You're a project manager who wants to become a better leader. What are the best ways to develop your skills?

Project Managers have a challenging task of looking at completion of overall targets but need people in the process to make them reality. My focus as a project manager is making sure there is a sound strategy working on all aspect to make sure there is an Attacker + Connector focus. The goal is to accomplish objectives in a way that also maintains relationships so all sides win together in the process. You have to do both to be successful as a Project Manager and this form of leadership will ensure it happens.

To become better at anything, you need to identify what your strengths are and also your weaknesses. Enumerate the skill required of you on a role as a project manager and seek more information. Seek feedback from mentors, accountability partners and honest colleagues. Learn the skills needed and be certified in it if necessary.

All of these are great, but often self perception is missed. How a professional perceives themselves and their skills is foundational to becoming a better leader. No amount of assessment can help if they don’t face their own self perceptions.

?? Focus on building power skills. These skills include communication, negotiation, empathy, and critical thinking. Immaterial of what your next role would be, these power skills would be essential. While building these skills, focus on both knowledge and applicability.

To enhance leadership skills as a project manager: Seek mentorship/coaching, engage in leadership training, actively seek feedback, take on leadership roles, invest in self-reflection, stay updated on industry trends, practice empathy/communication/conflict resolution.

I was leading 60+ person teams in my mid 20’s. I was absolutely clueless about how to lead effectively. For me, leadership was all about outcomes, little about others. Suffice to say, I had things very mixed up at the time. I was blessed to be connected with a leadership coach early on in my journey. Coaching became my saving grace. With coaching, I could bring real-life challenges to the conversation and get in the moment feedback and guidance on how and where to improve. Rather than admitting to colleagues I had no idea what I was doing, I spoke candidly and confidentially with my coach and she provided the support to improve. With time, I got better. Coaching became my life line, and I’m not sure I would have had success without it.

There's humility in asking someone else for guidance. In my opinion, that's a necessary trait of a good leader. 2 benefits: a) You don't need to re-invent the wheel. You will improve faster when someone else's approach inspires you. b) You'll gain more awareness of your own self-imposed limitations. Overcoming those is probably more difficult than finding new best practices.

One thing I found helpful is volunteering to be on projects with someone I viewed as a great project manager. I learned from this person firsthand about being a great project manager. Learning from other is key. I strongly recommend joining professional organizations or associations to learn best practices, expand your network, share ideas, challenges, and success stories.

Para mí es clave ir acompa?ando la ruta profesional con mentores que puedan aconsejarte no solo acerca de problemas complejos sino también respecto de cómo ir generando esa ruta consistente a las metas que quiero lograr. El aprender y apoyarse en otros, a mi juicio, es la forma más efectiva para mejorar tu liderazgo, porque te ayudarán a ver los elefantes que se te cruzan por delante y no eres capaz de visualizar. Creo que una forma potente es buscar la retroalimentación directa de tus propios equipos. Preguntas como: en qué requieres más ayuda o hay algo en lo que no he sido claro, etc permiten tener un estilo de liderazgo humilde y transversal, no solo con capacidad de adaptación, sino el que valora y reconoce las opiniones de los demás.

Being a lifelong learner is very important. Staying on top of new technology is become critical now to being relevant. Observing others on project management is great and asking others to be mentors is a bold step ahead.

??? Effective Communication Mastery: Leadership thrives on effective communication. Hone your communication skills to convey ideas clearly, inspire your team, and navigate challenges. Embrace both verbal and written communication, ensuring that your messages resonate with authenticity and transparency.

- Begin by thoroughly understanding the project requirements and objectives. - Utilize your knowledge of project management methodologies to plan and organize tasks effectively. - Apply your leadership skills to build and motivate a cohesive project team. - Regularly communicate with stakeholders to ensure alignment and address any concerns. - Implement risk management strategies to anticipate and mitigate potential issues. - Use your problem-solving abilities to overcome challenges and keep the project on track. - Continuously update and refine your project management skills through learning and adapting to industry best practices. - Foster a culture of collaboration and innovation within the project team to enhance overall performance.

Cultivate Effective Communication: Words matter! Enhance your communication skills to articulate your vision, expectations, and feedback effectively. Clear communication fosters trust and transparency, essential elements of effective leadership.

