COURSE SYNOPSIS

Managing project teams across a complex organization to a successful project completion is nothing short of a major challenge. Especially when the project manager doesn’t control all resources and must rely upon intrinsic leadership skills to get the job done.

It’s no surprise that leadership is frequently listed as one of the most essential critical success factors for project managers. But leadership is often misunderstood... and misapplied by project managers.

Our goal is to train project managers to understand the essential components of project leadership -- key concepts like courage, integrity, purpose, trust, imagination, and many more. As the project manager understands their own positive self elements, they will come to understand themselves and their project teams.

We also will explore the negative self elements -- items such as ambivalence, deceit, ruthlessness -- characteristics that can destroy a project manager’s ability to lead.

Based upon extensive research performed by the Axios Corporation into human characteristics and catalogued in the Periodic Table of Behavioral Elements® this seminar enables project managers to identify weaknesses in their leadership skills and to develop realistic and achievable strategies for their improvement. Throughout the course, attendees will have the opportunity for selfassessment
and group interaction.

When this course is completed, the participant will feel confident to approach project assignments with an essential knowledge of the leadership characteristics needed for successful project completion.

COURSE OUTLINE

The seminar reveals and examines the personal leadership traits, skills and techniques needed to effectively manage large or small projects. Throughout this seminar we will answer the following questions.

• What makes a great leader?

Through historical and contemporary examples, we explore the traits and skills of successful (and some not so successful) leaders. From this we isolate the characteristics which inspire their teams with loyalty, commitment and drive.

• What are the specific characteristics of leadership?

An effective project manager must demonstrate and reflect a wide variety of characteristics. We will examine 17 positive self elements and 4 negative self elements which will dramatically influence whether a project manager succeeds or fails.

• What kind of leader are you?

Through a series of case study exercises and questionnaires, you will learn about your personal
leadership style. Your strengths and weaknesses will be revealed (to you and you alone!)

• Where can you improve?

A ‘gap analysis’ will help you identify areas of improvement -- specific characteristics which can help you manage project teams better.

• How can your current project improve?

We help you assess your current project and to identify what types of leadership changes would have the most positive effect.

• What are the next steps?

We help you develop a long-term strategy and plan to improve your leadership skills. This plan integrates your personal and professional development to maximize future project performance.

TOPICS

Included in the seminar are the following key topics.

The seminar explores the terrain of project leadership from the vantage point of project leadership as an organic part of project execution. In addition to viewing project leadership as a set of needed skills, we also consider that project leadership is a complex web of inter-relationships that must function well for a project to be successful.

• Tipu Ake ki te Ora

We explore innovative Tipu Ake leadership techniques, lessons handed down for a thousand years in the Ngati Whare Maori tribe who are the caretakers of the Whirinake Forest in New Zealand. Tipu Ake ki te Ora means “growing from within ever upwards towards well-being.”

• Shackleton’s Journey

We examine leadership lessons learned when explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew are stranded in Antarctica in 1914 and must survive for more than a year.

• Management Storytelling

Research has shown the effective leadership involves communication through storytelling. Stories that can communicate vision, values, objectives, and motivators. We learn the three-act structure of a story and what makes a story compelling.

• Axios Character Encyclopedia

A project manager must demonstrate and reflect a wide variety of characteristics. We will examine 17 positive self elements and 4 negative self elements which dramatically influence the leadership performance of a project manager.

• MIT Sloan Leadership Model

We examine five key components: Sensemaking, Relating, Visioning, Inventing and Change Signature. Each of these will help empower team leaders.

LOGISTICS

• Class duration is 2 days.
• Course contents may be customized to meet your company needs.
• Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Extensive instructional materials and case study are provided.
• This course is offered as in-house training.

PREREQUISITES

• None

AUDIENCE

• Information Technology or Software Development Project Managers
• Product Managers and Product Implementation Teams
• End User Project Managers
• Business Analysts
• Information Technology Managers & Supervisors
• System Developers and Project Team Members
• Consultants and Project Auditors

Any professional requiring a sound knowledge of project planning, estimating, scheduling, monitoring, managing and completing projects.

COURSE BROCHURE

Download Course Brochure