Dion - Leadership Toolbox for Project Managers: Achieve better results in a dynamic world

Leadership Toolbox for Project Managers

Achieve better results in a dynamic world

Michel A. Dion, PMP

Visit Project-Aria, my website on project management, for more information:

www.project-aria.ca

I would like to dedicate this book to Valrie Gaudreault, my beautiful wife, my inspiration, for her support, and the gift of our two sons, Tristan and Mathias.

Copyright

Copyright 2015, by Michel A. Dion, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

ISBN 978-0-9940565-0-4

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of very brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and accurate as possible. However, there may be mistakes both typographical and in content. Therefore, the texts should be used only as general guides and not as the ultimate sources of the subject matters covered.

The information contained in this book is for information purposes only, and may not apply to your situation. The author and publisher provide no warranty about the content or accuracy of content enclosed. Information provided is subjective. Keep this in mind when reviewing this guide.

Neither the Publisher nor Author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages resulting from use of this guide. All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content, accuracy, or any other implied or explicit purpose.

The inspiration for this book

Life takes us on many different paths. This book is inspired by two of the paths I have travelled in the past years of my life: discovering project management and studying leadership. Both of these can transform your life and help you achieve new, bigger goals. They expand the frontier of what you think you can do.

I started my career in the early 90s with jobs in the banking sector. It was interesting, as I liked finance, but it was also a bit of the same thing every workday. I then became a CPA, CGA in Canada and was exposed to working on a project basis. Throughout my career, I managed various projects, mostly on the business and accounting side. This exposure to projects was more an accident of life than a career plan, but it was perfect for me. I always loved working on projects, especially special initiatives or urgent projects. I like to say that usually, when offered a project, people are wise enough to ask questions first and then say no, but I tend to say yes and then ask questions later. By then, it is usually too late to decline, and I have to find a solution.

The newer and more complex the projects were, the better they were for me. I always love to discover and explore new things, and projects fit that passion. My mind is forever curious, and I am always seeking out new adventures for my life and my mind. I tend to get bored with the monotony of repeating the same things over and over. My passions tend to be infinite learning experiences, such as music and chess, which can never be completely mastered. Who can say that they completely mastered music? Like Russian composer That is probably why music has always been a part of my life: music has infinite space for creativity.

My favorite part of music has always been composition. Many musicians have ideas; very few can compose and transform their ideas into a new piece of music. I love the challenge of moving from a blank page to composing a highly complex and interesting piece of music. It is such a pleasure. Project management and leading special projects or initiatives have a similar challenge. They both start with an objective; a plan is then developed and executed to deliver a product, service or result.

To my mind, solving a complex chess position or learning an impossible piece of music is exciting. I like to move from having an idea and at first having no clue how to do it, to the stress and open space of creativity, to building the solution, and then to seeing it come to life and finally delivering an outstanding solution. My mind is always curious, seeking to discover and learn new information. My mind is always creative, looking for innovative ideas and hoping to create something new.

Just as in music, project management also helps bring ideas into reality. It is that power of project management that I like so much. I initially chose my career path for my love of finance. I discovered project management along the way, and it has since fascinated me. Project management is a powerful tool which helps me deliver results and achieve various goals, both in my professional and personal life. It is possible to projectize many areas of our life, as these concepts are broad and can be applied to many things. A simple example is this book, which is a project on its own.

Learning in life is often a very unusual journey. While becoming an executive and managing a few complex and unusual projects, I also learned the importance of leadership skills. This book integrates my interest in leadership competencies with the world of project management.

Why you should read this book

You have been a project team member, and then a project manager. You now have the opportunity to manage projects of higher complexity. These projects are also more strategically important for your client or organization. You now want to further enhance your skills.

There are numerous books on the various project management tools and techniques, which are very useful and important in your development as a project manager. At this point in your career, you have done your homework and learned the concepts of project management. Yet mastering these concepts only takes you so far. After a certain point, these tools and techniques do not necessarily improve your results or help you address the kind of issues you are facing in your project. You would like to expand your skills further and be able to succeed in managing projects of greater complexity and strategic importance.

You now deal with more senior people in your organizationexecutives and even members of the C-suite, the top level of the organization. The expectations, availability, communication, and thinking of these senior executives are different. The project environment is also much different. What worked well in simpler projects may no longer be the best approach.

Now you are managing projects in a more dynamic and unpredictable environment. These projects seem to go beyond the basic model of planning the details, executing the tasks, and successfully delivering the result. Something is missing in your skillset. It is time to look beyond planning and monitoring tasks. It is time to focus on leadership skills and add them to your toolbox.

This book was designed with a focus on leadership in project management. By leadership, we mean more than just motivating your team. Leadership includes self-awareness, vision, strategic thinking, decision-making, horizontal integration, stakeholder management, and, of course, team management. It includes people skills applied in various contexts to successfully support the strategy and vision of the project.

This book does not intend to replace or contradict the standard project management tools and techniques. I strongly recommend to all project managers, and anyone working on projects, to master the standard project management concepts. It is a must for your success. I also encourage you to obtain formal education in project management. It is now much easier to do so with the many project management programs available online. Obtaining a professional certification in project management is a strong asset to have.