Thoughts on building great teams, delivering results and becoming successful
1) Leadership as influence, not position Two core definitions framed the second part of the lecture: Leadership = followers Leadership exists when people choose to follow. Authority alone does not create leadership. Leadership = influence Leadership is the ability to shape behavior, thinking, and direction of others. Nothing more, nothing less. Key implication: holding a … Read more
1. Why leadership matters in projects Projects are structurally harder than line management: teams are temporary people often have not worked together before members come from different functional backgrounds time pressure is high authority is often indirect (matrix organization) A solid plan alone is not sufficient. People are the decisive factor. A strong team can … Read more
1. Team Roles: Why Composition Matters Team role model referenced as a nine-role system. No role “good” or “bad.” Capability to perform any role exists. Preference patterns exist and influence ease of contribution. Key message: Balanced role composition reduces blind spots. Role diversity supports planning quality, problem solving, and coordination. Practical implication: Role awareness supports … Read more
1. Why Structure Matters More Than Tools One of the most underestimated success factors in projects is structure. Structure determines clarity of responsibility, ownership boundaries, and interface definition between work packages. Failure rarely originates from lack of capability. Failure typically originates from unclear ownership caused by weak structure. 2. The Zoo Example: How Chaos Is … Read more
Topic: Project Organization, Roles and Stakeholders 1. Why Organization Is the First Real Project Problem Most projects do not fail because the idea is wrong. They fail because nobody really thought through how the project is organized. Who is involved? Who decides? Who actually works on the tasks? Who can stop the project without being … Read more
Topic: Introduction to Project Management and the Barbecue Rule 1. The “F” Exercise – Why Execution Matters We started with a simple reading task: count the letter “F” in a short sentence. Typical result in class: Some students saw 3 Fs Some saw 4 or 5 Only a few saw all 6 The trick is … Read more
Topic: Definitions of Leadership, First Followers, Manager vs Leader, Leadership Styles and Orchestra Metaphor 1. Short recap of the previous lecture The earlier session ended with Patrick Lencioni’s model of the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: Absence of trust Fear of conflict Lack of commitment Avoidance of accountability Inattention to results Trust forms the foundation. … Read more
Topic: Five Dysfuntions of a team – Trust, Conflict, Commitment, Accountability, Results 1. Introduction: Why team dynamics decide project outcomes Strong plans, accurate structures and clean processes are important. Yet the decisive factor in project success is almost always the team. Teams with healthy dynamics can adapt to complexity, recover from surprises and deliver under … Read more
Topic: MECE Structures, Work Breakdown Structure, Organising Work, Logical Grouping, Cooperation at Interfaces 1. Introduction: Why structure matters Project work requires clarity of roles, but roles cannot function without a clear structure of the work itself. Structure defines what needs to be done, how tasks connect, and how workstreams interact. Without structure, even strong teams … Read more
Topic: Leadership and Situational Leadership in Project Management 1. Recap – Why Teams Fail We began with Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team, a model that explains why teamwork breaks down. The five layers are: Absence of trust Fear of conflict Lack of commitment Avoidance of accountability Inattention to results These layers build on … Read more