NCV 3 Project Management Hands-On Support Slide Show - Module 7

Project Management 3

Project Management 3 1Future Managers

Module 7: Leadership within the project

Project Management 3 Future Managers 2

Module 7: Leadership within the project

• After completing this module, you will be able to:– Explain the concept of leadership– Differentiate between the concepts roles and

qualities of leadership and management– Identify leadership styles– Apply leadership skills and techniques to the

project– Recognise achievement– Indicate how leaders can empower members of a

team


1. The concept of leadership

• After completing this outcome, you will be able to:– Explain the different definitions of leadership

– Explain, with the aid of examples, the roles and qualities of a leader


1.1 Different definitions identified with leadership

• What is leadership?– Leadership can be defined as a process of

directing and influencing the behaviours of others towards goal achievement

– Leadership consists of the interaction between personalities and circumstances, as interpreted by the group

– A leader should have a special ability to influence the behaviour of subordinates



– Leadership can also be seen as a personality trait with which the leader creatively stimulates, directs and co-ordinates group interaction and co-operation within a particular situation in order to achieve group goals

– Leadership is the human ability to persuade others, to bind a group together and to motivate it to strive towards stated objectives

– Leadership can be exercised by people throughout an organisation and the best organisations have effective leaders at all levels



– Successful leadership depends on the leader establishing trust, clarifying the direction in which people should be headed, communicating so that people feel confident that they can make the right decisions, encouraging others to take risks and finally leaders must have a source of power

– For project managers to be effective and successful they must not only demonstrate efficient administrative skills and technical know how, but must also practice an appropriate style of leadership.

– The APM Book says: ‘….. leadership is about setting goals and objectives and generating enthusiasm and motivation amongst the project team and stakeholders, to work towards those objectives.’


Activity 1 - Leadership


• Form groups and make a list of leaders (according to your knowledge) in the following categories – listed first, South African leaders and then international leaders:a. Political leaders

b. Business leaders

c. Sports leaders

d. Any other leaders


• Leadership and power– Legitimate power

– Reward power

– Coercive power

– Referent power

– Expert power



• The leader’s use of different powers can lead to one of three types of behaviour in followers:– Commitment

– Compliance

– Resistance


Activity 2 – Leadership qualities and characteristics


• Before we discuss the qualities and characteristics of a leader, decide on a profile of an effective leader – in your opinion what qualities and characteristics are important, for a leader to be successful?

1.2 The qualities expected of a leader


2. Roles and qualities of leadership and management

• After completing this outcome, you will be able to:– Differentiate between the concepts of leadership

and management

– Differentiate between the roles and qualities of a leader and manager in the work situation

– Compare the role of a leader in the project and a manager in their complimentary roles in the work place.


2. Roles and qualities of leadership and management

• What is the difference between leadership and management?– Leadership focuses on vision, strategic

development and initiative

– Management deals with the implementation of the vision


2.2 Leaders and managers in the work situation

• Leadership roles of the project manager– Interpersonal roles

– Informational roles

– Decisional roles


Activity 3: Manager versus Leader


• Now that we have discussed the roles of a manager, is it possible for a manager, for example a production or financial manager, to become a leader?

• In your groups, discuss the above questions and give reasons for your “yes he/she can” or “no he/she cannot” decision.


• Qualities of a leader– Leaders have the ability to create a vision and to

excite people to try and achieve the impossible– Great leaders have an external energy and an inner

strength that see them through tough times– Leaders have a mental agility that enables them to

make effective decisions much faster than most other people

– Leaders delegate power to others– Leaders are emotionally intelligent, and enhance

people’s confidence by understanding and dealing appropriately with their emotions and concerns.



• Leaders and managers in the work context– Leadership involves bringing about change,

envisioning a new future for the organisation and creating passion in people to commit and dedicate themselves in new directions.

– Management is more directed to maintaining the status quo, ensuring a effectively and sustained effort to maintain new directions. It has the flavour of bureaucracy (red tape), system and procedures.


2.3 Compare the role of a leader in the project and a manger in their

complementary roles• Traits of a good project manager

– Enthusiasm for the project

– The ability to manage change effectively

– A tolerant attitude toward ambiguity

– Team building and negotiating skills

– A customer-first orientation

– Adherence to the priorities of business

– Knowledge of the industry or technology


3. Leadership styles

• After completing this outcome, you will be able to:– Identify leadership styles used by project managers

– Discuss and explain how the leadership styles can be used for a project

– Identify basic behaviours that a leader can use to influence someone on a project

– Discuss and explain the relationship of the basic leader behaviours to the leadership styles identifie


3.1 Leadership styles used by project managers

• Autocratic (isolated decision)

• Autocratic (informed decision)

• Consultative autocratic (discuss with individuals)

• Consultative autocratic (discuss with team)

• Democratic

• Laissez-faire


3.2 Use of leadership styles in a project


Activity 4: Leadership styles


• After the discussion on the different leadership styles, which style would you implement as project manager when the following situations occur:– A new, inexperienced project team has been selected

with you as project manager– You and your team start the next project although

you can’t even remember how many projects have been completed successfully thus far.

