ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 looks at what defines project leadership and the role of the project leader. We focus on the skills and competence needed by the modern project leader: how do they differ from those involved in being a line manager or specialist, and what does a ‘good’ project leader look like? There are no absolute answers but there are guidelines and concepts, tools and techniques, which can support project leaders in understanding the critical capabilities to allow them to actively develop. We introduce the ‘Eight Lookings’ for the project leader, each of these ‘lookings’ being developed in later chapters.