- Begin by reviewing the project objectives and goals to assess alignment with the achieved outcomes. - Analyze the project timeline, identifying critical milestones, delays, and successful phases. - Evaluate team dynamics and individual contributions, recognizing strengths and areas for improvement. - Reflect on decision-making processes, considering the impact on project outcomes and team morale. - Assess communication strategies, noting effective channels and areas that require improvement. - Document lessons learned, capturing both successes and challenges for future reference. - Seek feedback from team members. - Finally, use this reflection to inform future projects and refine project management strategies.

Celebrate Achievements: Recognize milestones, big and small! Celebrate the successes of your team. Acknowledging achievements boosts morale and reinforces a positive team culture.

By continuous learning, clear communication, empathy, informed decision-making, effective delegation, adaptability, conflict resolution skills, regular feedback, clear project vision communication, and efficient time management.

Be a lifelong learner: (1) Aim to improve small things 1% every week. (2) Block time on your calendar to learn new things every week. Defend that time. (3) Constantly seek feedback after big and small moments. Focus on the areas you can grow. (4) Experiment often. See what works. Repeat. (5) Spend 15% learning how to think, 85% doing.

Personal and professional career development is often times pushed to the side when schedules get busy. No matter where you are at in your career “journey” it is important to explore interests, understand where you are at today with skills or gaps, where you want to go and how you are going to get there. Set 1-2 development goals and create a development plan. Invest in yourself!

Prioritize clear communication, foster a positive team culture, lead by example, empower team members, adapt to change, and continuously invest in your own leadership development.

- Foster a culture of open communication to gather feedback - Regularly assess project processes and outcomes for areas of enhancement - Encourage team members to share innovative ideas for efficiency - Implement a systematic approach to track and measure project performance - Embrace lessons learned from past projects to avoid repeating mistakes - Stay updated on industry best practices and integrate relevant improvements - Prioritize professional development for yourself and the team to stay current and adaptable.

- Reflect on the journey: Take time to review the project's milestones and challenges, appreciating the growth and lessons learned. - Recognition and gratitude: Acknowledge the efforts of your team, highlighting individual contributions and expressing gratitude. - Share success stories: Communicate achievements with stakeholders, showcasing the positive impact of the project. - Team celebration: Organize a team event or outing to celebrate collectively, fostering a sense of camaraderie. - Personal reward: Treat yourself to a small personal reward, acknowledging your hard work and dedication.

If you don't recognise your own achievements, you will not be able to reward and recognise OTHERS, which is a crucial aspect of leadership. Especially women are unable to celebrate themselves and all that they have done. Celebrating achievements provides team members with recognition and validation for their hard work and contributions. It acknowledges their efforts, makes them more engaged and excited for the future and helps motivate and encourage them. So to become a great leader - learn to celebrate yours and your team's successes!

To develop your leadership skills, start by assessing your strengths and areas for improvement. Then, leverage resources like Leadership Development programs powered by AI and the LinkedIn community to access personalized learning opportunities, mentorship, networking, and feedback. Additionally, seek out leadership workshops, courses, books, and seminars to expand your knowledge and hone your abilities. Practice self-reflection, actively seek feedback from peers and mentors, and apply what you learn in real-world situations to continuously grow as a leader.

Get good at influence. This often is about how you build relationships, rapport and value to the people around you. Speaking in particular, is a special skill over capability and competence. If people can't understand how good you are, you won't be valued. If people are not motivated by what you say, you won't get traction or change.

We've overlooked a groundbreaking asset—artificial intelligence (AI). This innovative tool has the potential to revolutionize our approach by analyzing our present circumstances, forecasting future scenarios, and mapping out possible outcomes. By harnessing AI to evaluate our available resources, skills, and capabilities, we gain deeper insights into our current state, a clearer vision for the future, and the ability to devise solutions, roadmaps, or paths more swiftly. AI tools are designed to assist us, akin to a mentor's guidance. So, why not leverage them to our advantage?

Start thinking and caring about your teams and people . That is first difference between a leader and manager . Manager once starts helping others in achieving their goals becomes a natural leader

Please, please, please do NOT fall into the trap of treating people like projects. I've known many project managers who were WONDERFUL at their job. But, when they became people leaders, they wanted to bring all of their project-manager strategies with them. I implore you not to make this mistake. When we are managing a project, it is all metrics and objectives. When we are managing people, it is SO MUCH MORE! Remember that they have gifts, emotions, and myriad variables that cannot necessarily be quantified on our little data sheet. We are all human. Let's treat one another that way! :)