Have you ever paused to consider who really stands behind the impressive titles in our project teams? Let’s think about Beth, the respected project controls expert, and Tunde, the brilliant commercial manager. These individuals are recognized for their professional personas, but what about their personal stories? In the dynamic realm of project management, it’s crucial to shift our focus from merely recognizing roles to valuing the people who fulfill them—a world where Beth and Tunde are seen not just as components in our project cog’s wheel but as individuals with their own dreams, aspirations, and personal stories.
In the meticulously planned landscape of project management, the significance of roles such as ‘Project Manager,’ ‘Lead Engineer,’ or ‘Data Analyst’ cannot be understated. Yet, behind these titles are individuals like Beth, who not only excels in her professional role but also dedicates her spare time to animal welfare, and Tunde, who harbours dreams of writing a novel alongside his brilliant commercial management. They bring more to the table than their job descriptions and years of accumulated expertise suggest. In today’s market, where roles are often viewed as interchangeable and skills are commoditized, there’s a tendency to overlook the individual—their unique contributions, their personal goals, and the humanness they inject into every project. This blog post showcases these often-neglected aspects, weaving the rich fabric of humanness into the narrative of project leadership. It’s a call for leaders to delve deeper, to look beyond the project plans and skill sets, and connect with the vibrant lives of the people they work with every day.
The Human Behind the Role
In project management, the narrative is too often about reducing professionals to mere bullet points on a resume. However, imagine the transformative possibilities when a leader chooses to recognize more than just the professional credentials—to see Beth’s passionate commitment to animal welfare or Tunde’s creative storytelling flair. Acknowledging these personal dimensions can inspire a deeper sense of purpose and belonging within the team. By valuing the individual behind the skill set, leaders unlock a level of engagement and innovation that a focus on commoditization never will.
Leveraging Humanness in Leadership
Leading with humanness means embracing the soft skills that bring depth to technical expertise within project management. It involves recognizing that behind every project role is a person who brings unique emotional and psychological dimensions to the team. For instance, consider a project manager who, in addition to their technical skills, is known for their ability to empathize with team members and understand their personal challenges. This is an example of leading with humanness. Humanness in leadership is about valuing these dimensions by acknowledging and supporting team members’ personal growth, aspirations, and well-being as much as their professional skills. This approach fosters an environment where team members feel genuinely cared for and valued, not just for the work they do but for who they are as individuals. Leaders who embody humanness listen actively, communicate with empathy, and create inclusive spaces where diverse ideas and perspectives can thrive. Such leadership does not merely direct; it connects and inspires.
Traditionally, project management is driven by metrics: deadlines met, budgets adhered to, and quantifiable outcomes achieved. While these metrics are undoubtedly important, an exclusive focus on them can cultivate a work environment that feels mechanistic and impersonal. By shifting our perspective and prioritizing humanness journeys alongside traditional metrics, leaders can initiate transformative changes in team dynamics. This pivotal shift involves celebrating individual milestones, customizing development opportunities to align with each team member’s career aspirations, and actively incorporating team feedback into project processes.
Emphasizing humanness journeys enables project leaders to foster a more engaged and motivated team. For instance, recognizing a team member’s desire to develop new skills or to undertake a mentorship role allows leaders to assign tasks that resonate with these personal ambitions, thereby enhancing job satisfaction and fostering loyalty. This approach also aids in building a team that is not just high-performing but also resilient and adaptable to change, as each member feels their personal growth and satisfaction are essential components of their roles. The result is a team that is more than the sum of its parts, a team that is driven by a shared sense of purpose and a deep understanding of each other’s aspirations.
Incorporating humanness into leadership transforms transactional relationships into meaningful partnerships within the team. By valuing the person behind the position, leaders unlock a higher level of commitment and creativity, leading to more innovative solutions and successful project outcomes. This paradigm shift from a purely metric-focused approach to one that values both personal and collective growth represents a significant move toward a more human-focused and effective management style.
