Balanced Leadership

Abstract

Abstract This book describes balanced leadership in projects. Based on an award winning global program of research studies on leadership reality in projects, this book shows that leadership changes constantly and is not as static as existing literature may suggests. Instead, leadership in projects is dynamically shifted between project managers, individual team members, and subteams, all balanced in situational contingency. Their leadership may be exercised through a vertical, horizontal, shared, or distributed leadership approach. However, it is balanced leadership that ensures the best suitable leadership approach is used in any given situation. For that, the book presents a project-specific leadership approach called horizontal leadership, a theory of balanced leadership, and the five building blocks that enable balanced leadership. These are nomination of team members, identification of potential leaders, selection and empowerment of leaders, empowered leadership and its governance, as well as leadership transition. Emphasis is also given to the coordination of these building blocks through the socio-cognitive space, shared by project manager and team. The book finishes with three real-life case studies that exemplify how balanced leadership unfolds in projects.