With the crescendo of the US elections over the weekend and from majority of trends on various platforms; it’s evident that effective leadership and it’s perception have been major talking points either side of the spectrum. How does this relate to the PM profession?
As a project manager, it’s easy to get wound up in the ideology of a “manager” and miss the bigger picture of your calling, “leadership”. While your work as a manager requires much attention to “doing things right,” there are periods when you must step out and see the bigger picture. This way, you ensure that your organisation and everyone in your team are not just “doing things right” but are also “doing the right things.”
It takes time and experience to embody strong leadership skills. As a project manager, I have had cause to embody the traits of both manager and leader and to switch roles as the occasion demands. You might be wondering, at what point is it necessary to switch hats from manager to leader and back? What attributes makes an effective leader? Trust me, as simple as these questions sound, you won’t find the answers in the pages of a textbook or an online article.
When you understand what it takes to be a phenomenal leader, then it becomes easy to shoot for the stars. That said, there are a few common denominators with strong leaders.
- Acute Empathy
- Emotional Intelligence and Control
- Self Confidence
When you continually show empathy, control your emotions and increase your self-confidence, you set yourself up for effective leadership. The manner in which you go about being effective is what influences people’s perception.
