Introduction
Good leadership does contribute to successful project outcomes.
Research
Researchers surveyed project managers and sponsors in a large U.K. company to determine both the project managers' leadership traits and the project sponsors' estimation of the projects' success.
Findings
Project managers on successful projects scored higher than the norm for traits related to conscientiousness, sensitivity and self-awareness, but scored relatively lower on vision, strategic perspective and achieving.
Overall, the most significant leadership dimensions that contribute to successful project outcomes are: managing resources, empowering, developing and motivating.
Recommendations
A leadership questionnaire such as that used in the study could be useful for selecting project managers based on their leadership profile. As well, training programs should focus on leadership competencies that are directly linked to successful projects, such as resource management and the ability to empower, develop and motivate.
