Salford Business School

MSc. in Project Management

Final Assignment
Project Management, Leadership and Skills: Planning and Control

Students ID:

@00440960

Word count:

Main Body (excl. figures): 3173

I declare herewith, that this paper is my own original work.

2015

ABSTRACT
A project manager needs to have both leadership and management skills in other to deliver a
successful project. This article review many theories on what leadership is and how to be an effective
leader. The applicability of these theories in a project environment is discussed as well as the project
managers role as a leader. Teambuilding, communication and motivation skills are identified as
required competencies for a project manager to be a good leader. Apart the large number of leadership
theories, little research on their effectiveness on project environments has been done. Empirical
investigations correlating project success and leadership are encouraged to obtain conclusive results.

Contents
1

Introduction........................................................................................................................ 4

Leadership.......................................................................................................................... 4

Evolution of Leadership Theories ..................................................................................... 5

Leadership in Projects........................................................................................................ 6

Project Managers Role as a Leader .................................................................................. 7

5.1

Teambuilding......................................................................................................................... 8

5.2

Communication ................................................................................................................... 10

5.3

Motivation ........................................................................................................................... 10

Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 12

References........................................................................................................................ 13

Introduction

The success of a project depends on the ability of the project manager in not only managing the
technical aspects, but also leading people. The people side of the project, or soft side, is indicated
by many project managers as one of the main causes of projects not achieving their objectives
(Anderson, 2010). Mabelo (2011) mentions that lack of leadership skills by the project manager is a
recurrent reason of project failure. Recently, a survey conducted by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fr
Projektmanagement [GPM] (2010) in 49 countries found that projects perceived as highly successful
were the ones that obtained the highest scores in its leadership index.
Many reasons contribute to the complexity of leading people in projects. Maylor (2010) points to the
several components influencing the project managers role, both individual factors, e.g., skills,
experience and education of the project manager, and environmental factors such as motivation of
the team, culture, organization structure and nature of the project. The limited literature available on
leadership in projects and little research on the soft side of project management is also recognized
as one of the problems (Anderson, 2010; Muller & Turner, 2007; Tyssen, Wald, & Spieth, 2013).
Wald et al. argue that despite the large amount of researches on leadership, most theories target stable
organizations, and are not suitable, or need to be adapted, for temporary organizations such as
projects.
This paper intends to review and discuss the role of leadership and teambuilding in project
management.
2

Leadership

Leadership can be defined as the ability of achieving results from other people through influence
(Maylor, 2010). For DuBrin (2004), leadership is reaching objectives through communication with
others. Tracy (2014) mentions two different definitions, the ability to elicit extraordinary
performance from ordinary people and the ability to attract followers. Fiedler (1971) highlighted the
myriad of different definitions that can be found in the literature and Sternberg, Cianciolo and
Antonakis (2004) stated that it does not exist one widely accepted definition for leadership due to its
complex nature. In any case, leadership is people-related and in projects, it has to deal with
influencing or stimulating people to achieve their best performance and work as a team towards
reaching the projects goals.
Leadership is often confused with management. Maylor (2010) defines management as the discipline
of applying authority and administrating through the power granted by the organizations structure.
Sternberg et al. (2004) states that management is goal-oriented, based on rationality and bureaucracy,
while leadership is purpose driven, based on ideals and vision. For Sternberg et al., both

characteristics are complementary and required for a successful organization. According to Mullins
(2013), being a leader does not imply being a manager and vice versa, although there is a deep
relationship between the two. Mullins relates leadership to motivation, communication,
empowerment and teambuilding. Muller and Turner (2010) defends that a project manager who does
not show strengths in both competences will struggle to maintain a high-performing team and is
entitled to fail in the long-term. While in an organization a line manager may lack some of the
leadership skills and still obtain success, the nature of projects requires from the project manager both
the capacity to manage quality, time, and resources and the ability to lead, motivate and develop the
team.
3

