Managing Project Teams: Leadership Styles, Tools, and Techniques

This case study explores the different leadership styles, tools, and techniques used to manage project teams effectively. It discusses the democratic leadership style, decision making, leadership skills, and interpersonal skills. It also covers tools and techniques for managing communication outside the project group and using power to motivate team members. Additionally, it provides methods for developing self-managed teams for agile projects and steps to alleviate challenges faced by the project team. The report concludes with recommendations for long-term success.

Running head: CASE STUDY
CASE STUDY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Analysis...........................................................................................................................................2
Leadership style chosen...............................................................................................................2
Tools and techniques used to influence the team........................................................................3
Tools and techniques to manage communication outside the project group...............................4
Power used to motivate the team members.................................................................................5
Methods for developing self-managed teams for agile project...................................................6
Steps to be taken by the project manager to alleviate the challenges faced by the project team.7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
When an organization plans to undertake some new project or some new ideology, they
will be required to ensure that they are successfully able to manage the different teams as present
effectively. In addition to this, they will be required to make use of various tools and software’s
to ensure that the project team is influenced in the right manner (Archibald & Archibald, 2016).
Additionally, the power dynamics in the firm may also be required to be maintained effectively.
In line of this, the given report aims to highlight the different leadership styles, tools and
techniques along with power dynamics which are required to manage a team effectively. Certain
recommendations will also be provided.
Analysis
Leadership style chosen
After the analysis of the highlighted project team it could be rightfully understood that,
the leadership style which is required to be followed by the leader in lieu of managing the project
team can be stated to be the democratic leadership style (Lock, 2017). The democratic
leadership style can also be known as the participative leadership style or the shared leadership
style. In this leadership style, the different members of the group who are belonging in a team
have a rather participative role in the decision making process which is undertaken by the firm.
The reason why this democratic leadership style is highly recommended is because it tends to
make use of the views and perceptions of all the employees as present in the workplace and this
tends to further encourage them to perform well in the long run (Northouse, 2018). The
particular leadership style is one of the most effective leadership styles and has various benefits
like the higher productivity, better contributions from the different team members, and increased
morale of the different employees. Moreover, as all the members of the project team is a

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qualified expert, then in this case, their views should be respected and provided utmost
importance.
Tools and techniques used to influence the team
For the head of a project team, it is very important to have a strong influence on the
different team members as present as it goes a long way in assisting the overall operations of the
different team members and ensure that the overall goals as well as the objectives of the team are
achieved (Kerzner & Kerzner, 2017). The different tools as well as the techniques which can be
used by the team head can be stated to be as follows:
1. Decision Making: The ability to undertake decisions and make the right choices is most
crucial to the organization and hence, the manager would be required to have the strong
decision making skill which would assist him in choosing the best options which will be
beneficial for the firm in the long run.
2. Leadership: Next in line the head of the project management team would be required to
portray the Leadership skills which would ensure that, the different employees can be
encouraged to perform well and assisted to achieve their overall skills as well as the
objectives (Noe et al., 2017). The project manager needs to ensure that they are able to
maintain a constant communication with the different members.
3. Interpersonal skills: This technique aligns with the leadership skill which asks the project
manager to engage in close relationship with the different managers as present. In
addition to this, the particular aspect, also aims to ensure that the manager is able to make
the project more efficiently.
4. Compromise/Reconcile

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5. The compromise and reconciliation form an essential part of the organization and with
respect to this, it becomes considerably important for the project head to take
considerable steps through which they will be able to solve the different employee
problems and additionally engage in a win win situation which will allow the
organization to move forward smoothly (Heagney, 2016).
Tools and techniques to manage communication outside the project group
In order to ensure that the organization is successfully able to maintain the chain of
communication and communicate outside the project group, a project manager would be required
to undertake the use of consistent tools which will ensure that the communication is maintained
effectively outside the project group. The following tools and techniques of communication can
be maintained throughout:
1. Chat messaging: The chat messaging forms an integral communication tool which can be
largely used by the different managers in order to ensure that they are able to engage in
an effective communication with the members outside the team and are able to maintain
an account of it as well.
2. Intranet: The intranet can also be used as a medium to ensure that the team can
communicate effectively with the different members as present outside the organization.
In line of this, it can be stated that, the social intranet can be used to communicate
effectively (Harrison & Lock, 2017).
3. Discussion Forum: The discussion forum can also be used as a medium by the project to
communicate outside their domain. In this manner, it can be rightfully mentioned that the
organization will be able to maintain transparent communication.

