Running Head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP SKILLS 1

Leadership Skills in Project Management

Austin C. Baron

Husson University

BA 648 – Project Management Techniques

Dr. Gerald Wright

December 9, 2022
 Running Head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP SKILLS 2

Introduction

Project management is one of the most unique genres of management within the business

environment of an organization. As defined by Kathy Schwalbe, professor emeritus at Augsburg Commented [GW1]: … Kathy Schwalbe (2007), professor
…
University, the role of project management lies in “The application of knowledge, skills, tools
When mentioning the author name in the text, the citation
is finished with the year inside of parentheses. Then, there
and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements” (Schwalbe, 2017, p. 8). is not need for an in-text citation at the end of a sentence.
Commented [GW2]: No longer needed as cited above
Throughout the duration of numerous projects, project managers will be exposed to both
Commented [GW3]: Awkward sentence, rework

technical skills and soft skills in the search for efficiencies and ultimately, project completion

(Martins, 2022). Individuals who effectively lead teams towards the efficient completion of

projects within organizations are of high value and in demand.

Leading project teams toward the end goal of an organization’s objective is a tall task in

which the ability to lead is required. The ability to lead, or leadership, can be an appointed by an Commented [GW4]: can be appointed

authority figure or be possessed as a natural trait within a given context. Leadership, in essence,

is the influence of individual that is interactive in nature in which people identify and individual Commented [GW5]: Awkward sentence, rework

as a leader in the pursuit of achieving a shared goal (Silva, 2016, p. 4). These individuals of

influence call for and involve a particular skillset that essential for project managers.

Project managers achieve organizational objectives through the collaborative efforts of

their subordinate project teams. In order to effectively lead project teams, four categories of

essential leadership skills have been identified. These four categories include: (1) Motivation and

Inspiration, (2) Team Building, (3) Negotiation and Communication, and (4) Listening and

Influencing (Kumar, 2009). According to Victoria Kumar, the successful implementation of
these four key leadership categories will contribute to a vast improvement in team performance.
Simply stated, a project manager who possesses these essential leadership skills will bring forth a
Commented [GW6]: This is a nice source to build the
paper around. If this is your centerpiece, then you should
provide some more details about it. What did Kumar study?
What kind of study was it? It is more than 10 years old.
Was anything more recent done that supports this?

cohesive and high functioning team to an organization on the path to achieving objectives.
 Running Head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP SKILLS 3

Motivation and Inspiration

The first essential skill of effective project managers is the ability to motivate and inspire

project teams. The role of motivation within the profession of project management focuses on

the ability inspire, encourage, and stimulate the growth and development of project teams on the Commented [GW7]: Ability to inspire

way to achieving organizational objectives (Peterson, 2007). The amount of motivation

stemming from the project manager that is received by the project team has a direct impact on Commented [GW8]: Awkward, rework

the outcome of the triple constraint framework relating to scope, time, and budget. Therefore, Commented [GW9]: Citation needed- who came up with
this framework?
inspiring members of the project team through motivation has a direct correlation to the success Commented [GW10]: Awkward rework. There are
several places where the submission lacks clarity. Read the
of a project. paper aloud and I think they will jump right out at you.

Fix throughout paper.

When seeking t motivate a project team, numerous motivators can be used as an approach
Commented [GW11]: Seeking to motivate

for different members. According to Michael Young, seven unique motivators exist within the Commented [GW12]: Same here regarding citation

… Young (2019), seven ...

basis of project management. These seven unique motivators are: (1) Setting goals, (2)

Innovation, (3) Group problem solving, (4) Organic team development, (5) Celebrate wins, (6)

Set an example, and (7) Identify what’s in it for them (Young, 2019). Of these seven identified Commented [GW13]: No longer needed as cited above

unique motivators, setting goals is the most imperative. Goal setting inspires project team

members to buy into the project through relating the project outcomes to the entire organization.