Evolution of Leadership Theories

The first leadership theories date from 500 BC in ancient China, when Confucius identified the four
virtues of a leader: relationships (jen), values (xiao), process (li) and moderation (zhang rong)
(Collinson, 1998). Over the last 80 years, many leadership theories have emerged and they can be
separated into different schools (Muller & Turner, 2007). The earliest approach was the qualities or
traits approach, which proposed that leaders are born and not made (Maylor, 2010). The idea is that
leaders have specific characteristics that cannot be taught or trained and differentiate them from the
others. Critics of this theory argue that while some inherited traits may help to become a good leader,
training and development are required to improve them (Mullins, 2013). The list of traits is extensive
and different authors do not agree on which are the most important (Mullins, 2013; Maylor, 2010).
Kirkpatrick & Locke (1991), for example, mentions honesty, intelligence and drive, among others,
while Turner (1993, cited in Muller & Turner, 2010) mentions perspective, initiative and
communication.
The behavioral or styles approach is built on identifying the behavior the leader should have to be
effective. Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1973) developed the most recognized behavioral theory. They
concluded that three forces are important when deciding the leadership style: forces in the manager,
in the subordinates and in the situation. A good leader should be able to identify these forces and
behave appropriately, being perceptive and flexible (Mullins, 2013). Maylor (2010) states that the
behavioral approaches try to establish a recipe for leadership and that the results obtained are
inconclusive. However, the styles approaches served as basis for many other leadership theories, such
as the contingency models.
The contingency or situational approach recognizes there is no style of leadership suitable for all
situations. These theories states that the situation should drive the choice of the leader, favoring the
person who has the most effective characteristics for that specific case. Mullins (2013) points that it

is not practical in the work environment to let the situation determine the leader, although recognizes
that it is one of the factors that must be taken in account.
The visionary or transformational school states there are two types of leadership: transformational
and transactional. The first one is focused on relationships, creating high levels of motivation and
commitment through the organization; and the second one focuses on process, built on the structure
of the organization and based on work outcomes and rewards (Muller & Turner, 2007). These theories
have been driven by the need to use more effectively human resources and to change organizations
(Mullins, 2013).
Each one of the approaches has its benefits and its problems. Leadership is a complex field of study
and depends on innumerous variables such as cultural aspects, characteristics and behaviors of the
leader and the followers and the organization in question (Mullins, 2013). Therefore, leadership is
dynamic and no single theory is capable to provide a recipe to be a good leader. There is no leadership
style or set of characteristics considered effective in all situations and organizations.
4

Leadership in Projects

Despite the large number of theories and papers published in the field of leadership, the literature
available about leadership in projects is still reduced (Yang, Huang, & Wu, 2011; Anderson, 2010;
Muller & Turner, 2007; Tyssen et al., 2013). Muller and Turner (2010) proposed an integrated model
for the leadership in projects based on the work of Dulewicz and Higgs (2003). The model
encompasses characteristics of several different leadership theories and tries to identify traits,
emotional competencies, behaviours and styles of effective leaders. Those leadership competencies
are grouped in 15 profiles appropriate in different circunstances depending on the project type, the
project team, the organization, the culture and the context (Muller & Turner, 2010).
Maylor (2010) proposes a model to study the role of leadership and management in influencing the
outcome of the project, exhibited in figure 1. According to the model, the leadership style to be
adopted is defined by the individual skills and attitudes of the individual and the required project
managers role for the project. Those are influenced by the personality of the leader, his previous
experiences, education and training, the organization culture and structure, the nature of the task and
the people participating in the project. Although, Maylor mentions that the influence of the style
adopted by the leader on the outcome will also depend on external factors such as culture and politics.
It is not straight-forward that an appropriate leadership style will result in positive project outcomes.

Figure 1: Role of leadership and management. Adapted from Project Management (4th ed) (p. 267) by Maylor, H.,
2010, Harlow: Pearson. Copyright 2010 by Pearson. Adapted with permission.

There are many similarities on the models proposed by Maylor (2010) and Muller and Turner (2010).
Both believe that the leadership style adopted by the project manager is a contributor for the project
success, and that the effectiveness of a leader is governed not only by his individual characteristics
but also by the environment around him, the team members and external factors. This idea is also
supported by Kerzner (2013), which states that the leader, the people being led and the project
environment should be studied when analyzing leadership.
Although leadership is important for project success, there is still little evidence of the relationship
between project performance, teamwork and leadership, requiring more research in this field to
develop the current models (Yang et al., 2011). Tyssen et al. (2013) studied several leadership theories
applied to projects and considered that they only partially address the characteristics of a temporary
organization. Tyssen et al. suggests that combining the researches in the fields of team and leadership
is necessary to obtain conclusive results about effectiveness of leadership in projects.
Project Managers Role as a Leader

