Successful Leadership in Project Management - Coursework Example

Heading: Project Management Your name: Course name: Professors’ name: Date Introduction For effective project management, it is vital to have the most appropriate leaders in place. In the present fast changing international marketplace, leaders ought to evaluate situations correctly and act quickly. Learning to use suitable leadership styles when surviving a given situation may enable a leader to become more efficient in business. Leaders also apply their beliefs, experience, values in the management of their routine operations. In a participative leadership style, there is involvement of people in decision-making process. On the other hand, an autocratic leadership style does not involve people in organizational decision making process. A transactional leadership style creates a structure for staff members to perform their tasks and get rewards or punishments as suitable. A transformational style creates confidence and trust in his followers to enable the adoption of new procedures and policies. Each of these theories and styles about ways of leading may be applied in the management of change. Therefore, this paper seeks to explore major ways in which leadership is significant in the delivery of successful projects. Besides, the paper attempts to examine some of the leadership method, concepts, and theories that are useful in the understanding successful project leadership and the reasons for that. Successful leadership in project management In order to understand effective leadership in project management, it is vital to examine the existing leadership styles or theories. Early researchers categorized leadership theories into various groups that include behavioral theories, contingency theories, power and influence theories, participative theories, management theories, and trait theories among others (Cromb 2005, pp. 166-167). With respect to project management, participative leadership style involves all team members in the identification of necessary goals and development of strategies or procedures for the attainment of those goals. From this standpoint, participative leadership is a kind of style that depends heavily on the leader acting as a facilitator, instead of just giving orders or assigning roles. This kind of leadership is applicable in the business environment, home, or volunteer firms. In the case of project management, the style is influential in facilitating successful delivery of quality projects. According to Avolio and Kahai (2003, pp. 325-415), one of the advantages of participative leadership is the fact that it facilitates development of extra leaders who may be useful in the firm in future. Since leaders who support the style motivate active participation of all staff or team members, people usually express their innovativeness ad display talents and abilities that are inexpressible otherwise. The realization of the concealed assets enables the team to conduct the project effectively. This also awakens the firm on the significance of developing the skills further for enhanced performance. Besides, Pauleen 2003, pp. 153-160) says that participative leadership style helps in the expansion of the variety of team’s potential. When leadership that necessarily leave all decision making and direction on individual’s hands, it is much harder to view a particular approach from various perspectives. When a style motivates team members to participate in decision making process, a particular project is viewable from a wide variety of perspectives. This is instrumental in the identification of possible strengths or weakness to an approach, which could go unnoticed, and thus unsolved without this type of participatory decision making and brainstorming. Nevertheless, Cromb (2005, pp. 166-167) argues that the possible weakness of this style lies on time factor. The style does not usually involve the requirement for extra time prior to taking action. This is typically, as its nature implies permitting every member’s input in the project. Nonetheless, Cromb (2005, pp. 166-167) notes that additional time essential for the process commonly leads to decisions, which eventually benefit everyone to a higher extent compared to faster decisions that have a limited scope. Successful participative leadership enables skills and talents of team members to be used in making decisions and implementing them. Secondly, successful project management is the one based on transactional leadership. This kind of leadership is also termed as managerial leadership, and emphasizes on organization, supervision, and group performance. This is a style that was initiated by sociologist Max Weber, and developed by Bernard M. Bass in 1980s (Pauleen 2003, pp. 153-160). The theory is based on certain assumptions that include people are seen to perform between when there is a clear and definite chain of command; rewards and punishments motivate employees; primary objective of followers is obedience to leader’s commands and instructions; and monitoring of subordinates ensure meeting of expectations. As Barbuto (2005, pp. 24-60) says, this style is founded on reward and punishment system. Transactional leadership is usually applicable in business; when workers are successful, they are awarded; upon failure, they get punishment. Moreover, Northouse (2010, pp. 