Leadership is naturally one of the largest components in the success of a project team (or any team for that matter). Sure, the actual project results the team produces are the primary measurement of success, but the journey taken by the team to get to that point has a more personal effect on team members. A project team has to function like a team and a supportive environment is necessary for this to happen. And that’s where extraordinary leadership comes in. An extraordinary project leader not only serves as a resource to his/her team, but also sets the environment in which the team operates. A leader who is closed off and mentally unavailable to team members is going to negatively affect the team’s success rate. Remember the Agile Manifesto: “Individuals and interactions over processes and tools” and “face-to-face communication.” One must be open and willing to serve its team in all facets, whether it is by giving technical advice, providing moral support when needed, or enabling success by mentoring and clearing roadblocks. We call this type of leadership “servant leadership.” When good leaders sense a problem with their team, rather than asking, “What’s wrong with them?” they ask, “How can I help?” How would you describe servant leadership? Let us know what you’ve learned from extraordinary leaders with whom you’ve worked.
