(1) Explain your problem, don't simply post "This isn't working". What were you doing when you faced the problem? What have you tried to resolve - did you look for a solution using "Search" ? Has it happened just once or several times?
(2) It's also good to get feedback when a solution is found, return to the original post to explain how it was resolved so that more people can also use the results.
Hello fellow project managers,
I am currently writing my master's thesis on leadership styles in project management. If you are a project manager, either in name or by de facto (ie it's not your formal position but you do manage projects), I would appreciate it if you could fill it out. It's very short and should only take a couple of minutes of your time. The link is here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YTYY6LV
Also, if you would like to share it with other project managers to complete, please do.
Also if you happen to be in Adelaide or will be in Adelaide in the next 2 months, I will be conducting interviews for my research. If you would like to take part then please pm me and don't fill out the surveymonkey survey (as I will provide you with different copy of the survey).
Thorough Explanation
Why I am Interested in the topic: I originally started my research on another leadership related topic, but as I delved further down the rabbit hole I felt like everyone I talked to was obsessed about leadership styles; both academics and practitioners alike. In contrast, I feel like it is both a limiting and useless construct. It's limiting because the major authors like Pinto, Slevin, Turner etc only ever talk about 4-5 of them. Why 5, I wonder? Surely there are an infinite number of ways you can lead your project team to success? And I feel like it's useless in its current form since everyone talks about it but nobody seems to have critically analyzed it and found out what makes a leadership style a leadership style. So basically, my interest in the topic is that I want to find out if leadership styles have merit or whether they are just another silly management fad.
Aims: The primary aim of this research is to determine whether the common leadership styles in the project leadership literature are effective and useful both in terms of project success and as conceptual tools.
Objectives: It is intended that this research will contribute to the Project Management Knowledge Areas of: Human Resource Management and Stakeholder Management as well as general leadership of projects. The author of this thesis aims to resolve the problem of leadership styles so that future editions of the PMBOK® guide can either safely include leadership styles, or rightfully exclude them. Furthermore, it is aimed that project leadership academics can either extend the concept further or alternatively remove a constrictive construct in favour of new ideas on leadership theory.
Thanks in Advance!
Printer-friendly version
Send to friend
Whilst research into Leadership is certainly important, we shouldn't forget the important role that Management has in projects. Because projects are a temporary endeavour, it is really important that projects have people in place who can define the processes, prodedures, routines and rituals that are essential to getting a project delivered. Too much of a purist leadership style can actually hamper some projects, as focus tends to on vision, rather than on delivery. I've written more on management styles for Project Managers here, and I'd be keen to hear your thoughts.
Email: PPadmin@planningplanet.com
Replies