this stuff could be found. I answered, &#034;It&#039;s in your office or place of work, Monday through Friday. There is no real practice field; we learn this by experiential on&#045;the&#045;job&#045; training.&#034; You have to create your own classroom for leadership experiences. </p> <p class="text"> Time is too scarce to randomly try quick fixes or the latest leadership fad. <b>Leadership is learned from the inside out as you absorb the outside&#151;your environment&#151;into your heart and mind.</b>&#9830; <br> <br> <br> <b>Notes</b> <br> <br> <sup>1</sup> Arthur G. Bedeian and William F. Gleuck, <b>Management, 3rd ed.</b> (Chicago: Dreyden Press, 1983), 498. <br> <br> <sup>2</sup> Andr&#233; Martin, <a href="http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/NatureLeadership.pdf" target="blank"><b>The Changing Nature of Leadership.</b></a> (Center for Creative Leadership, 2005). <br> <br> <br> <b>Read more <a href="http://ittoday.info/ITPerformanceImprovement/index.htm"><i>IT Performance Improvement</i></a></b> </p> <!--DISCLAIMER NOTICE AND COPYRIGHT--> <p class="copyright"> <br> <br> Certain names and logos on this page and others may constitute trademarks, servicemarks, or tradenames of <a HREF="http://www.crcpress.com" TARGET="_parent">Taylor & Francis LLC.</a> Copyright &#169; 2008&#151;2011 Taylor & Francis LLC. All rights reserved. </font> </p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td width="300"> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td> <table style="background-color:#E0E0D1;" cellpadding="10" margin="5" border="0" valign="top"> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"> <h4>About the Author</h4> <p class="text"> <b>Jack Ferraro, PMP</b> founded <a href="http://www.myprojectadvisor.com/" target="blank">MyProjectAdvisor</a>, a project management services company that provides project management training and leadership development. Jack has 20 years of experience working with project teams with extensive experience managing complex enterprise technology and business process improvement projects. A speaker and author, he can be heard at <a href="http://www.pducast.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=41&Itemid=62" target="blank">The PDU Podcast.</a> <br> </p> </p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=2> <h4>This article was excerpted from:</h4> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> <center> <img src="http://www.ittoday.info/catalog/images/covers80w/AU8794.jpg" Border=0> </center> </td> <td> <p class="text"> <a href="http://www.crcpress.com/shopping_cart/products/product_detail.asp?isbn=9780849387944&AF=WAUER" target="blank"><b>The Strategic Project Leader: Mastering Service-Based Project Leadership</b></a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"> <p class="text"> The book shows you how to develop a self-directed plan for leadership competencies, focusing on the tools and assessments that are used to inspire leadership development. It explains how to incorporate those resources into your new role as a service-based project leader&#151;creating meaningful experiences for team members, customers, and critical stakeholders. </p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </table> </body> </html>