A Reflective Journal on Project Leadership and Governance Concepts

This reflective journal delves into the student's learning experience in project leadership and governance, highlighting the reasons for choosing the unit, preliminary research on leadership theories, and the potential benefits for a future career as an entrepreneur. The journal discusses the importance of adapting leadership styles to different situations, the changing landscape of project management, and the significance of project governance at both project and organizational levels. It reflects on the development of technical and human skills, emphasizing the need for practical experience and improved communication and leadership aptitudes. The student aims to enhance entrepreneurial skills and become a competent business leader with a clear vision for the company, prepared to capitalize on emerging trends. The document is available on Desklib, a platform offering a variety of study tools, including past papers and solved assignments.

Student name
INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION(S)
PROJECT LEADERSHIP AND
GOVERNANCE

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Introduction
Project Leadership and governance is a function in those fields where inception of concept
and ideas through several milestone takes place for making successful operational delivery.
Governance is highly reliant on structures in places where ultimate factor behind its
implementation is to oversee the structure ethically and in order (Ahmed, et al., 2013). This
journal will reflect upon project leadership and governance while discussing critical
knowledge related to this unit as well as its importance in my career and self-learning.
Why did I choose this unit?
I have chosen this unit for couple of reasons. First, quite frankly speaking, I do not want to
lose the opportunity and benefit of learning slip past me. I was sure to grab this opportunity
as a student, since I was entitled to get enrolled for getting a learning experience related to
my subject i.e. project leadership and governance. Second reason behind selecting is that I
wanted to experience this unit from student perspective specially to develop my leadership
skills to fulfil my desire of becoming successful entrepreneur. Being a curious learner, I spent
majority of my days making research online and through books regarding the subject to get
preliminary knowledge about leadership and governance followed in organisations. While
preparing myself for the unit, I came across many industrial examples that showed how
important leadership controls are in project executions. According to Xiong (2008), project
management and leadership is very significant especially in large firms. The author presented
various examples like implementation of technology and manging people in workplace
during the execution of tasks. Therefore, project execution not only requires governance body
but also qualified leader who can execute the project efficiently.

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Preliminary research made on the topic
In literature, there are many theories related to project leadership like situational,
transformational, transactional, behavioural, participative and skill leadership theories.
However, Ahmed, et al. (2013) argues that although different authors gave different names to
their research, the main motive behind each theory is to provide project leaders with
approaches that motivates followers to complete the given project successfully. According to
Amanchukwu, et al. (2015), leadership cannot be “one size fits all” process where leadership
style requires to be selected and implemented according to situation and organisational needs.
Therefore, it becomes significant for me to gain knowledge about different project leadership
theories and roles so that I can easily acclimate my role as a project leader in future.
According to Too and Weaver (2014), the characteristics and implementation of
project leadership, governance and management is expected to be altered with change in
projects, leadership roles and globalised workplace culture. Moreover, local as well as
international environments are changing in comparatively fast manner due to factors related
to diversification strategies followed in contemporary organisations. This research is
supported by Biesenthal & Wilden (2014) where the authors adds further that four principles
of project governance can be used while governing large projects. These includes: project
management efficiency and effectiveness, portfolio direction, reporting and disclosure of
information and project sponsorship. The project leaders who are responsible in governing
large and small projects should pursue to observe and develop responsibly while performing
other duties related to accountability, effective control, clear work delegation, operative
decision making and involving correct personnel according to the requirements of specific
talent for every level.

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Executing projects are more than following a set of actions and moreover,
contemporary organisations, as defined in literature, follows principles and ways that creates
changes according to modern trends and practices. The necessity of governance exists not
only in project level, but also in organisational level (Biesenthal & Wilden, 2014). The
project governance coincides with corporate governance where their interdependence is
necessary to maintain project success for long term development. According to Nistor and
Beleiu (2014), “even though there are different approaches and opinions about the basic
concepts, it is universally accepted that project governance brings value to all stakeholders”.
In what ways this unit can prove beneficial in my professional career?
Coming back to the reasons behind my choosing this unit is to bring necessary changes in me
through implementation of diversified project management techniques that are quite adaptive
in nature. Honestly speaking, when I started thinking for this unit, I wanted to get enrolled in
innovative thinking and Entrepreneurial practices. As said by Soderlund (2004), project
management is significant to ensure delivery of projects successfully, I think that my interest
in project leadership and governance might be a better choice for my professional career as
an entrepreneur. Professionally, this unit can teach me those skills that relates to
administrative works or at least I can get a glimpse beyond what I usually get to see in my
day to day observations. Addition to it, I have gained historical knowledge regarding higher
administration which according to me proves very fascinating.
As mentioned earlier, through the learnings from this unit, I can implement different project
management and governance techniques required in meeting risks and challenges during
project executions while working in organisational environment in future. My skill model
delivers precise overview of those skills that are significant to be present in leaders. But, to
apply those skills appropriately and according to the situation, I will use the learnings of this

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unit. My technical skills can be seen through the score I had received in my semesters which
according to me can help me in tackling issues during development stages in my units.
Through the professional and personal readings made, I had acquired great knowledge related
to the team leadership and project governance requirements. These experiences include,
participation in group discussion, communicating with classmates and tutors along with going
through literature and researches made by authors related to my chosen subject. However,
there is still more room for development in this regard for which my communicational and
leadership aptitude demands further working on it. Conceptually, my lack in practical
experience in organisational level needs working also since I plan to start up a new company
in my future.
Conclusion
Through mentoring and learning, this unit will help in developing my technical and human
skills related to leadership and governance in organisational and practical level. Additionally,
I will acquire skills to broaden my knowledge further by developing entrepreneurial skills to
achieve my career goals successfully. Through this unit, I can improve my leadership skills
and governance capability and get prepared to become a competent business leader who
possess clear mission and vison for the company and is aware about emerging trends by
possessing abilities to capitalise through them.

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References
Ahmed, R., Azmi, N. & Masood, M. T., 2013. The Essence of Project Leadership is
Significant to Project Management. Research Journal of Recent Sciences, 02(05), pp. 44-48.
Amanchukwu, R. . N., Stanley , G. . J. & Ololube , N. . P., 2015. A Review of Leadership
Theories, Principles and Styles and Their Relevance to Educational Management. Scientific
and Academic Publishing, 05(01), pp. 6-14.
Ahmed, R., Azmi, N. & Masood, M.T., 2013. What Does Project Leadership Really Do?.
International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 04(01), pp. 1-8.
Biesenthal , C. & Wilden, R., 2014. Multi-level project governance: Trends and
opportunities. International Journal of Project Management, Volume 32, pp. 1291-1308.
Nistor, R. & Beleiu, I., 2014. Approaches Regarding The Dimensions of Project Governance.
[Online]
Available at: http://conferinta.management.ase.ro/archives/2014/pdf/101.pdf
[Accessed 02 09 2018].
Soderlund, J., 2004. Building theories of project management: past research, questions for the
future. International Journal of Project Management, Volume 22, pp. 183-191.
Too, E. G. & Weaver, P., 2014. The management of project management: A conceptual
framework for project governance. International Journal of Project Management, 32(08), pp.
1382-1394.
Xiong, R., 2008. Leadership in Project Management. [Online]
Available at: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?

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doi=10.1.1.537.3488&rep=rep1&type=pdf
[Accessed 02 09 2018].