What Makes a Successful Project Manager?

Over the past few days, I’ve been writing about some of the characteristics that make a great project manager. I don’t think anyone disagrees that delivering projects on-time, on budget, and on spec are important. I certainly think they are. That being said, I was thumbing through some old notes last night and found these six leadership attributes. I’m not sure where I stumbled across them originally, but they are leadership skills that can take a good project manager and make them great.

As companies turn to project based work to help make and keep their organisations competitive and profitable, the need for skilled project leaders will continue to increase. Regardless of your particular work management methodology or business project management software, do you take time to foster the following skills and attributes?

• The gift of foresight. I’m not suggesting that membership in the Psychic Friends Network is required, but being able to look down the road and make some reasonable predictions based upon practical assumptions is an important skill.
• Organisation. I don’t think this needs much explanation. Keeping information, schedules and team members organised is critical. Fortunately, most project managers I know are very organised and detail-oriented people.