Four Things Successful Project Leaders Can do to Stand Out from the Crowd

Is your project operating in survival mode? It’s time to have a look at ways to steady the ship: find more effective ways to lead, stay focused on what matters most to your project team members, and keep your eye on how your product, service, or result can be delivered on target, on time, and on budget.

Standing out from the crowd means that you’re not afraid to speak your mind and to avoid following others when to do so results in sameness and conformity.

Here are four ways successful project leaders are learning to stand out from the crowd:

1. ?Discover New Opportunities in Unlikely Places

Effective project leaders are always on the lookout for opportunities that others don’t see. Project leaders who seek out new opportunities are fearless when embarking upon new things and will continually test different project management methodologies to get “it” right.

Successful project leaders focus on the projects that create new kinds of products, services, or results for their customers. They take on projects that some might see as too risky to do. They end up with projects that make their team members’ happy and delight their customers.

Wise project leaders are also always looking for talented team mates who can help them solve tough project problems. For example, you may need a new data base analyst with a new attitude and the ability to reignite the creative spark and ultimately deliver winning projects. Just because a team mate did not “fit in” on another project team, IS NOT a good reason to overlook them now.

2. Have Structure and Let the Team be Entrepreneurial

Organize the project team to be structured in how it operates, yet entrepreneurial in how you encourage the project team members to think, act and do. They encourage being real, genuine, and authentic. Prudent project leaders are disciplined enough to ensure that the project’s performance goals (SV, CV, SPI and CPI) are met while the project culture remains intact.

This requires that you trust and respect your team members and celebrate their unique contributions. Project leaders must recognize that there are many ways to find project success, and that being different and thinking different is simply brilliant. Just ask Apple.

3. Keep a Laser-like Focus on the Project and Avoid all the Distractions

Now that the election is over in the U.S., maybe we can focus on work again. In today’s projects, being successful is not only about anticipating the next budget cut, it’s about having a “feeling” for what’s going on around you. Project leaders with high levels of project focus have a “sixth sense” for anticipating the economic and organizational changes that could affect the project and the project team.

4. Seek Project Significance

Helpful project leaders use the project to create social significance that is a force multiplier.?Maybe it is time to get the project team involved some “socially significant” work? Is it time to be good by doing good?

It’s the mark of a triumphant project leader to recognize that a sense of camaraderie and caring can inspire project team members and customers alike. When project team members work with a project leader that is genuinely attempting to make the world a better place, it’s bound to have a ripple effect.

Do these four things and you will be a project leader who is comfortable with who they are and has the confidence to let project team members be unique and special. You will stand out from the crowd.