Ten Differences Between Project Manager and Project Leader

Posted by: Jaideep Khanduja

Leadership, project leader, project management, project manager, Software Project
Both accept challenges. Both hae an ability to drie the situation. Both hae !nowledge and
e"perience to handle a deadloc!. #hat aries is their style of thin!ing and wor!ing. $ project manager and a
project leader both hae a mi"ed blend of all %ualities. #hat aries is the way they manage a problem.
A leader can be a manager and a manager can be a leader at times. Situations arise when a
leader has to manage and a manager has to lead. #hen a leader is managing a situation, he might be
acting more li!e a manager. Similarly when all of a sudden an unplanned issue arises, serious in nature, and
needs an immediate solution, a manager might hae to lead others in demonstrating how to manage such
situations without loo!ing for standards and procedures. &he manager in such situations uses intuitie and
innoatie techni%ues more found in a leader.
Most of the successful managers and leaders are good thinkers and hae strong e"pressie
powers. Some basic differences between a leader and manager are:
'. Leaders hae a power of changing the world. (anagers hae the power to manage the change.
). Leaders find out the innoatie ways, managers find out the best out of them to adopt.
*. Leaders are the frontrunners leading the way, paing the way, caring the fortune. (anagers stay behind
the team, ta!ing care of each of the member, managing, monitoring, planning and e"ecuting.
+. Leader is more li!e a mentor, manager is more li!e an organi-er and planner.
.. Leader loo!s for new challenges, manager becomes an e"pert in finding out best solutions when
encounters a new challenge.
/. Leader enjoys panic!y situations. (anager aoids panic!y situations.
0. Leader is more li!e a reolutionary, manager is li!e a strategist.
1. Leader !nows how to conince others with new ideas, manager adopts best procedures to conince.
2. Leader showers credit on team, manager ta!es the credit for each success.
'3. Leader ma!es teams capable of handling aderse situations by empowering them, manager facilitates
teams to achiee targets.
Leader vs. Manager
Is there a difference between a project leader and a project manager? A project
manager can be described as the person responsible for directing and coordinating
human and material resources, but this definition tends to focus on the
administrative aspects of project work. However, the authors see a distinction
between the style of leaders and managers according to their primary focus. The
respective positions of leaders and managers on a number of issues are shown listed
in Table 2.[8] [9] [10] It is a truism that leadership focuses on doing the right things
while managers focus on doing the things right.
Managers focus on Leadership focuses on
!oals " objectives
Telling how and when
#horter range
$rgani%ation " structure
Autocracy
&estraining
'aintaining
(onforming
Imitating
Administrating
)irecting " (ontrolling
*rocedures
(onsistency
&isk+avoidance
,ottom line
-ision
#elling what and why
.onger range
*eople
)emocracy
/nabling
)eveloping
(hallenging
$riginating
Innovating
Inspiring trust
*olicy
0le1ibility
&isk+opportunity
Top line
Good managers do the
things right
Good leadership does the
right thing
Table 2: Differences in Style [11 ]
(ollectively, project leadership and project managership may be referred to as
project stewardship. To be a steward is to hold something in trust for another.
Thus, project stewardship may be defined as a willingness to be accountable for the
well+being of the project organi%ation while placing service towards the goals of the
project above self+interest. It entails holding accountability for your people without
e1acting harsh compliance from them. In the planning phases, managership, as
described, has its limitations. .eadership overcomes these limitations. In the
producing phases, leadership per se also has its limitations, and managership is
more appropriate.
Project Leader or Project
Manager, Which One Are You?
!et the *)0 -ersion
B !ac"ueline Geddes
2ith the increased attention given to leadership in today3s business
community, one could argue for the simple substitution of the e1pression project
management with project leadership. &ightly so, since in some literature, the
role of leader or manager is used interchangeably. 4ukl 567789 uses the terms
leader, manager and boss interchangeably to indicate people who are in positions
in which they are e1pected to perform the role of leadership. .eadership in this
conte1t is used loosely to cover management as well.
