Project Lead Report: Leadership Qualities in Project Management

This report, titled "Project Lead," delves into the essential qualities of effective project leadership. It begins by outlining the key attributes of a good project leader, emphasizing adaptability and vision, and highlighting the importance of communication, passion, and problem-solving skills. The report then distinguishes between hard and soft skills, underscoring their combined impact on leadership abilities and overall character development. It explores the concept of leadership in project management, discussing various leadership styles and their adaptability to different team dynamics. Furthermore, the report details a seven-step process for project leaders, including situation evaluation, design, and monitoring. Finally, it synthesizes the key qualities of a successful project manager, emphasizing communication, interpersonal skills, and the ability to inspire and solve problems. The report uses several academic references to support its claims and provides a comprehensive overview of project leadership.

Running head: PROJECT LEAD
Project Lead
Name of Student
Name of University
Author Note

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Executive Summary
1.1 Qualities of a good project leader
According to Lloyd-Walker and Walker (2011), to become a leader in a major project,
individuals need to possess certain qualities that can help them to achieve the greater things
in the project. The qualities of a project leader need to be such that the individuals possessing
it can be able to adapt to the changes that are required in the business environment. In this
regard, the qualities of project leader need to include having a good vision about the ways to
articulate changes in the project. Visionary leaders have the ability to motivate people and
make them feel the things that are most important to them. The provide empowerment to the
people and encourage them to take decisions that help in the development of a good project.
As stated by Müller and Turner (2010) opportunities are provided to the employees to create
own vision. At the same time, other qualities include being communicative and display a
sense of passion and compassion while working with the team. The competence and the
delegation of the roles can help individuals become an effective leader in project
management. Leaders also need to possess the ability to solve complex problems.
1.2 Requirement of hard and soft skills
Hard and soft skills of an individual help in maintaining the proper application of job
and provide an individual with the necessary experience required for success. According to
Zhao, Hwang and Lee (2016), hard and soft skills need to exist side by side so that an
individual can gain the necessary exposure while gaining success at the professional level.
The hard skills are the teachable abilities or the skills required that easy to quantify. On the
other hand, the soft skills are the practical abilities that are derived from the attitudes of the
people. In this regard, it can be said that the hard and soft skills together form the personality
of the individuals. This can have a severe effect on the leadership abilities of an individual

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and consequently help in the development of the character. Hence, it can be said that the
leadership abilities of an individual are affected by the hard and soft skill they possess and the
manner in which they can apply it in the business world. These skills are important for the
effective development of character as well as helping a team to bind together.
1.3 Concept of leadership
Pinto, Patanakul and Pinto (2017) stated that leadership is one of the most important
attributes that individuals need to develop during the managing employees. Without proper
leadership, it can be difficult for individuals to motivate and guide the employees in a proper.
Leadership qualities vary between people based on the personalities and the skills of the
individuals. The ability to lead a group of people and organisations in an effective manner
keeping in mind the goals of the organisations makes an effective leader. In the case of
leadership in project management, it is necessary that the individuals possess certain qualities
that are essential for the successful implementation and development of projects (Fairhurst
and Connaughton 2014). The leadership attributes are defined by the various styles that are
required for the successful guidance of the employees. The styles are based on the
personalities of the individuals. These styles help to ensure that every individual can develop
proper qualities of being a leader and ensure that the teamwork in a cooperative manner.
However, it needs to be kept in mind that the style of leadership styles needs to be in
accordance with the team members. The leadership styles are based on the type of employees
in the organisation.
1.4 Task to undertake to be a good project leader
The task to undertake as a project leader is a seven-step process that is necessary for
conducting a research in a proper manner. The first and foremost task that needs to be done is
the evaluation of a situation. The evaluation of the situation is an important task as the

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environment of the project need to be determined by the implementation of the project. The
evaluation is based on the principles of the environment and the manner in which it can be
implemented for the successful development of a project. According to Northouse (2018), the
analysis of the environment and the resources of the project need to be determined based on
the qualities possessed by the managers. At the same time, the designing of the projects is
also an important factor as the planning need to be done based on the proper implementation
of a design. Hence, it can be said that the necessity of hard and soft skills can be determined
based on the manner in which implementation of a project is processed. The monitoring of
the process of work is another important task that requires being completed so that the leaders
can have a proper closure on the abilities of the employees.
1.5 Qualities of a leader in project management
After the analysis of the assignment, it can be said that to become a project manager it
is necessary that every individual develop certain qualities that are required for the successful
implementation of the project. As stated by Antonakis and Day (2017), one of the essential
qualities of a leader in a project management includes the ability to have excellent
communication and interpersonal skills. In the modern world, maintaining communication
between employee and employer are necessary for the proper conduct of project
management. The ability to share the vision of the leaders and the ability to inspire others is
important for the development of a leader in project management. Another important point
stated by Fairhurst and Connaughton (2014) includes the ability to solve problems. Every
team will face problems in one respect or the other. The ability to solve the problem in a
proper manner and effectively develops the qualities of a leader. Thus, it can be said that
leadership qualities are important for the effective development of project management.

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Reference
Antonakis, J., and Day, D. V. (Eds.). (2017). The nature of leadership. Sage publications.
Fairhurst, G. T., and Connaughton, S. L. (2014). Leadership: A communicative
perspective. Leadership, 10(1), 7-35.
Goleman, D. (2017). Leadership That Gets Results (Harvard Business Review Classics).
Harvard Business Press.
Lloyd-Walker, B., and Walker, D. (2011). Authentic leadership for 21st century project
delivery. International Journal of Project Management, 29(4), 383-395.
Müller, R., and Turner, R. (2010). Leadership competency profiles of successful project
managers. International Journal of Project Management, 28(5), 437-448.
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.
Pinto, J. K., Patanakul, P., and Pinto, M. B. (2017). “The aura of capability”: Gender bias in
selection for a project manager job. International Journal of Project Management, 35(3), 420-
431
Zhao, X., Hwang, B. G., and Lee, H. N. (2016). Identifying critical leadership styles of
project managers for green building projects. International Journal of Construction
Management, 16(2), 150-160.