Become a Service-based Project Leader

When I originally received a copy of Jack Ferraro's book "The Strategic Project Leader" I had no idea how much I was going to enjoy what Jack had to say. I started reading and his words immediately struck a chord with me. No wait... they struck a huge bell. The more I read the more I suspected that Jack was writing about me and my approach to project management! I was amazed to learn that I wasn't the only person out there who felt that my role as a project manager was to transform my organization for the better.

I had always felt that the biggest success factor and differentiator that I could offer any organization I worked for was to create value for our customers and help them transform their business, too. I may not have approached my projects with quite the same strategic focus that Jack promotes but I had always realized that the customer's experience that I created (both the experience of the final product as well as the experience of doing a project with me) will be the deciding factor whether a customer becomes a repeat customer or walks away.

Throughout the world, we see growing project complexity, basic project management activities that become a commodity (anyone knows how to use MS Project these days it seems), an accelerated pace of change and an influx of highly educated young people on the job market pushing into the project management field. This means that the traditional project manager will become irrelevant and we must be able to set ourselves apart by becoming trusted project leaders who deliver superior services to our customers.

After reading his book Jack and I began communicating and an idea quickly grew: We wanted to take Jack's year's of experience and strategic project management concepts and deliver them as an easy easy to follow training. I really felt that there are so many fabulous project managers out there who might be stuck in meaningless projects. Projects that don't align with their personal beliefs and aspirations; projects that don't allow them to grow as a project leader; projects where they could not initiate transformation through the work that they do.

It has taken us a while, but we have finally reached our goal. The training is now available on the PM Lectures website... and Jack has put everything into it:

  • The role of the PM in transforming an organization
  • The major trends affecting the PM industry
  • The value chain associated with PM
  • The emerging roles in PM
  • The qualities of Service-based Project Leadership
  • Excuses for not becoming a Service-based Project Leader
  • The role of competency in becoming a Service-based Project Leader
  • The tools & techniques to achieve compatibility with stakeholders
  • The leadership pyramid associated with Service-based Project Leadership
  • The techniques to acquire more project management knowledge, skills and experience

And that's just in the first 2.5 out of 5.5 hours of his presentations.

What amazes me, even after having read the book, met the man and recorded the training together, is how much of what Jack says is reflected my own beliefs and career experience. There are many reasons why I enjoy being a project manager. But at the top of the list is definitely the fulfillment that I found by being a project manager who helps his customers make a change (closely followed by "there is never a dull moment on these projects".) I therefore challenge you to follow our path and find the courage to try new things. Expand your horizon, become a Service-based Project Leader and use your project management skills and experience to change the world that we live in.

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