Leading Impactful Teams

Projects can be better. 3 Key Takeaways:

- Be transparent (share your plans and invite feedback),

- Be ruthless about priorities (focus on the “bare necessities”)

- and above all, put people first.

Even in an AI-driven age, human empathy and connection set great project leaders apart. You should feel inspired to lead your next project not just to deliver results, but to do it in a way that keeps you and your team happy and sane. Pr...

Money matters, and a great PM can save a fortune for the organisation. Sometimes that means bravely canceling a doomed project before it burns more cash. Usually, it’s about smaller wins: trimming waste by streamlining work and preventing expensive scope creep. you can cut costs in any scenario if you are skilled at talking about budget openly with the right people. Cost control is not boring bean-counting, it is a key way to deliv...

Projects live or die by relationships, so you need to get stakeholders on your side. There are no “A***holes” in business, only people with different experiences, capabilities, stresses and styles than me (some of whom may appear to be a bit A***holish, even quite a lot of the time) — everyone has their reasons. Assume good intent and see the world from each stakeholder’s perspective (even the frustrating ones). Figure out who real...

The heart of your project is your team. Even the best plan means nothing if your people are burnt out or disengaged.become a servant leader—make sure your team has what it needs, protect them from needless stress, and never ask them to “do whatever it takes”. Build a positive, sustainable team culture where work is actually enjoyable. From balancing workloads to ensuring everyone takes real breaks, taking care of your team isn’t ju...

Quality isn’t about perfection—it’s about balance. Deliver something great without chasing an impossible ideal (and driving your team crazy). My dad always said, “you can have it good, you can have it quick, you can have it cheap.... pick two.” Using this classic Iron Triangle, you'll be able to balance quality, time, and cost to meet your project’s real needs. Often, dialing quality up or down to save time or money is absolutely f...

“When will it be finished?” - the million-dollar question every project manager faces. Answer it without resorting to crystal-ball guesswork. The trick is to treat time, scope, and cost as a flexible trio. Involve stakeholders in timeline decisions—offering trade-offs so they own the schedule and aren’t blindsided by changes. A “failed” project is one that leaves stakeholders disappointed, so avoid that by ensuring what you deliver...

"What ifs" haunt every project— but you can manage them before they turn into nightmares. Break down risks and their cousins: assumptions, dependencies, and issues, prioritise them and then manage them. Drop the rose-tinted glasses: not everyone is on the same page (sometimes they’re not even in the same book!). Learn to spot risks early, surface hidden assumptions, stay on top of external dependencies, and tackle issues head-on. T...

This chapter is about the art of saying “no” (or “not yet”) so you can focus on what truly matters. Pinning down what’s in scope (and what isn’t) early can save everyone a world of pain. Projects often drown in wish-lists and shifting requirements, but you can prevent that chaos from the start. Bring clarity with simple tools like scope lists and negotiate changes without losing your cool. We also tackle prioritization: identify th...

Time to step back to consider how to structure your project. There’s no one-size-fits-all method—your approach should fit your organization, your team, and your goals. Whether you’re bound by a strict corporate process or winging it at a startup, you'll have to make the system work for you. The key is flexibility: use methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, Lean—take your pick) as tools, not straitjackets. Tweak whatever process you have ...

With your new lenses, Chapter 3 gives you some tools to tackle whatever they reveal. Project management is a juggling act, so here are some tricks of the trade to make it all manageable (even easy, once you know how). From running effective meetings to calming an angry stakeholder, these are simple techniques I’ve picked up over the years. No two hours of a PM’s day are the same—one minute you’re in a spreadsheet, the next you’re c...

Simplifying any project down into the eight “lenses” that cover every aspect of a project. These key perspectives help you know where to look and what to watch for. Experience is valuable, but you don’t have to learn every lesson the hard way. By consciously checking your project through each lens, you’ll start to anticipate problems, focus your energy where it matters most, and develop that expert instinct—without spending decades...

We all manage projects, whether it’s a family vacation or a corporate launch—yet few get real training. Project management is evolving from rigid plans and bureaucracy to flexible, people-first practices. Modern “power skills” like empathy, adaptability, and collaboration are replacing old-school command-and-control. Following a plan just because it’s “the plan” is out, and guiding a team toward true goals is in. You really can red...

I tried to do everything: lead a high-stakes project, look after my team, boost my career with extra work, raise three young kids—and a cracked toilet seat finally broke me. This perfect storm of stress led to a collapse and a pretty explosive life moment. It’s a raw, eye-opening tale of what happens when you push yourself too far and explains why I care so much about the need a saner, more sustainable way to manage projects (and l...