Introduction

The need for highly competent, confident, and effective project managers is growing, in a world where projects are becoming larger, more complex, and increasingly cross-cultural. It is no longer enough to master the essential tools and techniques involved in managing tasks, costs, and resources. To be an excellent project manager, you must have drive, confidence, and attitude, and you must be able to lead your team to success through your vision and engagement. You must be able to manage your own state of mind, build effective relationships, and have sufficient self-discipline and personal insight to set a great example for others to follow. To be truly successful, you must become a project management champion and a personal leader.

It is not your ability to manage tasks and resources that will set you apart. It is your ability to build relationships and lead the team to success through your vision and engagement. As much as knowledge matters, it is your drive, confidence, and attitude that will really help you get your projects over the finishing line.

This workbook will guide you through a number of practical and insightful questions, tools, assessments, reviews, guiding practices, and exercises that are designed to help you unleash your potential and become a highly valued and truly successful project management leader. The workbook is interactive; to realize the most benefit, it will require you to reflect, make notes, come to conclusions, and take action. Use it if you want to become a better project manager or if you want to coach and mentor others to become one.

I will be your mentor and coach throughout the book, empowering you to leverage your strengths and encouraging you to take action to achieve the things you want. I will stimulate you to take responsibility for your career and professional development and encourage you to look inward as much as outward—inward to manage yourself and be the best you can, outward to manage tasks and the people around you. I will also emphasize the importance of turning obstacles into opportunities and reframing a situation to look at how you can best move forward.