The project managers position involves performing various roles in order to deliver a project
successfully. Some of the roles of the project manager include:

Plan activities, schedule and budget

Control time, quality and money

Select, develop and motivate the project team

Communicate with stakeholders

Take decisions

Solve problems

Negotiate and contract

To perform these roles and ensure that the different requirements of the stakeholders are met, the
project manager needs certain skills. These skills include; communication skills, management skills,
interpersonal skills, vision, ability to motivate and develop people, ability to influence others, problem
solving skills, critical analysis and strategic perspective (Kerzner, 2013; Muller & Turner, 2010;
Zulch, 2014).
The project manager most important roles as a leader is to develop the team and ensure good
teamwork. This process is known as teambuilding. It is an ongoing process intended to establish an
effective and productive team and maintain it until the end of the project. It is considered a vital factor
for the success of a project and is heavily based on the communication and motivation skills of the
leader (Yang et al., 2011; Zulch, 2014).
5.1 Teambuilding
While a group is simply a collection of people, a team is characterized by producing a better output
together than the sum of output of the individuals working alone (Maylor, 2010). Other characteristics
of teams are enabling options by exploring different perspectives, better decision-making, higher
levels of motivation and tendency to take more risks. According to Kerzner (2013), teambuilding
involves the continuous application of the following steps by the project manager:

Staffing: choosing a qualified person for a position/role

Training: teaching and capacitating the team

Supervising: giving instructions and guidance

Delegating: assigning work, giving responsibilities and authority

Motivating: encouraging better performance by satisfying needs, rewarding or appealing

Counseling: giving feedbacks and helping solve problems

Coordinating: monitor activities carried out and minimize conflicts

Teams have a lifecycle with different stages of development, each of them with a different
effectiveness profile. These phases are collection, entrenchment, resolution, synergy and decline, as
shown in figure 2 (Maylor, 2010). The project manager must work to keep the team operating at an
effective stage and avoid the decline phase before the end of the project.

Figure 2: Effectiveness of a team during its lifecycle (in red the desired area). Adapted from Project Management (4th
ed) (p. 247) by Maylor, H., 2010, Harlow: Pearson. Copyright 2010 by Pearson. Adapted with permission.

The entrenchment phase is characterized by rising of many conflicts between the project team
members. Common problems in this phase include disenchantment with the project goals,
competition for power and general confusion with the work being carried. If the leader does not act
to solve these issues, the team can be dissolved and the project fail. On the other hand, if the team
passes this phase, trust and confidence emerges, and the team starts a very productive phase, resulting
in the establishment of the effective team.
Maylor (2010) points out eight characteristics the project manager should pursue to nurture effective
teamwork:
1. Establish a clear, challenging goal
2. Create a results-oriented organization
3. Choose competent team-members
4. Build commitment to the team and to the project
5. Encourage collaboration between team members
6. Institute high performance standards
7. Support and recognize good work
8. Base the leadership in principles such as ethics, fairness and honesty
Within projects, in addition to the general teambuilding issues, the leader faces extra challenges to
establish an effective team:

Tendency to inherit the team: the manager cant choose or has limited options to form the
project team

Limited duration of the project: not enough time to get to know or develop the team

Employees still assigned to a functional position: lack of commitment and difficulties to

motivate the team

Project members have higher functions in the hierarchy: problems to establish authority
and lack of credibility as a leader

Project lifecycle: each phase has very different tasks, requiring different skills from the
manager and the team

Those aforementioned pitfalls represent a threat to the project, requiring extra attention from the
project manager to mitigate them.
5.2 Communication
Communication can be a powerful ally or the worst enemy of a project manager, depending on his
ability to understand and be understood. Effective communication foster the confidence required to
inspire others to follow and trust a leader (Zulch, 2014). It may be used, for example, to gather support
from senior management, gain respect from team members, resolve conflicts, motivate and inspire
the team and influence stakeholders. Bad communication results in conflicts, rework,
misunderstandings and delays and is a serious risk to the project.
The communication is a two-way process, where the manager gives and receives information. It
occurs upwards, to senior management, downwards, to project personnel and lateral, to peers,
customers and other groups (Kerzner, 2013). The project manager should master the skills of writing,
speaking, listening and presenting. As a leader, he should be able to communicate in a clear way and
using appropriate language, ensuring agreement on what is being communicated to avoid
misinterpretations and wrong expectations. The team expects constructive feedbacks from the leader,
instigating them to grow and perform better. The leader should be open and certify that the team feels
comfortable to communicate with him, creating a relationship based on trust and sincerity.
The project manager can improve the communication effectiveness by establishing multiple channels,
being aware of his expressions, communicating face-to-face and at a proper time, checking the
sensitivity of the receiver and using redundancy (saying the same thing in two different ways).
5.3 Motivation
A team is made of individuals and individuals need to be motivated to perform. Maylor (2010) reports
that people work better and faster when they gain pride and satisfaction from their tasks. Muller and

