PRACTICE EXPERIENCE IN ASSESSING THE PROJECT MANAGERS' LEADERSHIP SKILLS

Abstract

In construction, the achievement of a project is mainly due to the work of the project manager and the contribution they make, as team leader, of knowledge, experience, and coordination skills. This paper presents a practical approach in assessing the students' leadership skills at the College of Engineering at Qatar University, by running a multidisciplinary collaborative project. The students acted as the project managers, involved in leading several working groups. The main aim of the exercise was to propose a practical approach to assessing the extent to which the knowledge and skills of a leader are important for ensuring that a project is completed successfully. The project manager's ability to lead a team through the different work stages of a project is seen as a fundamental contributor to its success. This practical approach to the appraisal of leadership brings the theoretical teaching of Project Management closer to its practical applications, by encouraging students to learn the leadership techniques and tools commonly used in the professional setting. The paper concludes by suggesting that there is a need to focus more attentively on assessing leadership skills when selecting a project manager, in either an academic or a professional context.