Background
The aim of the report is to perform research and present a discussion on the importance of leadership in project management. It is needed for a project manager to be a good leader to ensure project success. The report will analyse the reason behind the same.
In project management, project managers have an important role to play, not only in project planning but also in ensuring that the team members are following the plan that is being prepared for the project (Blaskovics 2016). In this research report, a discussion on the importance of a manager to play the role of a leader is analysed. The achievement of a project is largely dependent on the ability of a leader to ensure that all the project team members are working on a common goal. The manager is anticipated to be a good leader so that all the team members follow their leaders in the fulfilment of the goals and objectives associated with the project.
On the basis of the chosen topic, “Leadership and Manager”, a specific research question has been formulated, which will enable the researcher to stay focused on the topic. The research question for this report is “Why is it important for the project manager to be a good leader?”
The analysis of the answer to this particular research question will help the researcher to analyse the link between the project manager and the leader.
In the following section of the report, a discussion on leadership, project management, and the project manager’s importance to be a good leader is analysed.
Leadership: Leadership, in simple terms, can be defined as the capability of an individual or a group to inspire and guide the members in fulfilling a particular goal or objective. A good leader always prioritises personal development along with developing others. Leaders and leadership are an important consideration of an organisation or a project, as effective leaders always provide the needed clarity on the operations of an organisation or a project (Madsen 2019). Effective leaders are important for providing needed guidance to their team members so that the organisational expectations from that team are fulfilled. The leadership process mostly involves making appropriate decisions whenever needed, thus creating a clear vision, establishing achievable goals and helping the team in the achievement of that goal. An effective leader possesses certain key characteristics such as self-confidence, strong communication skills, creative and innovative thinking process (Müller and Turner 2017). An experienced leader is willing to take risks for the organisation or the project for which they are operating. This is the reason there is a strong link between leadership and project manager.
Broadly classifying, there are four different types of leadership: autocratic leadership, democratic leadership, transformational leadership, and servant leadership. The choice of a leadership style depends on the type of project or the organisation (Aga 2016). The choice of an appropriate leadership style or method is critical for increasing the chances of project success or easier fulfilling of the organisational goals and objectives.
Research Question
Project Management: Project management can be described as the use of specific skills, knowledge, tools and techniques to deliver something that brings value to a project. In the successful management and delivery of a project, the contribution of the project manager is extremely important (Alvarenga et al. 2019). The project manager is accountable for developing an accurate project plan on the basis of the needs and requirements of the project. Therefore, the success of a project is largely dependent on the ability of the project manager to successfully plan and execute the project. Apart from the preparation of the project plan, the project manager is accountable for analysing the project requirements. Selection and allocation of the resources as per plan and ensuring proper control on the project delivery (Ali et al. 2021). Therefore, the project manager has the responsibility of addressing the primary risks that can impact the normal and successful accomplishment of the project. Since the success of a project depends on the project manager, planning and implementation of a risk management process also depend on the project manager’s ability (Alvarenga et al. 2018). An experienced project manager has the capability of addressing the primary risks that can impact the successful delivery of the project, and hence, the responsibility of risk management and risk planning is on the project manager. This is the reason why project management and the project manager have a direct connection with the project leadership.
The project manager is required to have a good understanding of the concept and important attributes of project leadership, as in the management of the project, it is necessary for the project manager to comprehend the various aspects of human resource management. The human resource management process is directly linked to having knowledge about the skills and capability of the project team members (Meng and Boyd 2017). Hence, in the management of the project, the project manager has an important role in resource allocation and human resource management. This is the reason why leadership is often linked with the project manager.
The analysis of the findings from this section indicates the fact that a project manager is required to consider different aspects of leadership to lead the team and the project in a better way. However, in order for a manager to be a good leader, it is absolutely vital for the project manager to have the skills, knowledge and understanding of a leader. In the following section of the report, an analysis of why it is significant for the project manager to be a good leader is discussed.
As discussed in the previous section, leaders are important for project development as they have the capability of translating the project vision into reality, managing conflicts and also in the management of human resources. It is important for a project manager to be a good leader in order to keep the project team motivated in fulfilling a particular project goal or objective (Alvarenga et al. 2018). Managing projects can be critical, and hence, having an appropriate experience in project management and leadership makes the process of project management significantly easy. For the most of the time, the project manager is required to cope with numerous challenges, for example, tight schedule, lack of resources, and other constraints. In such cases, it is critically important to keep the team motivated so that they ate able to execute the work as per the deadline (Englund and Bucero 2019). A project can have several levels of complexities and hurdles, and the project manager has to cope with the same. In the successful delivery of a project, the project manager must possess what will help them perform the role of a leader in an effective manner. These qualities include quality of integrity, strong decision-making skills, having a shared vision, and the ability for team-building and problem-solving.
Analysis of the Link Between Leadership and Project Manager
It is necessary for the project manager to understand that to be a good leader, the manager must be logical and consistent. The manager is required to be honest with their team members so that they listen to the leader. In the management of complex projects, a manager is required to make decisions in real-time (Tian 2020). An effective leader has the capability of effective decision-making. A project manager is required to possess the quality of a leader for timely problem-solving and for managing the critical issues that can arise while managing a complex project.
Although the project manager is in charge for resource planning and allocation in a project, it is possible only for a leader to create a productive environment and keep the team members motivated to successfully deliver a project (Henkel, Marion and Bourdeau 2019). This is possible as the leaders generally use a completely different set of skills to complement the managerial elements associated with project implementation and delivery.