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Turner (2010) showed that motivational capabilities are associated to project success in all types of
projects. These capabilities include the ability of the leader to motivate himself and the others in a
project. There are several theories on what motivates people:

Taylorism: believes that to increase productivity the worker should be scientifically matched
to the task and any attempt of motivation should be only financial (Mackay, 2007). This is
applicable to tasks at the lowest levels of the project.

Maslows hierarchy of needs: states that individuals have a hierarchy of needs (see figure 3)
and as soon the requirements of one level are fulfilled, the individual jumps to the next level
(Maslow, 1954, cited in Kerzner, 2013). The levels are physiological, safety, social, selfesteem and self-actualization.

Herzbergs motivation hygiene: Herzberg focus on rewarding the individuals to improve

performance. He categorized needs in two factors: hygiene or motivational. Hygiene are mustmeet factors to avoid dissatisfaction and motivational are those factors which if increased
result in better motivation (Maylor, 2010).

Intrinsic/extrinsic motivators: intrinsic motivators are factors related to the task itself and
refers to doing something because it is exciting or significant e.g. meaningfulness of work;
extrinsic motivators are external to the task and refers to doing something due to its outcomes
e.g rewards, recognition or pressure (Ryan & Deci, 2000; Muller & Turner, 2010).

Figure 3: Maslows hierarchy of needs. Adapted from Project Management (4th ed) (p. 276) by Maylor, H., 2010,
Harlow: Pearson. Copyright 2010 by Pearson. Adapted with permission.

Combining Maslows, Herzberg and the intrinsic/extrinsic theories it is possible for the project
manager to have a foundation of how to motivate the team. The three lowest levels of the Maslows
model should be provided to avoid dissatisfaction of the individuals, but increasing them above the
necessary will not result in better performance. The two upper levels should define the type of actions
and systems that will provide the motivating factors, which can be intrinsic or extrinsic to the work
being carried. The project manager should expend some time to find which motivating factors are

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more appropriate to the team, e.g., some people may feel motivated by receiving recognition from a
superior, while others may feel motivated when solving a complicated problem or being part of a
large project. Kerzner (2013) states ways of motivating project staff:

Provide challenges

Define performance expectations

Give credit

Give honest appraisals

Provide a good work environment

Develop team attitude

Give rewards
Conclusion

A project manager needs to have both leadership and management skills in other to deliver a
successful project. Many theories tried to explain what is leadership and how to be an effective leader.
The most accepted is that leadership depends on the traits, behaviors, education and experience of the
leader, and is influenced by the situation, the project team and by the external environment. There is
no leadership style considered effective in all situations and a good leader should be able to adapt to
the circumstances of each project.
Of all the leadership skills a project manager should have, teambuilding is one of the most important.
Teambuilding is the process of gathering a group of people and transforming them into an effective
team. It involves selecting, developing and coordinating the team members so they perform better as
a team as they would do individually. Communication and motivation are essential in this process.
Individuals that feel motivated work better and faster, therefore the project manager should spend
some time on understanding what motivates his team. The characteristics of a project, e.g.
temporariness, lifecycle, limited duration, can be a challenge to establish an effective team and should
be paid attention by the project manager.
Leadership is considered by many authors to be a critical success factor for projects, although there
is still little research in this area showing conclusive results of the effects of leadership on the
outcomes of a project. Examples of good efforts in this field of study are the work carried out by
Muller and Turner (2010), Tyssen et al. (2013) and Yang et al. (2011). Empirical researches that
evaluate the correlation between project success, team performance and leadership are encouraged to
better understanding of leadership effectiveness in projects.

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