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Power used to motivate the team members
The power can be rightfully used as an ability to influence the different members as
present in a project team and with respect to this, it is important for the project head or the team
leader to ensure that he is successfully able to determine the nature of the team and exert the
right kind of power which will go a long way in ensuring that the team is able to find success in
the long run and achieve its long run objectives (DeCenzo, Robbins & Verhulst, 2016). There
are 5 major types of power available for the project head can be stated to be as follows:
Reward Power
Legitimate Power
Referent Power
Expert Power
Representative Power
Out of these given types of power, the power which can be made use of by the project
head can be stated to be the Expert Power. In the expert power, the power either depends on the
special knowledge as well as the ability (Brewster, Chung & Sparrow, 2016). This is the best
kind of benefit and the different members can attain and get influenced by their own goals and
objectives. The main driver in this kind of a power can be stated to be experience and this
method can be stated to be the most commonly used method in order to influence other
individuals (Bratton & Gold, 2017). For the project team, this kind of a power can be assumed
to be the most effective type of power because, it will allow the different project team members
to motivate themselves. In addition to this, it will also allow the different managers of the project
teams to see to it that they are successfully able to motivate the different members without any

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additional effort. Hence, in line of this, in this process, the different members as present in the
organization should be assisted with the goal design and achievement which will ensure that the
different members as present in the firm are able to understand what their primary goals and
objectives are and they need to be provided with adequate training which will assist them in
achieving those goals.
Methods for developing self-managed teams for agile project
In order to ensure that a firm is able to attain success in the long run and perform well
with respect to the agile projects, self-management becomes considerably important. The
following methods can be applied in order to develop the self-managed teams:
1. Hiring self-sufficient employees
It is important for the organization to ensure that if they want to attain success in the long
run then in case they would be required to hire self-sufficient employees. This is because,
through this medium, they will be able to engage in self-management and will also be able to
attain all the goals as well as objectives in the long run(Boyle, 2017). Moreover, the self-
sufficient employees would require minimum guidance from the different members and the
different senior which will assist in ensuring that, they are able to attain the goals and manage the
overall operations successfully.
2. Promoting Transparency
Moreover, promoting transparency is also a good medium of ensuring self-management.
This is because, when the employees will observe that they are being treated with utmost respect
and honesty, then in such a case, they will be able to ensure that all their goals as well as
objectives are achieved and ultimately the goals and objectives of the firm are also achieved.

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Steps to be taken by the project manager to alleviate the challenges faced by the project
team
The different steps which will be taken as a project manager to alleviate challenges faced
are as follows:
 Regular meetings: The project manager will be required to hold regular meetings through
which he can alleviate any challenge. Once the manager is able to hold regular meetings,
then in such an instance he will be able to ensure that all the goals and objectives of the
firm are achieved successfully.
 Transparent communication: The team members are required to maintain transparent
communication (Binder, 2016). This will ensure that they are successfully able to solve
each other`s queries and prevent any challenge which takes place.
 Employee engagement: The employee engagement forms an effective part of the
organization and if the different members of the project team want to ensure that they are
able to maintain transparency and resolve challenges, then in this case, they will be
required to engage in engagement (Bovée, Thill & Raina, 2016).
Conclusion
Therefore, from the above analysis as done in this report, it is important to understand
that the management of the team members is not an easy task and the project team manager
would be required to undertake considerable steps which will ensure that, there remains harmony
within the scope of the team and that the overall goals of the team can be achieved. In addition to
this, the report laid down the different recommended procedures and techniques to be adopted by
the project head to ensure long term success.

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References
Archibald, R. D., & Archibald, S. (2016). Leading and Managing Innovation: What Every
Executive Team Must Know about Project, Program, and Portfolio Management.
Auerbach Publications.
Binder, J. (2016). Global project management: communication, collaboration and management
across borders. Routledge.
Bovée, C. L., Thill, J. V., & Raina, R. L. (2016). Business communication today. Pearson
Education India.
Boyle, G. (2017). Design project management. Routledge.
Bratton, J., & Gold, J. (2017). Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave.
Brewster, C., Chung, C., & Sparrow, P. (2016). Globalizing human resource management.
Routledge.
DeCenzo, D. A., Robbins, S. P., & Verhulst, S. L. (2016). Fundamentals of Human Resource
Management, Binder Ready Version. John Wiley & Sons.
Harrison, F., & Lock, D. (2017). Advanced project management: a structured approach.
Routledge.
Heagney, J. (2016). Fundamentals of project management. Amacom.
Kerzner, H., & Kerzner, H. R. (2017). Project management: a systems approach to planning,
scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Lock, D. (2017). The essentials of project management. Routledge.

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Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2017). Human resource
management: Gaining a competitive advantage. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Education.
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.