Fully revised 2nd edition now availableThe 2nd edition of The Power of Project Leadership won PMI's literature award in 2019. It is fully revised and contains 20% new material compared with the first edition. Since the publication of the first edition I have continued my work as an independent project leadership coach, trainer and facilitator for some of the largest corporations around the world. As a result, my insight into project leadership, emotional intelligence, team dynamics and project management challenges has deepened and widened. It is this knowledge that I have incorporated into this new edition.
What is new in this edition? |
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Chapter 1, The World is Changing and So Must You, emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ) and explains the five areas you need to develop in order to become an emotionally intelligent leader.
Chapter 2, Your Hidden Drivers, has been changed in two major ways. It now describes the Core Quadrant model – a tool that can help you understand why some people or project situations trigger an allergic reaction in you and what to do about it. It also contains a new powerful exercise that sheds light on what your most deeply rooted beliefs and behaviours are and how your upbringing has affected your leadership style.
Key #1, Be authentic, has been updated with key insights into authenticity. I have incorporated a new section describing the five logical levels that help you understand where there is incongruence in your work and life and how to better create alignment. I have also provided more material on what you can do to strengthen your self-esteem.
Key #2, Lead with vision, goes more into depth with the human aspect of change. We take a closer look at how to remove doubt and fear during change by making people feel safe and giving them a role to play.
Key #4, Empower the team, contains new information about the six different leadership styles that are relevant when leading a team: visionary, coaching, democratic, affiliative, directive and pace setting. It also contains a new section on how the coaching style can be used to encourage responsibility and empower your team members. Finally, it highlights new research about the importance of psychological safety to high performing teams.
Key #5 has been renamed to Build trust with stakeholders. This revised chapter goes more into depth on how to build trust, communicate with and deliver difficult messages to stakeholders without breaking the connection. In particular I have included a new section describing the four levels of communication that should be utilised in most conversations: content, procedure, interactions and emotions. Using all four levels will help you deepen relationships and gain commitment from the project’s stakeholders.
Key #6 has been renamed from Establish a Solid Foundation, to Use Powerful Techniques. I have emphasized the importance of using the techniques collaboratively and have to that end included new information about collaborative planning, collaborative risk management and team definition techniques. These powerful techniques help you produce better outcomes, create a more coherent team and build the foundation for high performance.
Key #7, Work with Intent, now contains more information on how to optimize your energy and avoid negative stress. I also share new insight on how to increase your well-being in light of a demanding project environment.
Chapter 4, Make the Transition Happen, has been fully revised for better understanding.
Chapter 2, Your Hidden Drivers, has been changed in two major ways. It now describes the Core Quadrant model – a tool that can help you understand why some people or project situations trigger an allergic reaction in you and what to do about it. It also contains a new powerful exercise that sheds light on what your most deeply rooted beliefs and behaviours are and how your upbringing has affected your leadership style.
Key #1, Be authentic, has been updated with key insights into authenticity. I have incorporated a new section describing the five logical levels that help you understand where there is incongruence in your work and life and how to better create alignment. I have also provided more material on what you can do to strengthen your self-esteem.
Key #2, Lead with vision, goes more into depth with the human aspect of change. We take a closer look at how to remove doubt and fear during change by making people feel safe and giving them a role to play.
Key #4, Empower the team, contains new information about the six different leadership styles that are relevant when leading a team: visionary, coaching, democratic, affiliative, directive and pace setting. It also contains a new section on how the coaching style can be used to encourage responsibility and empower your team members. Finally, it highlights new research about the importance of psychological safety to high performing teams.
Key #5 has been renamed to Build trust with stakeholders. This revised chapter goes more into depth on how to build trust, communicate with and deliver difficult messages to stakeholders without breaking the connection. In particular I have included a new section describing the four levels of communication that should be utilised in most conversations: content, procedure, interactions and emotions. Using all four levels will help you deepen relationships and gain commitment from the project’s stakeholders.
Key #6 has been renamed from Establish a Solid Foundation, to Use Powerful Techniques. I have emphasized the importance of using the techniques collaboratively and have to that end included new information about collaborative planning, collaborative risk management and team definition techniques. These powerful techniques help you produce better outcomes, create a more coherent team and build the foundation for high performance.
Key #7, Work with Intent, now contains more information on how to optimize your energy and avoid negative stress. I also share new insight on how to increase your well-being in light of a demanding project environment.
Chapter 4, Make the Transition Happen, has been fully revised for better understanding.
I loved this book the first time, and the revised edition is even better. Fully updated, this edition goes deep into strategies to help you lead yourself and your team more effectively. The book goes beyond theory - although you can tell the text is well-grounded in research - to give you practical tactics that you can use daily at work. When you combine powerful techniques and a willingness to do the work, you have a blend that will help you excel at delivering organisational strategy through projects. Susanne makes it easy by stepping you through the 'keys' to leadership, and you can pick and choose the approaches you think will make the most difference with your team. |
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The 2nd edition of The Power of Project Leadership is bang up-to-date with the latest information needed for project leaders and retains the energy and commitment borne out of Susanne Madsen’s personal experience, which made the original such a success. This new edition is ambitious for you and for the profession and asks you to reflect on your own progression as a project leader. It recognises that internal work may be challenging, so it is written in an engaging manner, combining a practical framework with inspirational stories from practitioners, to keep you engaged.
Carole Osterweil author of Project Delivery, Uncertainty and Neuroscience - A Leader's Guide to Walking in Fog.
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Projects become more complex every day, not only from a technical point of view but especially from a leadership point of view. The Power of Project Leadership is provided to all participants of a leadership training programme for our senior project managers. They use it frequently during and after their leadership journey and appreciate its practical approach. |
The Power of Project Leadership combines the human element into project management theory, giving us an effective roadmap to find ways of managing demanding pressures, and developing the art to achieve project success. The revised edition (2019) has further in depth insights into using powerful self management techniques in order to get the best outcomes from the people involved in your project. This book, tempered with raw experiences of working in the project management environment, can only make you an exceptional project leader. All you then need is open minded curiosity and the patience to improve. Enjoy the ride!
Sarah Jane Woods - Public Services Project Manager and Life Coach
Clearly, Susanne understands projects, the dynamics of the team and her part in those dynamics. From her writing, we can see that she has been where we have been. The new edition of this book develops from the foundation laid by the first edition and layers new models and new thinking into the leadership practices for project managers. If you read the first edition, there is plenty of new material on which to build. If this is your first entry into the topic, there is a wealth of information combined with practice with which to develop your skills. It is possible to dip into many of the concepts as though selecting from a menu but to get the most from this book, create a plan, start at the beginning and work steadily through the book until you have mastered all the concepts. I for one plan to do that over and over. Ruth Pearce, ACC, JD, PMP, coach, project motivator, and author of Be a Project Motivator |
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As the role of project manager continues to evolve, it is vital to develop adaptable skills to ensure you can lead with impact in an age of automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics. This refreshing book inspires you to abandon the tyranny of the urgent; compelling you to lead with vision, empowerment, and an authentic desire to transform both your team and your organization. If you are looking for direction, this book is your compass. - Michael P. Toothman, PMP, University of California, Riverside
