Oh I can just see the dirty looks and reprimanding comments coming my way, but let me explain what I mean.
If I told you to manage a project with a capable delivery team, you just need to make sure that they get what they need when they need it and ensure you remove the blockers and deliver the project on time and within budget. That should be a fairly easy task to accomplish, right?
But what if I told you, you need to lead these people through the course of the project and be on the frontline of delivering the solution that they are building? Not so easy anymore now is it?
So as with all things, having the word “Manager” in your jobtitleis not really telling the whole story. You as a project manager should be a leader, you should be an inspiration and motivator, not just a manager. You should also be the pillar that the team can lean on when things get tuff, not just another mediocre manager.
Your job as a manager should always be to lead your team, ensure that they have the best chance to succeed and equip them with the support and guidance they require to achieve their targets / tasks. You should not be the guy/girl who just chases deadlines and tasks, and you should definitely not be the non-existent manager who only appears when the shit has really hit the fan to give some unwanted advice or instructions as to why things went wrong and who will be doing what to fix it.
No, you need to stand shoulder to shoulder with your team and ensure that you are at the frontline of the project. When things go belly up, the mess lands on you and not your team. You communicate your requirements clearly and the team knows exactly what to do by when and they get on with it – with or without your management.
A leader supports the team and not the other way around. When a team fails, it is a sign of failed leadership and not because of individuals within the team, or any other good excuse or blame game that can be cooked up, it’s all on you, the manager.
So that’s why I say to be a manager is easy compared to being a leader, and to be a leader is something we as managers need to consistently strive to be, because if it was really that easy to be a leader, everybody would be doing it.
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