We have always been reading & knowing about the activities/tasks, Project Managers or Program Managers are incessantly involved in. I myself have been writing on them and the skills they need to excel in. One of the things that are being put under the spotlight about this role is becoming an effective leader. While there is a lot to talk about in having superior leadership skills, there are a few key emotional aspects a leader should exhibit in his quest of becoming a distinguished & transformative leader. And these are more relevant now than ever before. They are closely linked with the behaviors that they display amidst their daily project routines. It is about the core principles they follow while dealing with their team in getting their project work executed. A few of them are outlined as below:

Stewardship: This is an ethic most commonly found in great leaders across the world. Being an awesome leader doesn’t come with the title or position you hold, it comes by inspiring people in a way that they can relate themselves with you in a bona fide way. They inspire trust, optimism, and enthusiasm in the environment and help their team to go beyond themselves to reach new and greater heights possible. They cultivate the can-do attitude in the team and mentor them along the way in a selfless manner. It’s about making them succeed. They are deeply uprooted with the values like honesty, fairness, integrity, and respect.

Belongingness: Project/Program Managers shouldn’t consider their team members any different from their family members. Caring for them deeply is one of the most important traits, an effective leader practices. They need to invest themselves heavily for others to succeed. How often do we find a leader coming to you and asking how it’s going? This is not just from the project delivery standpoint, but from his overall well-being perspective. They take their opinion and consider their viewpoint while shaping the organization’s goals. They need to separate situations from people. They believe that everyone goes through the rough patch and assume that the person must have put his best foot forward regardless of the scenario they are facing. When things are going tough, it is understood that the person is not the problem but the issue that he is facing needs to be resolved, it could be his personal issue or he might not be adequately trained. With these attitudes, a leader creates an open, frank & positive environment where everyone has a larger common cause of an organization to take care of while driving their respective projects. In this way, a leader helps himself by bringing the required results from his team along with embedding the culture of unwavering support and positivity. This behavior of the leader comes largely from their personal values and belief systems, and the way they were being treated by their leaders.

Altruism: Best leaders in the world know how to put their own resources in the service to others. You should actively lookout for ways to help & support your team wherever required. While you may assign the tasks and ask them to do them in a certain way, you are expected to demonstrate it in a way that enables them to execute them smoothly using their skills. You need to understand the team’s needs and their expectations to mentor, support & motivate them in all possible ways. This in turn will bring out the best in your team and can shine against all odds. When the quarterly numbers go down, it’s the leader who stands up and claims the responsibility, while determining ways to get things back on track. During good times, great leaders gives the credit to the team and bad times find them at the forefront doing all that is required. They protect the team and cover them from getting exposed.

Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.-- Theodore Roosevelt

While the organization’s success is largely gauged by its profitability, these inherent intangible factors play a significant role in helping organizations sustainably achieve their goals. There can be no self-claimed leaders, there are only genuine leaders who can earn this priceless tag by following the above-mentioned principles. Leadership can be practiced at any level, and hence, before we expect the same from the top leadership of an organization, we need to ask ourselves if we are practicing the same. And I believe, Project/Program Managers are the most suitable roles in any organization to shoulder this responsibility. By caring for your people, understanding their needs in light of the team’s goals, inspiring and serving them in all possible ways, you not only become an effective leader but a great human being along the way.

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