114-130) says that transactional leadership, punishments and rewards are contingent on the followers’ performance. Here, the project leader sees the association between subordinates and managers as an exchange. When followers perform well, they get some kind of reward. Nevertheless, if they perform poorly, they will get some form of punishment. Additionally, Lussier (2010, pp. 152-160) procedures, standards and rules are vital in transactional leadership. This style also motivates subordinates to be creative or devise new solutions to challenges in the project. Research demonstrates that transactional leadership seems to be most efficient where challenges are clearly-defined and simple. Whereas transactional leadership can be successful under certain circumstances, its s inadequate and can bar both leaders and subordinates from attaining their full capacity (Barbuto 2005, pp. 24-60). Thirdly, successful leadership in project management is brought about by transformational leadership. This is a kind of leadership that causes positive changes in its followers. Transformational project leaders are basically enthusiastic, energetic, and passionate. Such leaders are also concerned and engaged in the project process; that is they emphasizes on enabling every team member to succeed in the project (Bass 2006, pp. 4-20). Historically, James MacGregor Burns first introduced the notion of transformational leadership. He asserts that this leadership style has subordinates and leaders enable each other to progress to higher degree of motivation and vision (Barbuto 2005, pp. 24-60). Leaders can motivate subordinates to change their perceptions, expectations, and motivations through strength of personality and vision, to achieve common objectives. Some of the significant components later suggested by Bass include intellectual stimulation, in which leaders challenge status quo, and promote innovation among subordinates. Here, Bass (2006, pp. 4-20) further says that the leaders motivate subordinates to explore enhanced ways of carrying out the project. Another individualized consideration demonstrates that leadership entails giving support and motivation to each follower. As Avolio and Kahai (2003, pp. 325-415) note, transformational leaders develop open communication channels so that they foster positive associations that enable followers to freely shares ideas, and leaders to give express recognition of every follower’s distinctive contributions. Inspirational motivation is another component that allows leaders to have a clear vision, which enables them to be articulate to subordinates. These leaders can also help followers feel the same motivation and passion in the fulfillment their goals. Lastly, Bass (2006, pp. 4-20) says that there is an idealized influence component in which transformational project leaders respect act as role models to subordinates. Since followers respect and trust their leaders, they imitate the leader and internalize his ideas. Project leadership can be successful if the leaders employ people or relations oriented leadership style. Gray (2009, pp. 60-70) says asserts that people or relation related project leader totally focuses on supporting, organizing, and developing members of his team towards the achievement of goals. Just like a participative style, this seems to lead an appropriate teamwork and innovative collaboration. As a delegative leadership style, the ultimate objective is to allow major employees participate in the decision making; hence, leaders provide little guidance. The least efficient of the style is that it crates the most drawbacks of people oriented management. As Gray (2009, pp. 60-70) also says that since the management makes the few or no decisions, trusted workers get selected to undertake the vital responsibility. The highly oriented style extends far and brings about confusion about job responsibilities and duties. Some of the advantages of the style include the fact that it energizes workers. The style makes project members feel meaningful and empowered. The style also ensures that team members obtain job satisfaction. Further, this style is beneficial; as it enables employees believe they take part in the decision-making and workplace success (Northouse 2010, pp. 114-130). By motivating employee ideas and feedback, management usually develops an improved understanding of its employees, workplace situations, and enjoys some new suggestions and ideas for promotion of the project. Avolio and Kahai (2003, pp. 325-415) hold that project leaders also understand both positive and negative comments from people because they allow them to free comment on the project and organization at large. This way, the leaders are capable of making sound and effective decisions. On the other hand, Gray (2009, pp. 60-70) argues that the style has some disadvantages that include demand for experienced and decisive managers; need for managers to encourage staff towards making reasonable comments. This can also weaken the project leaders if they just sit back and let workers make all decisions on their own. What is more, successful project management is the one that uses Laissez-Faire leadership style. According to Barbuto (2005, pp. 24-60), this is also called hands-off leadership style, and it entails a project leader or manager gives no or little guidance and offers workers considerable