The six leadership roles

Experienced project managers know that managing the task is not enough. If the project is to be successful and create a business impact, there are three groups of people in need of leadership. First, the energy needs to be released in the project team so that they do their best.

Stakeholders must be involved and taken into account. The management must pave the way for the project, support the necessary resources and decisions. Finally, you must lead yourself. In the short term, your leadership needs to adapt to the project and in the long run you need to develop your management skills.

Your project leadership is crucial for the project impact. 73.9% of all projects fail due to lack of leadership! You are therefore crucial as project manager. As project manager, you have to perform six different management roles – often several of them simultaneously.

Your six leadership roles include

• Leading forward – designing the project with focus on impact
• Leading backwards – ensuring the impact through rapid learning
• Leading upwards – ensuring the mandate and resources to create strategic impact
• Leading downwards – releasing energy and the full potential of the participants
• Leading outwards – involving the organization’s knowledge, ensuring support and impact
• Leading inwards – fine-tuning your leadership style and your own development over time

The figure shows the six leadership roles and a typical project process. The PC-based project leadership game “Go Green” is built according to this project design and the six leadership roles.

In the following we briefly describe the contents of the six leadership roles.

First, the two classic roles, which can be considered management roles

Leading forward: Leading the project assignment. Work out project strategy and project design. Develop a detailed objective with SMART impact targets. Organize the project and establish a management structure with clear roles. Ensure overall and detailed planning, estimation and budgeting. Undertake risk management and change management.

Leading backwards: Assessing status and creating learning. Follow up on time, budget and quality. Ensure impact monitoring and gain realization. Conduct reviews, hearings, tests, evaluation and secure learning. Provide feedback and develop a positive feedback culture.

Then comes four roles that are about leadership – leading people

Leading upwards: Leading the project owner and the steering committee. Put the project on the agenda and secure the necessary framework. Business case, project impact and coherence with the strategy. Resources, your mandate and scope. Negotiation, decisions and approvals.

Leading downwards: Leading the project team. Establish, develop and lead the project team. Motivation, leadership style, feedback, conflict management, coaching and meeting management. Protect the project team from disruptions. Management of any subcontractors.

Leading outwards: Managing stakeholders. Align expectations with stakeholders, create acceptance and ambassadors through involvement. Receive knowledge of needs and concerns. Develop relationships, change management, communication, facilitation and handle the political game.

Leading inwards: Self-management. Long-term leadership style development and short-term leadership style adjustment. Seek feedback, be reflective and proactive. Be aware of habits, integrity, empathy, credibility and thinking wind/wind. Develop and maintain own values and your leadership code.

References:

The Go Green project leadership game is based on the six leadership roles: https://airbornleadership.com/en/e-learning/pc-based-project-management-game/