Project Management For Dummies®

Chapter 14. Encouraging Peak Performance by Providing Effective Leadership

In This Chapter

• Clarifying the difference between management and leadership

• Tapping into the different sources of power

• Developing and maintaining motivation

Leadership is one of the most important issues facing organizations today because of the rapid changes that are occurring in every facet of our lives. As a result, a large body of literature has emerged that explores how to guide people to achieve common goals in a wide variety of settings.

When working in a matrix environment (see Chapter 9 for more specifics about the matrix structure), your project's success depends on your ability to organize, coordinate, and support a diverse team that's working toward a common goal. Often these people come from different areas of your organization, have different operating styles, and don't report to you administratively. Successfully guiding such a group of people requires both vision and structure.

This chapter discusses tips for aligning, focusing, and motivating the people supporting your project to maximize the chances for your project's success.

Practicing Management and Leadership

Leadership and management are two related but distinct sets of behaviors for guiding and supporting people through the stages of a project. Management focuses on creating plans and assessing performance; leadership emphasizes defining a vision and encouraging other people to help make that vision a reality. Management focuses on systems, ...