4 Techniques for a Project Manager to be a successful leader

1. Start with why!

In 2009, Simon Sinek released the book "Start With Why", a synopsis of the theory he has begun using to teach others how to become effective leaders and inspire change. He explained the concept of the golden circle as he called it.

He defined in his book the golden circle by asking three major questions, What?, How? and Why?
According to Sinek, answering the “Why” question makes great leaders inspire action.

In his book, Sinek finds a common pattern for all successful leaders and organizations like Martin Luther King, Jr., the Wright Brothers and others. He finds that all organizations and experts know what they do, few of them know how to do it right, but, do they know why? Do they know why that specific idea is so important? Why would it change the lives of millions? Why would anyone care? Why would it be so different than any other?

Simply, by asking why, you are asking what the purpose of your idea is, what is your cause and what is your belief.

According to the PMBoK, project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. Project management is accomplished through the use of the processes such as initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing. The project team manages the work of the projects, and the work typically involves:

• competing demands for scope, time, cost, risk, and quality

• stakeholders with differing needs and expectations

• identified requirements
  

However, a project manager is not only a person that manages the project but also a person that is capable of handling difficult situations within the team members of the project. He should be able to apply the golden circle in his communication within the team and with the customer. The team should know why they are doing what they do before knowing what to do or how to do it. People in your team should believe what you believe.

Believe in the success of your project, the team will believe so…“If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood, sweat, and tears” Simon Sinek

2. Be careful with words

Dealing with his/her team or with the customer, a project manager should be capable of communicating the message using the simplest words.

As Terin Izil explained in one of her Ted-Ed Lessons “The power of simple words”, you could say “No coordinates exist like one’s domicile,” but have you tried saying “There’s no place like home” instead? Isn’t that a more straightforward way of communicating the exact same message?

As a successful project manager, you should be able to reach your teams’ minds in the simplest and most efficient ways. However, using the simplest words does not mean using too many abbreviations; remember that an abbreviation that you understand within your organization is not always understood by your customer’s organization!

3. Be creative

A project manager that cannot think up new ideas would have a difficult time being a leader, as people are never interested in static thinking. To get the best result, a project manager should have the ability to challenge his team with new ways of looking at things. It's important to always come up with new ideas, ways, and solutions.

To do so, use your imagination and free your mind. In solving an issue, some tools could be very helpful like S.C.R.A.M.B.L.E.:

Substitute: Could we substitute the problem with something else? Substituting parts of the problem with other previously known solutions?

Combine: Is the answer to our problem or issue by combining with another set of issues and finding a common solution?

Reverse/Rearrange: Simply said by Paul Arden in one of his books: “Whatever you think, think the opposite.” Sometimes the best way to find the solution to a problem is to reverse the situation and rearrange various parts.

Adapt: Can you adapt a solution previously used to the problem you currently have? Most of the things we possess are adaptations of things we already had.

Modify, Magnify or Minimize: Sometimes the best way to solve a problem is by modifying the inputs and then testing the outputs. As said by Albert Einstein, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Try different inputs to your problem to look for different results.

Blow it out of proportion and Bring it back to perspective: Another way to think differently is to think about the opportunities you have by first exaggerating and then bringing them back into perspective. Does this help you find a way to seize the opportunity or solve the problem?

Liberate your limitation: Encourage your project team to find new ways and constantly accept new challenges.

Eliminate and elaborate: Once you find the best solution for an idea, elaborate it and eliminate unwanted details.

4. Be persistent

A successful project manager would never give up on an issue or risk; you have the responsibility and role to inspire others by showing persistence and motivation. “A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.” Elbert Hubbard

In conclusion, it is important to mention that any project manager has the ability to lead his team in many ways, just try to follow these common practices and ways to inspire your team and deliver a project with the highest quality, on-time with as few difficulties as possible.