Project Management – A System?

The role of the project manager is
that of an enabler. Her job is to help the
team get the work completed, to “run
interference” for the team, to get scarce resources that team
members need, and to buffer them from outside forces that
would disrupt the work. She is not a project czar. She should
be—above everything—a leader, in the true sense of the word.
The best definition of leadership that I have found is the one
by Vance Packard, in his book The Pyramid Climbers. He says,
“Leadership is the art of getting others
to want to do something that you believe
should be done.” The operative
word here is “want.” Dictators get others
to do things that they want done. So
do guards who supervisThe role of the project manager is
that of an enabler. Her job is to help the
team get the work completed, to “run
interference” for the team, to get scarce resources that team
members need, and to buffer them from outside forces that
would disrupt the work. She is not a project czar. She should
be—above everything—a leader, in the true sense of the word.
The best definition of leadership that I have found is the one
by Vance Packard, in his book The Pyramid Climbers. He says,
“Leadership is the art of getting others
to want to do something that you believe
should be done.” The operative
word here is “want.” Dictators get others
to do things that they want done. So
do guards who supervise prison work
teams. But a leader gets people to want
to do the work, and that is a significant
difference.
The planning, scheduling, and control
of work represent the management
or administrative part of the job. But,
without leadership, projects tend to just
satisfy bare minimum requirements. With leadership, they can exceed
those bare minimums.e prison work
teams. But a leader gets people to want
to do the work, and that is a significant
difference.
The planning, scheduling, and control
of work represent the management
or administrative part of the job. But,
without leadership, projects tend to just
satisfy bare minimum requirements. With leadership, they can exceed
those bare minimums.