Being a project manager who leads a team can be a tricky role. You’re tasked with running a smooth project schedule and being a leader. Acting as a project manager and a team lead are two distinct roles. To help you succeed in your leadership role, here are 10 best practices for project management team leaders.

1. 10 Leadership Best Practices
for Project Managers

2. Get to know your team
Learn your team members’
strengths, aspirations and
ideas.
These important first steps
help you bond with your
team and establish their
respect and trust. Listening
twice as much as you speak
is still a wise habit.

3. Manage tasks, lead people
Be skills-focused when you
estimate, plan and report on
a project.
Be people-centric when you
lead. Ask questions,
optimize people’s skills,
delegate and motivate.

4. Pull, don’t push
Effective leaders motivate
team members by appealing
to them at an individual
level, and by inspiring them
to contribute to the overall
vision using their strength
and expertise.

5. Make promises you can keep
Stop, look and listen before
committing your team to hitting
unrealistic deadlines.
For delivery dates, give clients
and stakeholders ranged
estimates instead of single
hard dates, and provide
constant updates along the
way. Surprises will happen.

6. Delegate
Trust your team to do its job.
When issues or
opportunities arise,
empower team members to
offer their own solutions,
with your support. Don’t add
every new issue to your own
to-do list.

7. Lead by example
Respected leaders walk
their talk.
Think about the behaviors
you expect from team
members and be sure to
exhibit those traits yourself.

8. Communicate like crazy
Clear and constant
communication help build
relationships, assess progress,
and identify risks and issues.
Assume nothing. Set clear
expectations, and encourage
team members to speak their
minds to help improve a
project or process.

9. Know your priorities
To manage a productive,
organized team, set
priorities that consider
timelines, budget and
available resources.
Then, everyone can work
with purpose on their
individual priorities.

10. Make time to think
It’s easy to get sucked into
the day-to-day. But a leader
finds ways to step back, see
the bigger picture and
anticipate how broader
factors affect projects,
company and clients. Make
time for yourself to think,
strategize and fill up the
creative tank.

11. Enjoy your role and have fun!
Don’t miss out on the
rewards and joys of heading
up a team that delivers
great work, and the role you
have in motivating and
developing people’s
careers.