Leadership from Front and Back

If I were to ask you:

'Where should you lead from?'

I don't think you'd have trouble guessing what my answer will be.

The title is a bit of a clue, isn't it.

So, let me get straight down to justifying my answer.

Leading from the Front

If you are a Game of Thrones fan, you'll recognize this quote. But, if not, it will still make plenty of sense.

‘I may be small, I may be a girl, but I won’t be knitting by the fire while I have men fight for me.’

Lyanna Mormont

This is every fan’s favorite character channeling Queen Elizabeth I of England, at Tilbury. And you can see why the fans love her!

A project manager needs to lead. And sometimes that means getting out front and being prepared to do your share of the nasty jobs. You don’t need to be able to do everything your team members can do; that their job. What you do need is a willingness to play your part.

'Project management is leadership. And leadership sometimes means standing at the front.'

Leading from the Back

Nobody respects the General that stays at the back, safely, while their troops take the strain. That's what the first part was about. So what am i saying here, then?

You mustn't fool yourself. Unless you’re leading a small project, where you are the team, as well as the project manager; you won’t be delivering your project. Your team will.

So, your job is simple. You have to make it as easy as possible for them to do their jobs. Armies need supply lines, and projects need resources. And it's your responsibility to supply them.

So, forget about stale stereotypes of what it means to be boss. It's your turn tomake the coffee. Because your role is to serve your team. To provide them with the resources they need to thrive and succeed. And also to shield them from the organizational flack that forever frustrates our day-to-day efforts to get on with our work.

'A good leader is rarely the boss.They are more often the servant of the people they lead.'

Want to Learn More about Leadership in Projects?

My latest Kindle-exclusive eBook is out:

Leadership Skills for Project Managers

How to go beyond management, and lead your project and the people in your project

This is available in every Kindle store, for US$2.99 or your local equivalent.

It has chapters on:

• Personal Leadership
• Leadership in Tough Times
• Getting the Best from Team Members
• The Four Essentials of Team Leadership
• The Skills to meet your Project Leadership Priorities

Like the others, this eBook collates five feature articles from our website into a coherent and convenient book.

You can see the full list here on the OnlinePMCourses website.

Get it now...

• From Amazon.com
• From Amazon.co.uk