In order to answer this :uestion ade:uately, we look at some definitions of
leadership and management. 'a1well 5677;9 in his book The <87 )egree .eader
provided one of the simplest and profound e1planations of the distinction
between a manager and a leader. He stated that managers work with processes
and leaders work with people. =otter 5677<9 goes further> he states that
managing comple1ity involves planning, budgeting, organising, staffing,
controlling and problem solving, whereas leadership involves setting direction,
aligning people, motivating and inspiring. =otter describes leadership and
management as two distinctly different complimentary systems of actions, each
having their own characteristics and functions. ,oth are necessary for the
changing and comple1 business environment.
,ased on these definitions one could argue that management is distinctly
different from leadership. .eadership is necessary to initiate change, innovate
and create new products, systems and services. .eadership also involves
motivating people to become change agents, risk+takers and innovators.
'anagement, on the other hand, involves ensuring that processes work
effectively.
The *roject 'anagement ,ody of =nowledge 5*',$=9 !uide, third edition
compiled by the *roject 'anagement Institute, defines five process groups?
Initiating, *lanning, /1ecuting, 'onitoring and (ontrolling, and (losing. In all,
*',$= describes @@ processes of *roject 'anagement that hardly focuses on the
essential aspect of leadership.
This does not mean that *roject 'anagers should not be leaders> on the
contrary, to make a good project manager, one must be a good leader. The
*',$= is silent on the areas of leading people and focuses more on managing
processes> however, the ability to motivate others to their ma1imum potential is
crucial for effective leadership of projects.
To use the e1pressions project management and project leadership
interchangeably is incorrect, confusing and often misleads project managers into
thinking that their roles are only to manage the processes of the projects to its
completion. In turn, many project managers therefore neglect their even greater
leadership responsibilities, defined by =otter as setting direction, aligning people,
motivating, and inspiring their team members.
A project manager can invest in the most e1pensive, efficient project
management toolset ever created to make the process run smoother. 2ithout
leadership skills, meeting project initiatives and objectives can often prove to be
a futile effort. #o ask yourself, are you a project manager or a project leader?
2hy not be both?
Leader vs Manager -- As Project Manager are you a
Leader or a Manager? What are your leadership
qualities?
Project Leader vs Manager the choice is yours.
As *roject 'anagers, are we prepared to be .eaders? You decide on Leader vs
Manager. $ur role as *' continues to become more and more comple1. $n the
management side, we all know to focus on the tasks, processes, resources,
milestones, schedule, and performance. As a result, we all tend to place our
emphasis on AmanagementB and lose our focus on a critical project management skill
C A.eadershipB.
#ince there are too many definitions of .eadership, letDs look at a few differences to
address .eader vs 'anager?
Leaders: 0ocus on the strategic> set direction> align resources> and empower
and inspire.
Managers: 0ocus on the tactics> plan and budget> organi%e and obtain
resources> e1ert control over situations> and solve problems.
How do our organi%ations address .eader vs 'anager :uestion? In most
organi%ations 5does this sound like yours9, 'anagement is responsible for producing
and maintaining predictability and order within the functional areas. $n the other
hand, .eadership is responsible for producing change. #o managers focus on
predictability and order, while leaders focus on being catalysts for change. In fact,
.eadership is ine1tricably connected with change.
There are numerous books, white papers and articles on the various leadership
theories, models, and characteristics. I am only focusing on the role of the *roject
'anager, in addressing .eader vs 'anager + our Leadership responsibilities as
a professional #ro$ect Manager%
0eeling a bit overwhelmed at the though of being a .eader too? Try to pattern
yourself after some of the great leaders 5i.e., 2ashington, .incoln, (hurchill, 2elch,
!ates, !andhi and many more9. .earn and repeat some of their leadership :ualities
and leadership traits?
Set ig! old goals. (hallenge your project team to achieve something they
havenDt done before.
