Top Ten Qualities Of A Good Project Leader
by Ronnie Henrick
In my experience, I've found that there are many qualities one must have to be considered a top-notch Project Leader. Being able to succeed in this role, means not only completing tasks yourself, but tasking others with things to get a project completed. The responsibilities can vary at any moment, so you must be quick to adapt. You must be articultate, upbeat, and ready for any challenge. With the total amount of expected challenges during a day, all while representing yourself and your company in a respectable manner, it can become quite overwhelming at times. Below are the ten qualities I feel one should have to best represent this role.
- Personal integrity
- Good Communication Skills
- Having Enthusiasm
- Being Empathetic Versus Being Sympathethic
- Being Competent
- Showing The Ability To Delegate Tasks
- Staying Calm
- Being Able To Create Team-Building
- Be An Inspiration
- Have A Positive Attitude
This is a must for the project leader. Good leaders not only demand a commitment to ethical practices from their team, but also demonstrate it. This means doing the right thing, even when no one is looking. Displaying honesty and integrity on a day to day basis is the best way to get people on your team to trust you and hopefully, to emulate you.
There must be clear, precise communication between all team members on a project. Communication of goals, responsibilities, performance and feedback are essential to moving a project forward and keeping it on schedule. There is no replacement for direct human interaction in the decision making process. Taking the decision making out of others hands, or having one person making all decisions may save time up front, but will lose money in the end. Good communication skills means making sure everyone in the process is aware of what's going on.
Enthusiasm is contagious and effective leaders know it. People will follow leaders with enthusiasm because of their confidence. Enthusiastic leaders can convey optimism and commitment to their entire team, creating a better, more productive work experience for everyone.
Sympathy implies a feeling of recognition of another's suffering while empathy is actually sharing another's suffering, if only briefly. Empathy is often characterized as the ability to "put oneself into another's shoes". A project leader who is empathetic will be seen by the team as someone they can relate to, which in turn creates a spirit of cooperation. This doesn't happen as much with a project leader who leans toward being sympathetic.
These days project management is recognized as a field in and of itself. Leadership competence does not just refer to the project leader's technical abilities in his/her core business. Project leaders are also chosen based on their ability to successfully challenge, inspire, empower, and motivate others. These qualities are key if a leader is to be seen as capable and competent.
Delegation of responsibility is an essential element in the relationship of a project leader and his or her team. You demonstrate your trust in your team's abilities through your willingness to delegate important tasks and allowing them to participate fully. Leaders who are unable to share at least some control with others often stymie the full potential of their team members and ultimately compromise the success of the project.
A project leader who encounters a problem or setback and is able to stay calm and level-headed is the type of person people flock to. This type of leader is admired for their strength in a time of crisis. People feel reassured being led by someone who will remain strong while working to resolve the problem.
A project leader is the core team builder because they provide the glue that holds the team together in working toward a goal. They should have an understanding of each team member's style and how to capitalize on it. They should also be flexible enough to adapt their own leadership style during the different stages of team development.
Be an inspiration to your team by sharing your vision or goal for the project. Persuade them to work together to accomplish the goal. This is cooperative action. Inspire the team to reach the goal and you will all be able to share in the success.
There are times when a leader must relay negative feedback or information to the team. The ability to turn this situation into something positive can have many benefits. It can keep the project moving forward, as well as ensuring that everyone stays upbeat. It may even change the direction of the problem. During the course of any project, there will be ups and downs. The ability to advise people in a positive manner always puts you ahead of the game.
Remember that while the ultimate goal may be to complete a task or project on time and within budget, being focused and positive will always help the team be successful.