Capterra interviews Susanne Madsen on the qualities of project leadership.
Everything about business today looks and feels different. Teams work across national and international borders. The talent crunch is squeezing nearly every industry. The pressure to deliver results gets more intense every day. This new reality calls for more than just project managers—it requires true leaders, explains award-winning author and executive coach Susanne Madsen.
“The things you must do to create the best teams are still the same, but today, doing those things requires more deliberate effort,” says Madsen. For project managers, making that effort means more than just putting in a few extra hours. Instead, it requires mastery of the soft skills, including emotional intelligence—the one intangible that turns project managers into project leaders.
What’s the difference between project managers and project leaders?
Sure, most project managers at small to midsize businesses (SMBs) are essentially leading crucial initiatives from start to finish. But there’s an important nuance between project managers and leaders. Managers, Madsen says, focus on the transactional aspects of their job—delivering products and services while adding value to the business.
Project leaders take it to the next level. They also inspire their teams, making each employee feel empowered and connected.
"Project leaders stand up and set the direction, leading from both the front and behind."
Susanne Madsen
Project leadership coach
To do this successfully, emotional intelligence is an absolute must for project leaders.
Emotional intelligence: the ‘it’ factor
Why is emotional intelligence, or emotional quotient (EQ), so vital in project leadership? “Because people deliver projects,” Madsen says. “Understanding people—their intentions and why they do what they do—that’s emotional intelligence.”
Data from Capterra’s 2023 Emotional Intelligence in Project Management Survey bears this out. More than three-quarters (77%) of the most successful project managers say that EQ is very important to their roles. Nearly all (92%) say that having a high level of EQ on their team positively impacts the quality of the team’s decision-making.
EQ, Madsen says, comes with maturity. New project managers will spend 80% of their time on the so-called “hard skills,” perfecting what’s needed to complete projects and mitigate risks. Once they master those skills, they’ll have more room to develop EQ.
How to build your EQ
Because EQ is such a critical factor in empowering high-performing teams, we asked Madsen to tell us how project leaders can build their skills. Her advice:
Start with yourself. “The most difficult person you’ll ever lead is yourself,” Madsen says. But to build EQ, you need to look inward. Take time out every two weeks and ask yourself key questions: How am I feeling? What have I done well? What can I do to better connect with my team? Listen to the answers and aim to find insights.
Talk with your team. Ask them direct questions: How is your stress level? What would we do differently if we could start over? How can we better collaborate and communicate?
Request feedback. “This is one of the best practices that builds leaders,” Madsen says. Make yourself vulnerable by asking for constructive feedback—positive and negative—from your teammates, supervisors, and project stakeholders. Then reflect upon it to constantly improve.
The qualities of a good project leader
With a foundation rooted in EQ, project managers can evolve into project leaders. On their journey, they should embody the following seven key qualities, which Madsen unpacks in her award-winning book, “The Power of Project Leadership.”
Tools and technology that enable successful project leadership
Madsen recommends a unique mix of high-tech and low-tech tools that can help project teams thrive. With the right combination of technical solutions a good project leader can create high performing project teams.
On the technical side, collaboration tools can bring incredible benefits, especially for remote teams. “I’m a big fan of whiteboard solutions where you can plan collaboratively and move things around,” she says.
Video conferencing is another top tool that is both simple and powerful. It allows you to connect with your team regardless of whether you're in the same place or not. However, be sure to always use your camera. “Teams tell me they’ve worked together for years and never put their camera on, and I find that baffling,” Madsen says. “You can’t fully connect with people when they’re not on camera.”
One low-tech tool that’s a differentiator for high-performing project teams: a project charter. It defines why the team exists, its strengths and weaknesses, and its values.
Make the extra effort
The seismic shifts in today’s workplace haven’t shaken the foundation of project management, which is still measured by the ability to deliver on time and on budget. But to blossom into a project leader, you need to make the effort to invest in your soft skills, and most importantly—your emotional intelligence.
By staying visible, committing to vulnerability, and cultivating higher levels of EQ, Madsen says, you’ll evolve into a respected leader that can drive innovation forward.
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