Leadership: Being an Effective Manager
I’ve been watching the Office a lot lately, and was wondering whether Michael Scott would be a good leader, a good manager, or both? How about neither?
Perhaps Richard Branson is a better example of someone who is a leader, rather than a manager. Back in the startup days of Virgin he might have had a more managerial role, but now he gallivants around the world in hot air balloons, sponsoring formula one teams, impersonating binnies and shagging flight attendants. At least, that’s what we’re led to believe.
On the other hand, Bill Gates was probably more of a manager than a leader. Although there is no doubt his position would have required him to do both, his great technical knowledge and ability to manage tasks was undoubtedly one of the reasons behind Microsoft’s success.
According to Kotter (1990),
- Management is about coping with complexity, while
- Leadership is about coping with change
A good project manager has elements of both. A well defined project, however, requires little leadership. As the degree of uncertainty increases, more leadership is required. It takes a special person to perform both roles well.
Project Stakeholders
Project stakeholders can be internal or external.
Internal stakeholders are people on whom the project depends, for example:
-Project Team: Manages and completes project work. Most members want to do a good job, but are also concerned with whether their involvement on the project will contribute to their personal goals and aspirations.
- Project Managers: Compete within an organisation with each other for resources and support of top management. Often have to share resources and exchange information.
- Administrative Support: Provide valuable support services
- Functional Managers: Can have varying level of involvement. Want to cooperate, up to a point.
- Top management: Approves funding
- Project Sponsors: Champion the project. Are a key project ally. Often, they have a mad reputation and it is tied to the success of the project.
External Stakeholders
- Customers: Define the project and its scope. The ultimate project success rests with their satisfaction.
- Contractors: May do all the actual work
- Government agencies: Place constraints, eg. permits, compliances etc.
- Other organisations
Changes in thinking
The old-fashioned view of project management emphasised directing and controlling the subordinates, much like Dwight Schrute does.
The new perspective emphasises managing project stakeholders and anticipating changes as the most important jobs.
Influence as exchange
Cohen and Bradford describe the exchange view of influence as “currencies”.
Several types:
Task-related: Providing assistance, extraordinary effort
Position-related: Promotions, aiding people with challenges, making other people look good, enhancing reputations
Inspiration-related: Perhaps the most powerful form of influence. Derive from people’s burning desire to make a difference, and to add meaning to their lives.
Relationshiop-related: Picking someone up when they’re down, boosting confidence, listening
Personal-related: Deals with helping others feel a sense of importance and personal wealth, to naturally generate goodwill. Can be done by sharing tasks, delegating authority over work so that people feel ownership of it, and allowing individuals to stretch their limits.
Management by walking around – I had a supervisor who would walk around every so often just to check how people were doing. Such face-to-face interaction helps to build a cooperative relationship.
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