Leadership in Project Management - Tim Parker

Running head: LEADERSHIP IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Leadership in Project Management: Tim Parker
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

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Table of Contents
Executive Summary...................................................................................................................2
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................3
2. Style of Leadership deployed by Tim Parker.........................................................................3
3. Effectiveness of the Leadership Behaviours Displayed by Tim Parker.................................4
4. Impact of the Leadership Behaviours on the Project across the Lifecycle............................5
5. Conclusion..............................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................8

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Executive Summary
The main aim of this report is to understand the style and behaviour of leadership for a
popular leader, Tim Parker in the Sydney Metro project. Leadership can be referred to as the
procedure, by which any executive could easily direct, guide as well as influence the
subsequent behaviour as well as work of others towards successful accomplishment of the
specified objectives within a significant situation. It is the significant capability of the
manager in inducing the sub ordinates for working with high confidence and zeal. Every
leader should comprise of leadership skills for the core purpose of influencing behaviour of
all other members. It is even defined as the major capacity of influencing a group towards the
subsequent objective realization. The leaders are needed to develop futuristic visions and
even for motivation of the organizational members in achieving these visions. This report has
properly analysed the leadership style and quality of Tim Parker for managing Sydney Metro
project.

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1. Introduction
Tim Parker is the present director of project for the popular project of Sydney Metro
City and Southwest. He had been appointed as the project director from the initiation of the
work and has been working with his team for extending the network beyond Chatswood and
also through an under the harbour crossing (Sydney Metro Project. 2019). He has completed
his education from London South Bank University and has been working for more than 25
years in leading and developing project teams on few of the largest projects in the world. The
most popular projects involve the Eastern Harbour Crossing in Hong Kong, the Sydney
Harbour Tunnel, Melbourne Metro, Hong Kong International Airport and many more.
2. Style of Leadership deployed by Tim Parker
Tim Parker has always followed democratic leadership style in his work. Due to his
leadership skills, it had been quite easier for him to deliver the best work. The democratic
leadership is where different people, who will be considered as unequal by different
hierarchical standards, have eventually shared power for taking proper decision (Daft, 2014).
A democratic leader eventually focus on subsequent collaboration as well as free flowing of
ideologies. These specific leaders will enable he shared participation within the process of
decision-making and they even take the decision to be the significant part of the committee.
Tim Parker has ensured that responsibility is being shared amongst all the team
members of Sydney Metro project with him present for offering better guidance and even
keeping discussions controlled and balanced (Bolman & Deal, 2017). As a result, there is a
mutual respect within several team members involved, who can create a positive work place
for all the staff. These leaders are being seen in the positions in several non-profit companies
and projects and hence Parker did not face any complexity while managing the team
eventually. He has promoted team work and collaboration majorly and is allowing the project

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to excel and to become successful. The leadership qualities and skills have helped the
members in remaining engaged, productive and motivated.
3. Effectiveness of the Leadership Behaviours Displayed by Tim Parker
Tim Parker has been following democratic leadership style in his work. He had been
putting higher expectations on work quality and as a result, better work is being obtained in
the project without much complexity (Antonakis & Day, 2017). He wanted informed
opinions from the team members, while getting involved. The first and the foremost trait or
attribute, followed by this particular leader is promotion of free flow of ideas. He has been
taking ideas as resources for making the team decisions much more effective and efficient, as
compared to other leaders. The second trait of Tim Parker is showing true inspiration of
respect and trust (Kane & Patapan, 2014). The staff or team members feel comfortable in
sharing of ideas with the core knowledge that are being taken for building sustainable
relationships.
The effectiveness of the leadership behaviours of Tim Parker shows that there is an
emphasis on the values and morality. Being a democratic leader, he comprises of a belief
system, on the basis of morality and ethics (McKeown & Carey, 2015). There had been
subsequent facilitations of the interactions for betterment of the team. Competence is yet
another vital significance that is being followed by Tim Parker in his project work. Different
ideas are being used and analysed at the same time for better execution of the plan. A balance
and control of work is being facilitated for the free flowing conversation. Parker is an honest
and open minded democratic leader for dealing with different opinions of his staff (Mariotti,
2014). Although, he might not always agree with the ideas and logic of the staff, he still
listens to every ideas and then take them into account for ensuring that no idea is being
missing out.

