PRINCE2® Managers and Project Leadership

PRINCE2® is a robust, tried and tested method for project management which I have used to great success on multiple initiatives over the years. Despite an excellent application of PRINCE2® however, there are times when some projects flounder. A lack of project leadership often leads to project failure and, in these situations, an intervention is needed to bring the project to a successful conclusion. This might involve creating clarity of direction for the initiative, influencing key stakeholders, or motivating and engaging key project personnel. It might even hinge on taking responsibility for a difficult decision.

PRINCE2® recognises that leadership is immensely important, however, it also states that this is something that PRINCE2® does not describe in detail because there are too many differing styles and schools of thought to adequately cover in one approach. Therefore, it is essential for PRINCE2® practitioners to look for other resources to show how to enhance their project management approach with a variety of leadership behaviours, skills and competencies.

Because leadership is difficult to quantify, the first task is to give a clearer understanding of what leadership is and how it differs from management. In 2016, Dr Sunnie Giles interviewed 195 global leaders about the essential qualities for great leadership. She found that their answers consistently fell into five core categories:

1. Great leaders create a safe environment for their people and display strong ethics. They model values such as trust, fairness, and integrity and expect their teams to do the same. They provide clear direction so that their teams know what is expected of them.

2. Great leaders empower their teams, trusting them to make their own decisions and take responsibility for their work. This style of leadership often leads to more motivated and engaged teams.

3. Great leaders foster a sense of connection and belonging. Their teams feel as though they are part of something important.

4. Great leaders show openness to ideas and foster organisational learning.

5. Great leaders nurture growth. They look for ways to improve the people, processes, and the environment within which they work.

There has been much research around what constitutes leadership. One recurring theme from many thought leaders is the importance of vision. The business thinker and prolific author Peter Drucker said that ‘an effective leader knows that the ultimate task of leadership is to create human energies and human vision.’

A number of skills do play a key role in this context. For instance, the PRINCE2® project manager will realise how important influence is for project success. It is needed throughout the project life cycle, whether it is persuading the project board to come to a consensus around a set of objectives, influencing a contractor to work within certain terms, or selling the idea of a new way of working to intransigent users. Furthermore, one of the challenges for many project managers is how to delegate and manage teams when they do not have line authority over these resources. Managers can rely on positional power to get things done. Given that project managers often do not have this, they need to utilise leadership qualities such as inspiration, influence, and personal credibility.

PRINCE2® provides an adaptable management method into which ideas such as agile delivery, investment appraisal techniques, and risk management techniques can be added. However, in order to bring the project to a successful conclusion, PRINCE2® practitioners need to understand the importance of good leadership within the context of a project, what leadership ideas can be added to their project management approaches and start developing these behaviours to improve their PRINCE2® practice.