As Project Managers What Can We Learn From David Bowie?

As the world comes to grips with the news of David Bowie’s passing in the early hours of this morning (11-JAN-2016) it may seem strange to find this posting on LinkedIn about what we can learn as Project Managers from someone like him. After all he was a musician, singer/songwriter therefore what parallels has he got to our profession?

As a young teenager I was enthralled by his music, he was like no other and he definitely did not conform to what society wanted. This of course was the ideal recipe for young impressionable teenagers like myself to find someone to align themselves with. As the years went by and I grew up I realised that this artist was more than just a pop idol he was the proof to Darwin’s theory of evolution, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” In some ways we can say the same about Project Managers, after all change and their response to it is what will dictate whether they survive or fail. Projects, as we all know are filled with ambiguity, uncertainty and evolve as they progress, how we adapt to those situations is what will dictate our success rate. So with that in mind I would now like to reflect on the parallels our profession has with the enigma that was David Bowie (née Jones).

1. Re-Inventiveness – as an artist he reinvented himself many times over from the early days of pop culture music in his albums using his birth given name of David Jones to his heyday era of Ziggy Stardust, Thin White Duke, member of Tin Machine etc. Similarly, as Project Managers we are continuously having to diversify and reinvent ourselves. To stay static and in the status quo can mean the demise of our usefulness to the profession. Project Management is now embedded in all sectors of industries and professions, gone are the days of when it was purely the hard hat, high-vis jacket culture. You are now more likely to see a Project Manager wearing business casual attire sipping a cappuccino whilst checking the status of their project via an app on their cell phone. The profession is now centre stage (rightly so) for most organisations and as the graduates from the old school of Project Management come to grapple with this influx of young enthusiastic, energetic professionals pushing their way through the ranks one has to reinvent oneself to stay on top and in demand. Like our projects we are evolving and honing our skills to ensure we stay in demand to industry. Like Bowie we must reinvent ourselves and style to stay in demand, to not do so will see us dwindle down the charts to the bargain basement of insignificance.
2. Staying Relevant – Bowie was something of a business guru in his industry in so far as he didn’t wait for the market to dictate what sound he should produce but rather he made the market follow him. In Project Management we need to be continuously pushing the boundaries, thinking on our feet and striding forward at a pace. We cannot sit around waiting for industry to come up with a new App or the software houses to issue a new product that will mirror our thinking. We must forge a path for ourselves and move the project we are currently the custodian of on the road to success whilst the market catches up with us. The profession operates in such a myriad of sectors that we need to continually change but at the same time be the constant that keeps the project afloat, we are in some ways the living, breathing definition of the word, paradox. Einstein is quoted as saying, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” Therefore one could surmise that those Project Managers who do not change are the less intelligent ones of our profession. By continuously adapting, evolving and changing the market we keep ourselves and our profession relevant.
3. Individualism – Bowie was up till the time he took his last breath an individual like no other, he didn’t follow fashion trends but rather they followed him. A Project Manager is an individual (without stating the obvious) but those Project Managers who stand out head and shoulders above the rest are the mould breakers, the ones who others sit back and wonder, “How did they do that.” To be a Project Manager you have to be a Leader but also magnanimous enough to share the glory of your successes with the individuals on your team. You require a degree of management skills but also mentoring and coaching skills too. I often state, “Project Managers are the chameleons of the professional world since their personalities and competencies appear to be a paradox of contradiction.” We operate as individuals but at the same time are the glue that keeps the project team together and striding for success on their project.

In summary, Bowie was the mould breaker, he was like no other, he was the chameleon of the music industry and project managers are the chameleons of the professional world. They must be adaptable, open to uncertainty, fearless of the unknown and at the same time be the one who steadies the ship in turbulent waters guiding it to calmer safer shores. We are the rock stars of our industry but some of us are unfortunately churned out from the manufacturing machines of the Simon Cowell school of Project Management, we get one or two hits and then fade into the darkness of mediocrity.

Bowie, thanks for the music, the journey and the memories but most of all thanks for showing us what it takes to keep at the top of our game in the professional world of Project Management, RIP.