Within the process of setting goals for a project team, one vital framework exists. This

framework, first identified by the University of California, is called SMART. SMART goals are Commented [GW14]: Same here regarding citation
format
created in a way to generate a shared understanding of the expected levels of performance and a
Fix throughout document

clear vision of professional growth through actionable criteria that are specific, measurable,

achievable, relevant, and time-bound (University of California, 2017). Utilizing the SMART

framework of setting goals allows for outcomes to be specifically stated with accompanying

explicit statements on how to achieve the project outcomes to motivate the commencement.
 Running Head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP SKILLS 4

On the contrary, certain styles of leadership have been shown to decrease motivation Commented [GW15]: The section on decreased
motivation is weak and underdeveloped. Obviously there is
more to say here.
within a project team. Studies conducted by Drexel University identify that transactional

leadership will have an increase relating to obtaining project goals, but a negative impact on the Commented [GW16]: Find a source that defines
transactional leadership
morale and motivation of a project team (DuBois et al., 2010, p. 33). Therefore, while motivation

is an essential skill for project managers, having a relationship and a close-knit team is another

viable skill to possess.

Team Building

The second essential skill that effective project managers possess is the ability to

successfully create teams. The role of team building within the discipline of project management

is the process of facilitating the transformation of individuals with various expertise into a

working unit that supports the outcomes of a designated project (Wilemon & Thamhain, 1983).

This effectiveness of teams is characterized by the synergy and cohesion of the members in the

capabilities of combining forces in the pursuit of a common goal.

Team building is only effective when a project manager comprehends the requirements of

an effective team member. Therefore, the process of building the correct team is critical to the

outcome of the project deliverables. According to Brian McHale, a long-time coordinator and

manager at TitanHQ, creating effective teams focuses on the selection of team members,

calibrating the optimization of a team, and identifying task parameters (McHale, 2019). The

selection of team members requires a project manager to target individuals with competencies

required of both the project and the team. The calibration of the team toward optimization is

relating to the implementation of a new team member toward the pre-designated goals.

Identifying task parameters narrows down the list of skills an individual needs to help a team

produce successfully. The culmination of these key ideas into an effective team creates an
 Running Head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP SKILLS 5

environment that is conducive to success (Novo et al., 2017, p. 74). In creating this environment,

teams begin to trust one another which fosters collaboration, innovation, efficiencies, and

positive morale.

Creating effective teams with members who work cohesively together to achieve project

deliverables exemplify that the traits of teams are important. The dynamic traits of effective

teams can be categorized by the sharing of information, each role is equal and interdependent,

the influence of each member is equal, and decisions are made jointly compared to

independently (Pretorious et al., 2017, p. 96). These traits aim to align individual members as a

working unit in an efficient manner through communication and a stake in the decision-making

process with accountability to execute designated projects.

Negotiation and Communication

The third essential skill category of effective project managers is the art or negotiation

and communication. Negotiation skills within project management relate to the interactions

between project teams, customers, and suppliers or manufacturing partners. In each scenario, a

fair and equal compromise needs to be reached through negotiation to maintain the triple

constraint of a project. As stated by Randall Englund, good negotiations search for the third

alternative in which a third way exists in conducting a deal where loss is minimized for both

parties (Englund, 2010). Most interactions in projects are viewed as a win or lose scenario, the

third alternative counteracts this by seeking resolution through a mutually beneficial

compromise. The third alternative directly correlates to the concept of conflict resolution.

Conflict resolution lives within the decision-making framework of negotiations (Strang, 2007, p.
440). The concept of conflict resolution means agreeing upon a compromise, such as the third
alternative, during the pursuit of settling differences amongst two sides within a current project.
Commented [GW17]: This section contains some
redundancy. I know what you are driving towards here. I
would probably lead with the other two alternatives with
proper sources. Then explain the third alternative from
Englund's work. This would increase clarity in this section
while reducing redundancy.
 Running Head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP SKILLS 6

Communication skills are also a vital resource for project managers to maintain,

especially in relation to projects on a global scale. When managing an international project,

project managers need to be culturally sensitive. Human capital, in most circumstances, will

retain a value larger than monetary capital when culturally diverse populations are in play

(Poddar, 2010, p. 103). Effective cross-cultural communication leads to efficiencies and Commented [GW18]: An example here would help
illustrate this, rather than just throwing out the statement
and moving on.
synergies that support the organization when project managers and team members can effectively

discuss concerns and project tasks holistically.

In essence, communication isn’t simply just for the good news and in settling differences

amongst two competing sides. The open communication of bad news is of the utmost importance

in running effective projects. A project manager must overcome the attractiveness of suppressing

bad news in the short-term due to the long-term deadly outcome for projects in not notifying

team members (Engle, 2014, p. 18). Ultimately, comprehending how and when to say the bad

news is more important that what is said from the perspective of team member receiving the Commented [GW19]: Than what
Commented [GW20]: members
news.

