Uncommon Leadership
The project was in a tailspin. Unforeseen technical issues. Timelines in jeopardy. Commitments in tatters. Stakeholders spitting teeth. Worst of all, the experienced project leader had lost confidence in his ability to get the project back on track. A “manager” probably would have berated him and gunny sacked the issue at performance review. Or would have fired him on the spot. So much for supporting and investing in people. This situation called for profound and uncommon leadership; rarely seen in many work environments. Rapid workplace-oriented therapeutic intervention and coaching got this struggling project leader back in the saddle. Talking in industry-relevant terms strengthened rapport with the project leader, prompted reminders of his expertise and previous achievements, and mobilized his creative problem solving skills. He carved out technical options and tactics that ultimately righted the project. In the process, he regained self-confidence and even generated a sense of pride in learning from this nerve wracking challenge […]