"et tea# #e#ers that are etter than you are.#uccessful leaders know they
are building a team to achieve a goal, not to build their ego.
Set the e$a#ple %or the &ea#. As a .eader vs 'anager, you will set the
conte1t for them to achieve> you will establish the work ethic> and your attitude
will determine the attitude for the entire team.
"ive all the credit to the &ea#. &ecogni%ing the teamDs success will build their
confidence to continue to achieve their goals.
L'S&()! L'S&()! L'S&(). The greatest leaders listen to the people around
them C so 5as the saying goes9 listen more than you speak.
The *',$= !uideE defines .eadership as?
*+estalishing direction! aligning people! #otivating and inspiring people to
overco#e political! ureaucratic! and resource arriers.*
Fand again asF
*,eveloping a vision and strategy! and #otivating people to achieve that vision and
strategy.*
-n susequent pages! ' .ill go into #ore details on the various sujects related to
Leadership and Project Manage#ent.
There are several areas of project management which demand strong leadership
skills C project portfolio management 5**'9, global project management, program
management, and project management office 5*'$9 leadership. /ven though IDve
chosen to focus on these four areas, always remember that A.eadershipB is an
integral part of all project management. 2hen you step up to the challenges of
managing a project you are also agreeing to a leadership position. 4our work on the
day+to+day activities and responsibilities of these areas constantly address the
.eader vs 'anager :uestion.
Project Portfolio Management
.eadership is re:uired in a *roject *ortfolio 'anagement approach to effectively
enable the organi%ation to evaluate, select, initiate and manage projects. The **'
approach brings a discipline to the collection of projects or programs in order to
facilitate more effective project management to meet specific strategic business
objectives.
Typically, smaller companies do not use a **' approach. #ome larger companies
chose not to use a **' approach, usually a financial decision. Implementing a **'
approach in a larger company, often re:uires the selection and implementation of a
**' application. As briefly described on the Tools " &esources page, larger *'
applications such as *rimavera and (larity also enable a **' approach. There are
several other software applications from smaller vendors, such as $penAirDs
Integrated **' #uite, *acific /dge #oftwareDs *ortfolio /dge, (asewiseDs ITA
Accelerator , and InnotasD **' software as a service 5#aa#9 solution.
As on the Tools " &esources page, I have similar recommendations regarding a **'
application as I did when recommending a *roject 'anagement software application.
A.2A4# )$ A ($'*/TITI-/ #/./(TI$GH
,ase your &0I or &0* on your internal guidelines 5financial, IT, and
operational9 and short+list based on pre+determined, :uantified selection criteria.
Inless your organi%ation has specific guidelines for selection of enterprise
applications 5e.g., must be a hosted solution, must run on Ini1, must be an
enterprise license, etc.9 look at applications which AfitB the si%e of your
organi%ation.
Although smaller organi%ations 5less than J7 projects per year9 may
chose to implement a **' AapproachB, the cost of an in+house **' application
may be prohibitive 5upwards of KJ,777Lseat9. 4ou have two choices? J9 e1plore
an #aa#LB#ubscription+basedB service 5such as Innotas or $penAir9, or 69
implement **' using tools such as '#+/1cel, '#+*roject, and your current
accounting application.
'id+si%ed organi%ations 5with J7 to J77 or more projects each year9
can benefit from the discipline of a **' application. Initially, I recommend an
#aa# or 'anaged #ervices approach. The closer you get to J77 projects per
year, you may re+consider the approach and bring the **' application in+house.
.arger organi%ations 5over J77 projects per year9 may have the
fle1ibility of competitively selecting between an in+house and #aa# solution.
#ince a **' application involves &$I metrics to select projects and financial
metrics to measure performance, involve members of your finance team early in
the selection process. 0inance is one of your primary #takeholders.