Listening and Influencing

The fourth and final essential skill category of effective project managers is the ability to

listen to and influence the behavior of the project team. Listening to the project team is a

responsibility of project managers that is often overlooked that demands total concentration and

a search for meaning in the spoken word. According to Muhammed Rashidy, a certified PMP

professional, project managers need to be open and welcoming to create a dialogue between

team members and truly understand the delivered message (Rashidy, 2020). This process

involves asking clarifying questions and comprehending the content of the conversation to

understand the context in a polite and sensitive manner.

 Running Head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP SKILLS 7

In conjunction with active listening, the phenomenon of faulty listening can also occur. Commented [GW21]: remove

This phenomenon is commonly linked to the reduced effectiveness od projects along with

mistakes and missed opportunities. An example of faulty listening occurs within the discipline of

business intelligence. Marv Goldstein states, “In a 2011 research report, the analyst firm Gartner

attributed poor communication as one reason why 70% to 80% of corporate business intelligence

(BI) projects fail” (Goldstein, 2013). These projects fail due to the result of not asking the right

questions for the given scenario which ties directly back to faulty listening strategy of the project

manager.

Influence is the exercise of power that brings about change within an organization. In

reference to the exercise of power amongst project managers, William Craddock and Joy Gumz

identified five sources of power. These sources include: (1) Reward, (2) Coercive, (3)

Legitimate, (4) Expert, and (5) Referent (Craddock & Gumz, 2012). The first three sources are

positional in nature as a result of stature within an organization. As for the other two sources,

these are personal in nature as they are attributed to the individual. When a project manager

holds any of these five sources of power, the project manager can directly influence the behavior

of the project team.

Another way project managers can influence the behavior of the project team members is

through the concept of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability of an

individual to recognize feelings, both personally and of others, as a means for strengthening

relationships (Sunindijo et al., 2007, p. 166). Using emotional intelligence as a means of intuition

in understanding the thought processes of others, project managers can interact well within the

project environment. By interacting synergistically, managers are no longer perceived as above

the team and help in the creation of influence through understanding and trustworthiness.
 Running Head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP SKILLS 8

Conclusion

Overall, effective project managers will possess four categories of essential leadership

skills. The essential leadership skills will be a combination of technical and soft skills that will Commented [GW22]: Missing cite here (Kumar)

be combined to effectively lead project teams toward the efficient completion of an

organizational objective. These four essential leadership skill categories are motivation and

inspiration, team building, negotiation and communication, and listening and influencing.

Utilizing these four essential skill categories will ultimately help the project manager

overcome any dysfunction within the current state of a project team. Overcoming dysfunctions

increases the efficiency of the team and positively impacts the overall performance of the team.

The category of motivation and inspiration aims to stimulate the growth and development of

project teams in conjunction with identifying the correct motivators for each individual member

and set goals for each to achieve using the SMART framework. The category of team building

centers around how to successfully create teams through the use of identifying team needs,

correct fitment, and the traits of effective teams. The category of negotiation and communication

focuses on seeking the third alternative, conflict resolution, speaking up regarding bad news and

capably communicating cross-culturally for international projects. The category of listening and

influencing focalize on the immersion of listening effectively, becoming aware of faulty

listening, comprehending the forms of influence, and conforming to the importance of emotional

intelligence.

In all, a project manager who possesses these essential skills will bring forth a cohesive

and high performing project team. This high performing team holds both strengths and

weaknesses on an individual basis, yet combines to create a diverse and inclusive flow of

perspectives. An organization will benefit greatly with project managers who can align team
 Running Head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP SKILLS 9

members uniformly toward the achievement of a common goal while adhering to the triple

constraint framework of projects relating to scope, time, and budget.

Running Head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP SKILLS 10

References

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effective project managers: techniques and traits to lead high performance teams.

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Engle, P. (2014). Seeing red can be good. Industrial Engineer, p.18.

Englund, R. L. (2010, May 12). Negotiating for Success. Retrieved December 9, 2022, from

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Martins, J. (2022, July 29). The 25 project management skills you need to succeed. Asana.

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Running Head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP SKILLS 11

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