Leadership Style as a Success Factor on Projects, Term Paper Example

One of the most important demands that are placed on the project managers as they relate to the issues of sustainability and ethics entails simultaneous fulfilling the role of an ethical manager as well as an ethical leader. Plating the role of a manager and a leader in a project is important for sustainability and ethics among the project managers. The work of the manager entails project initiation, administration, efficiency improvement and control of the project work. On the other hand, the responsibility of a leader entails innovation, taking and managing risks, offering vision together with direction and motivation of the team members in the project.

The manager has the obligation to execute the tasks of balancing the ethical issues that prevail within the team. The ethical issues that have the greatest implication the manager include management of resources, stakeholder management and risk management. During career development, the project manager is obligated to gain the relevant skills in the crucial aspects of the project (Cummings, 2006). This is achieved through planning and also leading other people as well as development of project deliverables. The project managers also control the schedule as well as the budget in all the procedures in project management. Project managers must  attend to the responsible practices of business that entail gaining strategic advantage in the project. Business in most organization is efficiently executed through project management and therefore it is the responsibility of managers to acknowledge their mandate in social responsibility as it relates to project management. A key determinant of success for the project manager is creation of change with regard to the project selection, the goals, outcomes, stakeholders interests, purpose and management of risks.

Success in project management is determined by the ability of the project manager in fulfilling the objectives of the project. The most important objectives include deliverance of particular performance standards within a scope of limited time and cost. Ethical leadership entails an essential requirement in successful project management to achieve sustainability and ethics in the project.  Project managers are vested with definitive demands as they relate to the issues of sustainability and ethics in order to enable organizations to realize their set objectives. One of the demands placed on project managers is to Model the Way through Clarifying values by finding their voice and ascertaining shared ideals as well as aligning actions based on shared values. They are obligated to model the behavioral expectations through guiding principles that wins them respect by spelling to their recipients what they really think and believe. Thus leaders must find their own voice, and give voice to their values. The values and beliefs they stand up for must represent the common principles and ideals of the larger organization.

Project managers should also inspire a Shared Vision by envisioning an elaborated image of the future possibilities and enlisting others in a common vision to shared aspirations. The shared vision is the driving force that invents the future

Project managers must possess a desire to make something happen, to initiate brand new approaches by changing the way things are done in an organization.

Leaders inspire commitment through integrating constituents in a common vision and speak their language. It all spins around dialogue, not monologue to consolidate support and have a close understanding of people’s dreams, hopes, aspirations, visions, and values. Forging a purpose of unity with the constituents yields the common good of the organization. thus Leaders are challenged to kindle the fire of passion in others by propping up enthusiasm for the compelling vision of their group.

References

Kliem, R., 2004, Leading high-performance projects. Boca Raton, FL: J. Ross Publishing Inc.

Lancaster, G., 2005. Research methods in management. A concise introduction to research in management and business consultancy. Burlington, MA: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.

Meredith, J. R. & Mantel, S. J., 2002. Project management: a managerial approach. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Turner, J. R. & Mu¨ller, R., 2005, “The project manager’s leadership style as a success factor on projects: a literature review”. Project Manage J, 36(2):49–61.