How to Identify the Right Project Leader

After years of working in project delivery and transformation, I've seen 3 leadership types stand out.

Each type has a critical role to play, but it's knowing when to play them as their distinct strengths don't necessarily make them right for every project phase. 

Playing to their strengths, however, will help your transformation be a success.

Here's how they shape outcomes, and where each drives the most value:

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐩𝐬.

💡 Visionaries rally people around "why" and shift direction when disruption demands it, but can falter in the grind of execution. 

💡Use Visionaries at the start of the journey, when you need bold thinking, urgency, or inspiration to break inertia and get everyone behind a compelling future vision. 

💡𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 in turbulent times or transformation launches when others need motivation and excitement.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲

⚙️ Operators excel once the direction is set, translating vision into actionable plans, hitting milestones, and driving operational excellence. 

⚙️ Rely on Operators in the middle phase of change—when structure and momentum are critical, risks need pragmatism, and the team needs relentless follow-through to stay on track. 

⚙️ 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 as the engine that turns strategy into repeatable success.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫: 𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. 

🎯 Bridge Builders are your essential guides for complex, long-term, or cross-functional transformations where collaboration, adaptability, and trust are key. 

🎯 Call on Bridge Builders when change is messy, stakes are high, and progress needs to stick. 

🎯 They navigate the journey end-to-end, ensuring culture and systems evolve together for lasting impact

Where do you see yourself in these types? Which do you see bring the most impact in your organisation?