The presence of leadership skills and experience can help a project manager stay focused on a project’s management aspects. The successful management of the project is largely dependent on the project manager’s ability of planning and forecasting, risk management, budgeting, organising, decision-making and human resource management (Ismail and Fathi 2018). These are the critical skills that a leader generally possesses, and this is the primary reason why project managers are required to be a good leader. Furthermore, in the majority of the projects, which involve project implementation in an uncertain environment, the project manager is required to perform certain activities related to negotiation, conflict resolution, communication and team building. These are the skills that are generally possessed by a leader. On analysis of the skills that are possessed by a leader and the skills that are required to be possessed by the project manager, it can be concluded that the role of a project manager and a leader is similar in many aspects (Lu?a? et al. 2020). A project manager is required to be a good leader in order to ensure that the human resources of the team are appropriately motivated in achieving a common goal and work as per the requirement of the project. A highly motivated team is able to perform under pressure, and hence, it is required for the project manager to be a good leader.
Project management is a complex process, the success of which is largely reliant on the ability of the project manager to address the difficulties and concerns associated with the management of a project and its successful delivery. There is a positive link between a project manager and leadership, and a project manager is needed to possess certain specific leadership skills and qualities to manage a project and address the concerns that the project team might face (Aga, Noorderhaven and Vallejo 2016). Successful leadership offers several critical benefits in the management and delivery of the project, which include increased productivity, establishment and management of a strong management process, maintaining a strong leadership model and sharing a unified vision. Therefore, an efficient project management process is largely associated with the ability of the manager to perform some of the key operations such as leadership, decision-making and team management in an effective manner.
Importance of a Project Manager to be a Good Leader
A leader generally possesses the capability of efficient handling of the resources that are linked with a project. Effective resource management is a necessary aspect of project management, and the timely delivery of a project is largely dependent on the efficiency of the resources linked with the project. If a project manager possesses the skills of a leader, it becomes easier for them to manage the project complexities that might arise in a project (Darkazanli 2021). According to the findings of the study, it can be identified that the accomplishment of a project is reliant on the experience of the project manager and their capability in handling the project resources and the complexities linked with them. The presence of leadership skills within a project manager can help in addressing the project issues quite efficiently and quite easily (Thell 2020). This contributes to the timely delivery of a project.
It is necessary for the project manager and the team members to gain an efficient understanding of the link between leadership and the project manager. It is necessary as it contributes to better management of some of the critical complexities linked with project management, such as problems in team-building and problems with appropriate resource allocation and communication. There is a positive link between leadership and project management, as effective leadership skills enable the project manager to handle critical project issues with ease (Masood, Khan and Shaikh 2018). The findings from the previous two sections indicate the need for the project manager to possess certain specific leadership skills for better team management, conflict management and conflict resolution. All these aspects contribute to the development of a positive and productive team environment that fosters the growth of the team and the successful attainment of the team goals and objectives.
This is the main reason why leadership is considered to be one of the essential skills that are required to be present within an organisation or the project team. The analysis indicates that there are certain skills that are quite common between an organisational leader and a project manager (Zavari and Afshar 2021). These skills include communication skills, negotiation skills, the ability of team motivation, the ability of resource management, problem-solving and risk management. Leadership is an ability of a person to manage and supervise a group or a team. Supervision is an important aspect of project management and project success. Project supervision is primarily the role of a project manager, and hence, the presence of leadership skills offers necessary help to the manager to plan and enforce needed management and governance within the project.
Therefore, the findings from the research conducted on leadership and project management provide a clear idea of the point of similarities between the role of a leader and the role of a project manager. Both the leader and the project manager are required to plan the teamwork and keep the team motivated. A motivated team is expected to perform more effectively and is likely to be more productive than a demotivated team (Rudko and Christiansen 2020). Hence, in every project, there is a requirement for a manager who has effective skills and knowledge related to leadership so that even the critical risks and issues linked with the project can be appropriately managed and mitigated. This is the reason why it is necessary for a project manager to be a good leader, as it enables the manager to enforce appropriate control in terms of team management and successful project delivery.
Conclusion
The report presents a detailed discussion and analysis of the link between the project manager and leadership. Leadership is an aspect that can help a project manager to accomplish the complexities associated with project team management and decision-making. The report presents a detailed discussion on the common qualities possessed by a leader and a project manager. Leadership deals with the management and motivation of team members or group members so that they achieve a common goal, while the project manager has the accountability of keeping the team motivated in the successful achievement of the project goals and in ensuring the successful delivery of the project within a specific time. Since there is a positive connection between project leadership and project management, it is recommended for the project manager to gain certain specific skills that a leader generally possesses to ensure that the project is delivered with better results. The report outlines that the key skills of a leader, such as the skills of motivation, negotiation, problem solving and communication, can further help the manager in easily addressing the human resource-related concerns that are faced within the team. On the basis of the findings of the report, the following recommendations are made-
- In order to ascertain the project success, it is advisable to choose an experienced project manager.
- The project manager should have the power of motivating people to promote effective teamwork.
- The project manager is required to possess effective communication and active listening skill to lead the team and manage the project delivery in a better way.
References
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Ali, M., Li, Z., Haider, M., Khan, S. and Din, Q.M.U., 2021. Does humility of project manager affect project success? Confirmation of moderated mediation mechanism. Management Research Review.
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Ismail, M. and Fathi, M.S., 2018. Leadership in construction: leadership styles practiced in construction project–a review. Journal of Advanced Research in Business and Management Studies, 13(1), pp.24-30.
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