Welch’s Leadership and Hiring Principles
Jack Welch, the legendary former CEO of General Electric, was known for his distinctive leadership style—one that resonated with authenticity and effectiveness. He posited that leaders have the responsibility not just to lead but to uplift their teams continuously. Rule one of Welch’s leadership principles states that leaders should relentlessly upgrade their team, seizing every interaction as a chance to evaluate, coach, and build self-confidence (Welch 1). This philosophy underscores the importance of seeing each team encounter as more than just a check-in; it is an opportunity for growth, encouragement, and empowerment. By doing so, leaders can cultivate a team that’s not only skilled but also confident and competent. These principles are not just theoretical concepts but have been proven effective in real-world leadership scenarios, making them valuable tools for project leaders to adopt.
Welch’s 4Es and 1P framework for hiring (1) further accentuates the human aspects of leadership. The first ‘E,’ positive ‘Energy,’ speaks to the individual’s vitality and dynamism, which invigorates and propels the team forward. The second ‘E,’ ‘Energize’ others, is about the ability to inspire and motivate peers, igniting a collective drive towards common goals. The third ‘E,’ ‘Edge,’ refers to the decisiveness and courage individuals exhibit when faced with tough decisions. ‘Execute,’ the fourth ‘E,’ is the capacity to deliver on commitments, turning plans into action. Finally, the ‘P,’ ‘Passion,’ represents the heartfelt drive that fuels persistence and resilience (Welch 1). These traits, focusing on the human element rather than solely on skills and credentials, form the cornerstone of a powerful and effective team. When leaders hire and develop their teams with these human traits in mind, they are embodying the concept of ‘humanness in leadership,’ valuing the personal aspects of team members and prioritizing their well-being and growth alongside their professional skills.
Incorporating Welch’s rules into project leadership means focusing on the humanness of each team member—their energy, their ability to motivate others, their decision-making process, their execution capability, and their passion for their work. When project leaders hire and develop their teams with these human traits in mind, they create a more dynamic, committed, and successful team. This approach moves beyond evaluating team members based solely on their professional credentials, acknowledging that the essence of a powerful team lies in the human spirit it embodies.
Jim Collin’s Level 5 Leadership and Case Study: Microsoft’s Transformation
Jim Collins’ concept of Level 5 leadership, with its emphasis on the ‘First who…then what’ approach, aligns perfectly with the principle of leveraging humanness in leadership. This approach prioritizes assembling the right team before defining strategic objectives, focusing on personal attributes and interpersonal dynamics as crucial factors for success (Collins 2).
Satya Nadella’s transformational leadership at Microsoft exemplifies this philosophy in action. When Nadella took the helm, he recognized that revitalizing the company would require more than just strategic shifts; it necessitated a fundamental change in the company culture, one that valued humanness at its core. His leadership style underscored the importance of personal qualities such as empathy, respect, and collaboration, which are essential but often overlooked components of organizational success.
One of Nadella’s standout decisions was appointing Jill Tracie Nichols as his chief of staff. This choice was unconventional. Nichols was known primarily for her role in communications rather than the operational or strategic expertise typically sought for such a high-level position. However, Nadella valued her human relationship strengths above all. He noted her respectful and collaborative work style, saying, “I’ve seen you work with others, and you treat them well. You show respect. I want my office to be about the culture we are trying to create and not about power” (Ibarra 3). This decision highlights Nadella’s commitment to fostering a leadership environment that is not about hierarchy or power dynamics but about cultivating a positive, inclusive culture.
Through Nadella’s example, we see how leveraging humanness in leadership by prioritizing interpersonal skills and cultural fit, can lead to profound organizational change. By valuing the human qualities of team members, leaders like Nadella can transform traditional corporate environments into innovative, supportive, and resilient workplaces. Likewise, project leaders can implement these strategies in their teams. This shift from prioritizing skills and competence to emphasizing humanness helps create a more motivated, engaged, and effective team, driving the organization towards greater achievements.
I close with this…
Leaders can foster a work environment where everyone feels genuinely appreciated and motivated by recognizing the individual behind the professional title—understanding their dreams, acknowledging their aspirations, and valuing their personal journeys. This leadership style not only elevates the morale and satisfaction of team members but also enhances their productivity and creativity. As we’ve seen through the examples of visionary leaders like Satya Nadella and through the principles advocated by Jack Welch and Jim Collins, leading with humanness is not merely a nice-to-have—it’s a strategic imperative that can transform the very core of an organization and project team. I challenge you, humanness heroes, to consider how you can integrate these principles of humanness into your leadership approach. How can you shift from seeing team members as roles to be filled to viewing them as unique individuals with valuable personal contributions?