Project Leadership: From Theory to Practice

by Jeffrey K. Pinto (Editor), Peg Thomas, Jeffrey Trailer

Fills an important niche on the manager's bookshelf by presenting a practically written discussion of the critical roles leaders play and the impact they have on successful project implementation. It's a comprehensive guide to a wide variety of leadership behaviors -- which you'll find come in handy in everyday life -- but emphasizes a project management-oriented approach to leadership.

145 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1998

Reviews

[Mohammed Barakat · Rating 4 out of 5]

In spite of the fact that some leadership attributes is born with the individual this book emphasizes the fact that leadership can also be taught and learnt overtime. The book is excellent in taking the reader from various theories about leadership to their effective practice, especially in Project Management.

I like how the book integrates different leadership aspects together into Project Management realm. From emphasizing the need to create a project vision, to the continuous focus on project team and tasks simultaneously, to the need to create accountability environment, to team development, to resolving conflict…all such aspects are required for project success.

The book is good at illustrating ideas and concepts by short examples. The reader can almost find a ‘for example,…’ statement after each idea presented which makes it easy to digest many complex concepts in leadership.

Reading about leadership never ends, and this book is one of those introductory texts that open your eyes to critical things a project leader needs to learn and practice in order to bring his/her project to successful completion. Further readings are needed, as far as I’m concerned, for ideas presented in the book especially when it comes to linking ethics and politics to project leadership.