/' .ill discuss #ore aout PPM applications on a susequent page.0
,ecause of the high visibility of projects in a **' environment, your .eadership skills
will be in more demand. **' re:uires a balance in addressing .eader vs 'anager,
even though it may re:uire more from your strategic .eader+side. If you are the **'
A.eaderB, you will be interacting with your #enior 'anagement Team on a regular
basis. 4our leadership :ualities will need to e1tend across functional teams C to
0inance, H&, $perations, and into the /1ecutive $ffices. 4ou will need a thorough
understanding of your organi%ationDs business plan and objectives> financial metrics>
resource utili%ation targets> cost accounting and time tracking> and revenue
recognition practices C in other words, a more AstrategicB understanding than with
typical project management.
Global Project Management
!lobal *roject 'anagement may refer to a single project, and although global in
scope, it can carry the added challenges of?
(ulture
!eography
(ompany *olitics 5not just between functional group, but also between
geographically dispersed operational groups9
(ommunications
As a !lobal *roject 'anager, your leadership traits and leadership :ualities are
critical in bridging cultural differences> facilitating communications across cultural
divides and geographic distances> and managing the ever+present organi%ational
politics. Typically, a !lobal *roject 'anager will work with and report through either a
**' organi%ation or a *roject 'anagement $ffice 5*'$9. *roperly organi%ed and
managed *'$ and **' teams are a resource to you and your project team.
As a !lobal *roject 'anager, you will be re:uired to be a .eader in all respects. In
addressing .eader vs 'anager, you will find that your leadership :ualities are
re:uired more often than your managerial skills.
Program Management
*'IDs *',$= !uideE defines *rogram 'anagement as?
*&he centrali1ed! coordinated #anage#ent o% a group o% projects to achieve the
progra#2s strategic ojectives and ene%its.*
As *rogram 'anager, your organi%ation e1pects you to have more of a Abig pictureB
perspective of your program + again weighing+in more on the .eader side of .eader
vs 'anager. The strategic objectives of your program will be aligned with the
strategic objectives of your organi%ation. *ut another way, at the Aindividual project
levelB, the *' may have a 87+@7 tactical and strategic perspective. 2hile at the
*rogram 'anagement level this ratio would be reversed to a 87M strategic and @7M
tactical perspective + specifically addressing the .eader vs 'anager :uestion.
'ost organi%ations view a career path from *roject 'anager to *rogram 'anager
5perhaps, eventually to A**' )irectorB or A-* of *'$B9. $f course, company
environments are different and this type of career path depends on the
organi%ational structure of your company and e1ecutive managementDs view of
formal project management.
3ro# this Leader vs Manager page to the pages on 45areer and 5erti%ication* %or
#ore in%or#ation on PM career paths.
Project Management Office Leadership
After several years of establishing *'$ operations and running others previously
established, I have found two keys to a successful *'$?
*roviding consistent, regular communications to all team members and
stakeholders> and
,eing a reliable resource to all project team members and coachLmentor to all
*'Ds.
0undamentally, the *'$ provides the centrali%ed coordination of the project
management discipline, rigor, and control for the organi%ation. In addressing the
.eader vs 'anager :uestion, this is a leadership role. The *'$ is the focus for
project planning, resource utili%ation, training, project performance, monitoring,
controls, reporting, and the liaison between business governance teams and project
governance.
The *'$ can be the Aproject management officeB, the Aprogram management officeB,
or even simply the Aprogram officeB or the Aproject officeB C it depends on the
organi%ation. In fact, there are as many *'$ AvarietiesB 5ways different companies
have implemented a *'$9, as there are organi%ations.
Inlike a **' approach 5see above9, there may be no relationship between the
various projects and programs managed by the *'$. In some organi%ations, the
*'$ has delegated authority and is a key decision+maker on each project. In other
organi%ations, the *'$ is simply a monitoring and reporting vehicle to senior
management on project progress and performance.
I have observed and participated in successful implementations of a *'$ in a **'
environment. Implemented together, the *'$ provides structure and the **'
approach provides the strategic perspective and involvement of the senior business
management team.
' .ill discuss the success%ul i#ple#entations o% PM-2s and PPM in #ore detail on
susequent pages.