Project Management: Leadership

Why do I always picture US Grant in my mind when I think of leadership? Oh - that's right - he was an exceptional leader!

Here's one time I think Wikipedia is a bit wrong in it's definition of leadership:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership

Not sure who said it, but here's a real definition: Leaders do the right thing right. No more no less. To be a great leader, study them:

In my mind, everyone can be a leader in the role that they play - in the position that they hold. A person needs to understand what a leader is, understand their current role and LEAD. Head of the country or emptying trash cans - understand what you're doing, do the right thing right and you are a leader.

I've seen to many people question leadership, blame leaders for mistakes, work against direction because they gain simple satisfaction. It's far easier to tear down and take apart then to build.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” - Teddy Roosevelt

How do you become a great leader? Personally, I don't think you can become one unless you are one. If you are one, you need to lead, personally, professionally, morally. Once you start it's hard to stop. There's no class in being a leader, there are books, classes, examples all over how to improve your leadership skills - the most important being biographies of leaders. Learn by example. MOST people lead at some point, keep your eyes open and watch, those moments happen all the time.

Why is leadership important for PM? If a PM is nothing more then a tracker of time and tasks then the money spent on that person is wasted. A PM's value is in the leadership that they can provide. PM's need to set the example, not necessarily make decisions, make lead people to making the right decisions. Not just the right business decisions, but also the right moral decisions.