ABSTRACT
What does “balance between control and fl exibility” mean for project management? As a long-time psychologist, tenured professor at a business school, and project management team coach, I base my answer on an exploration of the diff erent types of environments in which a project leader works: the project environment, the team environment, and the individual environment. Given the complexity of team environments, I believe that project leaders must act according to various perspectives depending on whether they manage a team, manage with a team, or manage as a team. In doing so, balancing control and fl exibility requires specifi c diagnostic and learning competencies, which is the second theme of this chapter.
