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TOPIC: TEAM LEADERSHIP BLOG
DATE: 23-10-2019
Reference: Pretorius, S., Steyn, H. & Bond-Barnard, T., (2018). Leadership styles in projects: Current trends and future opportunities, South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 29(3), 161-172, http://www.scielo.org.za/pdf/sajie/v29n3/14.pdf
Introduction
Many organizations face challenges due to globalization and complex work task, which leads to failure of the project. To adapt to the challenges of the business, it is crucial to focus on a leadership style that can be used by the project managers. Thereby an effective leadership style will lead to project management aspects to ensure balanced leadership that can be implemented in project management. Project management results can be positive if the paradigm shift is positive, and the change is adaptable while focusing on the concept of leadership (Northouse, 2016). Several leadership styles are discussed here, such as strategic leadership, transactional leadership, and transformational leadership. Leadership theories and leadership approaches are even discussed in detail.
Project management leadership approach, theory, and styles
The project management leadership includes the trait approach, skills approach, behavioural approach, situational approach, and psychodynamic approach. The trait approach considers that leaders are born with an individual personality and have instinctive leadership talent within them, such as political, military or social leaders. Thereby specific traits in the leaders already present and cannot be separated. Leaders with this approach will have a successful consideration of project management (Stentz, Plano & Matkin, 2012). The skills approach in the leadership concept considers the ability to build skills and achieve the results. Skills can be developed with the help of practice and experience, thereby to solve the problem of conflicts and management; leaders should be aware of conflict resolution strategies. Social skills and technical skills are divided to focus on project management issues. Theoretical concepts and learning processes can learn technical skills while human skills can be build by learning from mentors or focusing on problem-solving skills and knowledge.
The behavioural approach considers shaping followers to realize their goals. The interaction between leader and follower tends to develop as and when the leader manages the behaviour and communicates effectively. There is a different situation, and the leader needs to work and focus on the principle in those situations (Pretorius, Steyn & Bond-Barnard, 2018). There is a supportive dimension that is realized in the core of the situational approach, while the competence and commitment are addressed while the leaders match the style of directive or supportive. The psychodynamic approach is addressed with a central concept of defining a constant pattern of thinking in the environment. The personality of leaders is determined in this approach.
The leadership theories include path-goal theory and leader-member theory. Leaders influence the team members while helping to perform better to reach the goal. Path-goal theory has a positive effect on achieving success in project management. This theory is dependent on leaders to work on the part and fulfil the organizational goal. The relationship between leader and follower considers the primary focus on the growth of the project. Individualized relationships tend to improve while establishing interactions and working on incremental influence and reciprocal influence. The tendency to ensure that the project will be completed and have a success rate is decided on the leader-member exchange theory.
There are different leadership styles such as strategic leadership, transformation leadership, transactional leadership, servant leadership, authentic leadership, charismatic leadership, and Laissez-faire leadership styles. Transactional leadership is largely categorized while focusing on interacting with team members (Ding, 2017). Financial incentives and promotions are provided to leaders as and when the employees exceed the objectives and accomplish the task. This is one such leadership style that can be used to complete the task or project as it is a task-oriented leadership style.
Leadership in project management
The leadership approach used in project management is relatively a concept that is often used by organizations. Some important characteristics can be considered while managing the project and considering business activities. Leaders in vertical leadership style are considered as a main source of information for the subordinates while the leaders influence the projects while considering downward growth in which one too many styles is adopted (Fausing, 2015). Shared leadership can be adopted by the organization as it ensures constant teamwork, group focus, joint decision making and work on social skills. These are the attributes that lead to a shared leadership approach (Müller, 2015). As a whole, the organization decides which leadership style in project management can be implemented, shared leadership, vertical leadership or both.
Conclusions
The major aspect of leadership to be used in project management is discussed in detail. There are specific measures that are related and need to be taken while adopting a particular leadership style, approach or theory in an organization. Shared leadership characteristics are provided, which ensures the significant contribution of team leadership to achieve a particular goal while managing the project. Thereby is it, however, important to ensure that which leadership style will enhance and work towards successful project management?
Lessons learned
The article helped me to focus on studying leadership styles and approaches to be considered in the business. In this article, I was interested to learn leadership styles to be used in a different situation and how it contributes to the overall project management. Leaders ensure successful project management strategies. I believe that shared leadership is the most suitable leadership style that can be examined further in project management. I have learned the areas of opportunity in future research in leadership in project management. Leadership style addresses the perspective of projects and ensures a broader aspect of achieving project management research. I have believed that the process of delivering the project is an important criterion of successful completion of project management while leadership is the primary goal to accomplish the project management task. The role that leaders play contributes towards achieving project management results with the help of leadership ability and expertise.
References
Ding, X., Li, Q., Zhang, H., Sheng, Z. and Wang, Z. (2017). Linking transformational leadership and work outcomes in temporary organizations: A social identity approach. International Journal of Project Management, 35, 543–556
Fausing, M.S., Joensson, T.S., Lewandowski, J. and Bligh, M. (2015). Antecedents of shared leadership: Empowering leadership and interdependence. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 36(3), 271–291.
Müller, R., Sankaran, S., Drouin, N., Niklova, N. and Vagaasar, A.L. (2015). The socio-cognitive space for linking horizontal and vertical leadership, in APROS/EGOS Conference, 1–8.
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership. Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Pretorius, S., Steyn, H. & Bond-Barnard, T., (2018). Leadership styles in projects: Current trends and future opportunities, South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 29(3), 161-172, http://www.scielo.org.za/pdf/sajie/v29n3/14.pdf
Stentz, J.E., Plano Clark, V.L. and Matkin, G.S. (2012). Applying mixed methods to leadership research: A review of current practices. The Leadership Quarterly, 23(6), 1173–1183.