There are many different versions of project leadership in the workplace today. Different companies have different ideas of what makes a successful project leader; different projects require different project leader skills. The role of the project manager is variable and exciting, but it is also challenging and is not for everyone. Project leadership involves setting and managing timelines and budgets, as well as, goal-setting. The skill-set of a successful project manager is not static and successful project managers may have very different strengths and management strategies. A project leader certification can help managers move beyond the traditional perception of project management and learn how to maximize efficiency to manage projects skillfully in many different situations.

In a project leader certification you will likely cover a variety of topics, including: goal-oriented human systems, budgets and constraints, and timelines. What makes being a project leader so difficult at times is the concept of these human systems – these systems bring uncertainty and ambiguity to projects where nothing can be predicted with one hundred percent accuracy. When the potential for human error arises in a project there is always a level of uncertainty that managers must be aware of. Additionally, there are diverse interests that go into project management. Technical complexity is another aspect of project management; so is a changing environment. Project goals tend to change and evolve as the project moves along; it is the project manager’s job to adapt to those changes ensuring the project is still successful in the end. A project manager must understand these uncertainties and cope with them effectively. This is a major part of being a project manager – being able to work in a changing environment and being able to incorporate those changes into the project plan.

At the end of a project leader certification you should be able to discuss what project management is, why it is important, and the different structures it can take. There are several frameworks you can use to describe project leadership. Three commonly discussed frameworks are: organizational, project, and individual. At the end of the certification you should be able to make a project work in the face of change and help the project adapt to the different kinds of uncertainty that may arise. You should be able to effectively research success factors and behaviors that apply to your specific project. Leadership and management research, and theory can be very helpful topics for project managers to study because it exposes managers to new ideas and methods of managing. The main goal of a project leader certification is to be able to deal with and overcome the challenges faced as a project manager while continuing to be successful.

Project managers can come from a number of different career paths, but the basic required skills are the same for all – the ability to face and overcome challenges that arise because of changing demands and changing environmental factors. A course about being a project leader, possibly resulting in some sort of certification, can help project managers develop the skills needed to manage these challenges and successfully bring a project to completion.

Author Bio: David Shoemaker is Vice President of Learning Solutions and Innovation at eCornell. For more information on project leader certification, project leadership, or eCornell, please visit http://www.eCornell.com

Category: Education
Keywords: project leader certification, project leadership