freedom. Here, leaders give all authority or control to workers, and they should determine objectives or goals make decisions and solve problems independently. The style successful if there are highly competent, educated, and experienced. Project leaders can also employ the style effectively if their workers have a sense of pride in their work, and the motivation to do it effectively independently. This style is also efficient if the company uses external experts, such as, consultants and specialists. It is also vital if there are trustworthy and experienced members of project team. Nevertheless, the style is ineffective if it makes project members of a project or organization feel insecure because of the manager’s unavailability (Lussier 2010, pp. 152-160). In addition to insecurity, the style is unsuccessful if the leader cannot offer regular response to allow workers know if they are doing well. Moreover, Northouse (2010, pp. 114-130) say that the style is inefficient if project managers cannot adequately appreciate workers for good performance. The leadership style may not be effective if project leaders do not understand his duties well and hopes that employees should cover for him. Bureaucratic type of leadership is also fundamental for effective project management. As Northouse (2010, pp. 114-130) puts it, this is because a manager leads or manages the project team in an organization by the book. This implies that everything ought to be performed as per the policy or procedures provided. The Leader refers to the next authority on top if books or documents do not have an outline of the policies or procedures. In such a leadership style, the manager acts more as a police officer than a manager, as he is ought to implement rules of the organization. This leadership style is effective if project team members are conducting their duties and routine responsibilities over and over. The style is also successful if employees require an understanding of some procedures or standards concerning the project at hand. Moreover, Lussier (2010, pp. 152-160) asserts that the leadership is efficient if the workers in a team are working with delicate or dangerous equipment that needs a definite set of guidelines or procedures to operate. Additionally, a project leader can effectively employ the style is security or safety training is necessary in the organization. Besides, such form of leadership works successfully if employees are carrying out tasks that need handling of cash. On contrast, Barbuto (2005, pp. 24-60) maintains that bureaucratic leadership is ineffective when the organization has work routines that are difficult to break, particularly if they are not beneficial in the firm. Further, Avolio and Kahai (2003, pp. 325-415) demonstrate that this form of leadership does not succeed in a situation where workers lose interests on jobs and in their workmates. It is also unworthy to employ such a form of leadership if members of staff in a project management perform just what the authorities require them to without additional tasks. Conclusion For successful project management, it is vital that managers or leaders employ appropriate leadership theories, concepts of styles. There are numerous leadership styles and concepts that are available in today’s leadership, but careful choice and application of them is essential for a project to succeed. Some of the effective leadership styles that project managers or leaders ought to use styles that include transactional leadership, transformational leadership, participative or democratic leadership, laissez faire leadership, and people or relations oriented leadership styles. Transformational, people or relation oriented, transactional, laissez faire leadership styles are instrumental in allowing people to work on their own with minimum supervision. On the other hand, bureaucratic leadership involves a leader’s considerable supervision and control. Each of the leadership described above are appropriate under certain circumstances, and al work towards the effective delivery of quality projects. References Avolio, BJ, & Kahai, SS 2003, ‘Adding the “E” to E-leadership: How it may impact your leadership’, Organizational Dynamics, vol. 31, no.4, pp. 325-415. Doi: 10.1016/S0090- 2616(02)00133-X Bass, B 2006, Transformational leadership, L. Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, N.J. Pp. 4-20. Barbuto, JE 2005, ‘Motivation and transactional, charismatic, and transformational leadership: A test of antecedents’, Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, vol.11, no.4, pp. 26-40. Doi: 10.1177/107179190501100403 Cromb, D 2005, ‘Implementing virtual teams: A guide to organizational and human factors’, Leadership & Organizational Development Journal, vol.26, no. 1, pp. 166-167. Doi: 10.1108/01437730510582608 Gray, J 2009, Spiritual leadership for church officers: a handbook, Geneva Press, Louisville, Ky. Pp. 60-70. Lussier, R 2010, Leadership: theory, application, skill development, SouthWestern/Cengage Learning, Australia. Pp.152-160. Northouse, P 2010, Leadership: theory and practice, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks. Pp.114-130. Pauleen, DJ 2003, Leadership in a global virtual team: An action learning approach’, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 24, no.3, 153-162. Doi: 10.1108/01437730310469570 Read More