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The effectiveness of the leadership behaviours for Tim Parker has provided his with
the major opportunity to involve several team members from different backgrounds. Due to
the presence of democratic process focusing on group equality as well as free flow of ideas,
the respective group leader, Parker has offered better guidance and control (Terzi & Derin,
2016). The team members are majorly encouraged for sharing their ideas and creativity is
rewarded and motivated eventually. Different traits of this leader involve honesty,
intelligence, courage, innovation, competence and fairness. Being a strong democratic leader,
respect is ensured on top level and the end result had been good for the leader. Parker has
always shown his acute leadership skills that have helped them in persuading his entire team
to seek defined objectives enthusiastically (Flynn, 2015). As a result, good working culture
and attitude is maintained in the team for delivering high performances. Moreover, Parker has
balanced his soft skills with the strong drive.
4. Impact of the Leadership Behaviours on the Project across the Lifecycle
The impact of democratic leadership behaviour of Tim Parker has been extremely
strong for the entire project lifecycle. There had been an increased efficiency in the work for
ensuring that the workers are highly experienced and skilled (Jurek & Scime, 2014). The
leadership behaviour has allowed Tim Parker in capitalizing on the individual talents as well
as strengths of the employees and even gain advantages from the power of the entire project
lifecycle. Parker has been able to increase the staff productivity and involve a diversity of
ideas. Moreover, there would be a creative environment in the project and all the staff are
able to obtain major effectiveness and efficiency in the work (Peker, Inandi & Giliç, 2018).
Stronger team is being made for the project to be executed in Australia and as a result,
admiration and trust within the team members is increased subsequently.

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Due to the high positive impact of such leadership behaviours, Tim Parker and hi
team is able to complete the first stage of the Sydney Metro project successfully. The first
stage of this particular project was Sydney Metro North west and currently this particular
team is working on the second stage that would extend the network beyond Chatswood and
also through the harbour crossing. They would have to reach to the Sydney Metro South west
through the second stage of the project work (Sydney Metro Project. 2019). The stage 2 of
this project would be providing every required extra stations within the CBD and also
eradicate congestions and traffic in the broader railway network. As Tim Parker is a
democratic leader, he had been able to involve innovation in the work and consider creativity
and team work on top priority. It has led to better job satisfaction as well as incremented
productivity and performances (Genovese, 2017). He even keeps a record of all the suggested
ideas and ideologies, since each and every approach could not be utilized eventually.
The entire process of decision making had been effective for the project work and
benefits are gained to a high level. As a result, a streamlined decision making process is being
created and the most appropriate people are involved in the phenomenon (Bolman & Deal,
2017). Moreover, he has turned rejection into a next opportunity with better communication
and interaction with the team members, which is yet another vital aspect of the democratic
leadership style. Better cooperation and collaboration of work is the next significant aspect
and trait that is being followed by the democratic leader, Tim Parker (Kane & Patapan, 2014).
Sydney Metro is considered as the largest public transport project in the entire Australia and
although the first stage is being completed successfully, the second stage is still in progress.
5. Conclusion
Therefore, a conclusion can be drawn that leadership can be referred to as an
important and significant skills and requirements that is needed in the business for ensuring

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that better effectiveness and efficiency is gained under every circumstance. It is an inter
personal procedure, where a manager is into influencing or guiding the workers towards
proper achievement of objectives. It also denotes fewer qualities to be present within an
individual that involves personality, maturity and intelligence. The leader is being included in
shaping as well as moulding the group behaviour towards successful accomplishment of the
organizational goals. The above-provided report has appropriately analysed the leadership
qualities of Tim Parker, the Project Director of a popular Australian project, Sydney Metro.
He had been following democratic leadership style in his work, so that all the team members
get equal chance in sharing their views and the decision is being taken after discussing with
these members.

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References
Antonakis, J., & Day, D. V. (Eds.). (2017). The nature of leadership. Sage publications.
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and
leadership. John Wiley & Sons.
Daft, R. L. (2014). The leadership experience. Cengage Learning.
Flynn, S. I. (2015). Authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire leadership. Research
Starters: Sociology.
Genovese, M. (2017). The presidential dilemma: Revisiting democratic leadership in the
American system. Routledge.
Jurek, S. J., & Scime, A. (2014). Achieving Democratic Leadership: A Data‐Mined
Prescription. Social Science Quarterly, 95(1), 97-110.
Kane, J., & Patapan, H. (Eds.). (2014). Good democratic leadership: on prudence and
judgment in modern democracies. OUP Oxford.
Mariotti, S. L. (2014). Adorno on the radio: democratic leadership as democratic
pedagogy. Political Theory, 42(4), 415-442.
McKeown, M., & Carey, L. (2015). Democratic leadership: a charming solution for nursing’s
legitimacy crisis. Journal of clinical nursing, 24(3-4), 315-317.
Peker, S., Inandi, Y., & Giliç, F. (2018). The Relationship between Leadership Styles
(Autocratic and Democratic) of School Administrators and the Mobbing Teachers
Suffer. European Journal of Contemporary Education, 7(1), 150-164.

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Sydney Metro Project. (2019). [online]. Accessed from
https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/Event/sydney-metro-project [Accessed on 09
January 2020].
Terzi, A. R., & Derin, R. (2016). Relation between Democratic Leadership and
Organizational Cynicism. Journal of Education and Learning, 5(3), 193-204.