Becoming The Influential Project Manager
Becoming The Influential Project Manager
Become the PM every business wants on their projects and in their organization.
👋 Welcome to The Influential Project Manager, a weekly newsletter to elevate your leadership, dive deep into industry best practices, and fast-track your career. Discover the essentials of successful project leadership.
Today’s Overview:
In my early days in this industry, working across various projects, I noticed distinct differences among project leaders. Some were exceptional, elevating every aspect of the job, and inspiring everyone to perform at their peak. They completed projects successfully and had clients returning for more. But there were others who fell short. The client satisfaction in these cases was noticeably lower.
The Influential Project Manager is a unique blend of technical expertise and soft skills, capable of leading people, building high-performance teams, and consistently delivering predictable results. Striving to become an Influential Project Manager can help bring structure to the chaos and set you on a path of growth and success.
Becoming the iPM means being aware of and continuously improving at embodying each of the (7) archetypes: The Communicator, The Enforcer, The Builder, The Leader, The Attorney, The Accountant, & The Business Developer.
Becoming The Influential Project Manager
Navigating the world of complex project management is not a path for the weak-willed.
The project lifecycle is filled with complexity, risks, and numerous challenges that require a dynamic individual to rise to the occasion.
In my early days in this industry, working across various projects, I noticed distinct differences among project leaders.
Some were exceptional, elevating every aspect of the job, solving the toughest problems with ease, always supportive, and inspiring everyone to perform at their peak. They completed projects successfully and had clients returning for more.
But there were others who fell short. They seemed to be constantly in firefighting mode, disorganized, igniting disputes, and were generally challenging to collaborate with. The client satisfaction in these cases was noticeably lower.
This is where the concept of
was born.Amateur PM:
2 steps behind
Makes excuses
Relies on inspiration
Operates on unchecked optimism
Ignores team dynamics
Result: Often delivers late and over Budget
Influential PM:
2 steps ahead
Owns their actions
Relies on discipline
Critically optimistic
Builds team unity
Result: On time, under budget, repeat clients.
The Influential Project Manager is a unique blend of technical expertise and soft skills, capable of leading people, building high-performance teams, and consistently delivering predictable results.
These project managers embody the qualities needed to inspire and motivate their teams, enabling them to overcome obstacles and achieve success even in the face of adversity.
They are the guiding force that steers the project toward its goal, ensuring each team member plays their part to the best of their abilities.
If you've been involved in project management, it's likely you've seen or experienced a well intentioned PM still becoming overwhelmed by the confusion, problems, and pressure inherent in the role. They feel as if they're in a constant cycle of "two steps forward, three steps back."
As the complexity of the project rises, the more project managers and leaders are faced with these types of challenges.
Striving to become an Influential Project Manager can help bring structure to the chaos and set you on a path of growth and success.
What is The Influential Project Manager?
The iPM is the PM every owner wants on their project and in their organization. Why? Because they have positive influence.
The iPM has influence on the people, the situations, the problems, and solutions that occur throughout a project giving them the super power to achieve what’s most desirable - predictable outcomes.
The iPM is constantly creating win-win-win scenarios for all the stakeholders.
The iPM delivers high quality projects by minimizing waste and maximizing value.
The iPM leads a team to victory and takes extreme ownership of everything.
The iPM excels at keeping the entire team on track for a successful completion.
The iPM, above all, places people first. They treat people with respect, inspire others to grow, and continuously improve.
Now that we’ve established the traits and capabilities of an iPM, the question is - how does one transition into becoming an iPM or move closer to that ideal?
The (7) Archetypes of the Influential Project Manager
Becoming the iPM means being aware of and continuously improving at embodying each of the (7) Archetypes.
What is an Archetype?
An archetype is a typical example, pattern, or model that helps people understand each other. These archetypes provide a way to better understand different styles of project management.
1. The Communicator
Always keeps everyone on the same page. A master of CLEAR communication. Very well understood by everyone. They understand their audience and communicate using well chosen thoughts, words, and images.
2. The Enforcer
A master of holding people, organizations, and themselves accountable. Ensures everyone understands the standards set and is meeting them. They’re answerable to the actions and decisions made by them and by who they lead.
3. The Builder
A master of the art of building. They minimize waste and maximize value in the field. Has in-depth knowledge of how to use various construction materials and building systems. Ensures efficient, high quality construction work takes place.
4. The Leader
The one who always puts the team and the mission before themselves. Leads by example and takes extreme ownership. Willingly performs thankless tasks in the shadows. Creates and nurtures other leaders. Motivates others with passionate nonverbal display.
5. The Attorney
The one who understand contracts, contracting, legal obligations, and has the ability to communicate them to stakeholders to mitigate their risk. A superb risk manager.
6. The Accountant
A master of preparing and maintaining important financial information. They can forecast, cash flow, budget, and organize financial information to allow for great decision making and profitability.
iPM Archetype #6 - The Accountant: Budgets, Costs, & Value: Financial Literacy in Project Management
7. The Business Developer
The one who builds trust and healthy relationships. A genuinely authentic and likable human being. Makes people feel good and cares about their well being. One with compelling charm which inspires devotion in others.
Final Takeaways
Each of the above archetypes represent a behavior pattern we can emulate and merge into our own project management style.
Every PM has their archetypes that they lean into naturally. Some are stronger communicators, some are better builders, some gravitate toward the finances, and some are naturally more in tune with relationships.
In my experience, I see most PM’s get comfortable in their natural archetypes and spend majority of their time there. This could result in unnecessary gaps, blind spots, and risk that can impact your project’s success.
The iPM takes responsibility for an entire project which means they are able to successfully embody each of the (7) Archetypes. They understand the people, the critical path, the timeline, the risk, the overall budget, and bring the project to life through other people.
The iPM is ultimately the CEO of their project and they run it as a mini-company — with its own resources, budgets, and scope. They create a team culture and understand the team member dynamics and personalities.
Over the course of the next several newsletters, I’m going to dive deep into each of the (7) Archetypes and share tips, resources, and insights to help you improve at each one so you can continuously provide predictable outcomes.
During this time, I invite you to audit your PM style and identify where you are strengths are and where you might have room to improve.
So, are you ready to rise to the challenge and become the Influential Project Manager that your organization needs?
Embrace the journey, and you will unlock the potential to lead your team to success and make a lasting impact on the world of project management. The path is demanding, but the rewards are truly extraordinary.
Until next week,
Kyle Nitchen
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