3.3 Basic behaviours that a leader can use to influence someone on a

project• Task behaviour

– Spells out the degree to which team leaders are likely to spell out the tasks of team members

• Relationship behaviour– The degree to which team leaders are likely to

maintain interpersonal relationships between themselves


3.4 The relationship of a the basic leader behaviours to the leadership

styles identified• Task orientated leader behaviour

– The leader is concerned primarily with careful supervision and control

• Employee-orientated leader behaviour– The leader applies less control and more

motivation and participative management


4. Apply leadership skills and techniques to the project

• After completing this outcome, you will be able to:– Discuss and explain how leadership skills and

techniques may be applied within the scope of the chosen project



• Conceptual skills– Refer to the mental skills to view the operations

of the project holistically

• Interpersonal skills– The ability to work with people

• Technical skills– The ability to use knowledge or techniques to

attain goals



• Other skills– The ability of the project manager to work with and through people– To understand each team member– The skill of the project manager to communicate effectively with his team– His ability to motivate team members especially in situations where there

is huge pressure on team members or when things are not going according to plan

– His ability to influence team members by setting the example– Challenging the process– Experiment– Inspiring a shared vision – Build commitment towards the common goal– Be fair– Provide a positive environment for team members– The skill of the leader to plan, organises, lead and control the team and the

project with distinction


5. Recognise achievement

• After completing this outcome, you will be able to:– Identify the importance of giving recognition

– Discuss and describe systems for recognition of achievement at team level

– Discuss and explain a plan to show recognition of achievement in the team


5.1 The importance of giving recognition

• What is recognition– The role players in the project are recognised

for their hard work

• Why is it important to give recognition?– Increases motivation of the team


5.2 Systems for recognition of achievement at team level

• Completed within time frame

• Completed within budget

• Quality of the end product

• Willingness of the project manager and his team to participate in the next project


5.3 Indicating recognition of achievement in the team

• Reassign a project team member to the next project

• Allow project team members to take part in planning

• Put faith in the team by appointing them as project team members

• Rewarding the project team for the outcome of the project


Activity 5 - Recognition


• Divide into groups and determine how the following role players will recognise the work of their subordinates:

• The head of your department (in the college);

• Any other organisation; have a discussion with management of the organisation on how they give recognition to their subordinates for completing work successfully

6. Indicate how leaders can empower members of a team

• After completing this outcome, you will be able to:– Identify tasks for the team in the project plan– Identify the responsibilities attached to the tasks in the

project– Analyse and discuss the tasks to be allocated to all team

members, including supervisors and team leaders– Discuss and explain the responsibilities of the tasks to

be assigned to the team members– Discuss and explain methods that enable a leader to

improve the ways in which members of the project team can measure their own performance against the objective of the project



• What is empowerment?• Why is delegation important?• Three elements of delegation

– Assign function, duty or task to an employee– Allocate sufficient authority so that the

employee can command the resources necessary to accomplish the assignment

– Gain commitment from the employee for the satisfactory completion of the task



• Method of empowerment– Accept the need to delegate– Develop a detailed plan for delegation– Obtain the supervisor’s approval for your delegation plan– Establish a climate of mutual confidence and trust (this will

not happen over-night)– Select the function, duties and tasks to be delegated and

assigned– Establish clear lines of authority and responsibility and

ensure that they are understood by all– Adopt a constructive attitude. Demonstrate patience when a

subordinate makes mistakes– Monitor performance, provide frequent feedback– Reward effective delegation


Activity 6 – Empowerment


• Management and specifically the project manager (leader) wants to empower his team. At the same time, we may ask the question: “How can team members’ benefit from being empowered?”

• Hold a brainstorm or group discussion on the above statement and write down the ways in which team members can benefit.

Practical exercise


• DKD Builders and Renovators focus on doing building alterations and renovation work. The company has a very experienced project manager in the person of Simon Shaw. Simon, on the other hand has the privilege of working with and managing a very experienced and skilful project team. The composition of the team makes it possible for them to complete all the work. Therefore they won’t need to outsource. Simon even refers to them as a multi-skilled team.

Practical exercise


• Simon and his team have received a tender for the re-wiring (electrical) of a house and at the same time another tender to renovate the bathroom. Remember that we will not focus on the work itself, but on the tasks and responsibilities required.


Stakeholder Tasks Responsibilities

Project organisation To give Simon and his team the go-ahead to continue with the project (accept proposed budget)

Draw up the project charter; project is now in progress. Supply funds for budget

Project manager Simon has to plan and manage the project (has already a team, no need to select one)

Do WBS, assign activities to team members, draw network diagram, make changes if requested to do so and re-schedule activities because of the change(s)

Project team Start and finish their activities, comply with their task

Complete activities within the time frame and within the budget, ensuring project quality

Customer or client Communicates with project manager on requirements

Approach the project manager with request to change project, accept or reject project outcome if not satisfied with project quality

Sponsor None N/a

Partner or joint venture None N/a

Functional manager None N/a

Public No interest in project N/a

Practical exercise


• The focus is on the first four stakeholders to indicate what their tasks and responsibilities are

NCV 3 Project Management Hands-On Support Slide Show - Module 7

Education