Comments on: Our Next Generation of PPM Leaders http://blogs.gartner.com/donna_fitzgerald/2009/10/13/our-next-generation-of-ppm-leaders/ A Member of The Gartner Blog Network Tue, 06 Sep 2011 23:36:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Donna Fitzgerald http://blogs.gartner.com/donna_fitzgerald/2009/10/13/our-next-generation-of-ppm-leaders/comment-page-1/#comment-640 Donna Fitzgerald Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:15:57 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/donna_fitzgerald/?p=214#comment-640 @Layla. Leadership without permission is generally based on vision and desire of the leader to get somewhere. One of the first tests of leadership is the willingness to take a stand for someting and to encourage others to join with you. You can be appointed a manager, you can be given a title that assumes you are suppose to lead (like CEO) BUT the title and the organizational permission actually don't make anyone a leader. For some who lack the either the foolheartiness or courage to simply plow a head on the belief it's better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission; mentorship and support can often add that little bit of encouragement that isn't there natively. @Layla. Leadership without permission is generally based on vision and desire of the leader to get somewhere. One of the first tests of leadership is the willingness to take a stand for someting and to encourage others to join with you. You can be appointed a manager, you can be given a title that assumes you are suppose to lead (like CEO) BUT the title and the organizational permission actually don’t make anyone a leader. For some who lack the either the foolheartiness or courage to simply plow a head on the belief it’s better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission; mentorship and support can often add that little bit of encouragement that isn’t there natively.

]]> By: Layla http://blogs.gartner.com/donna_fitzgerald/2009/10/13/our-next-generation-of-ppm-leaders/comment-page-1/#comment-625 Layla Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:42:54 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/donna_fitzgerald/?p=214#comment-625 I totally agree with Donna when you mentioned "that nobody has actually taught them how to lead and more importantly no one has given them “permission” to see themselves as leaders" In case someone has got the key elements to be a leader? How to make it active in an environment where permission is not given ? I totally agree with Donna when you mentioned
“that nobody has actually taught them how to lead and more importantly no one has given them “permission” to see themselves as leaders”

In case someone has got the key elements to be a leader? How to make it active in an environment where permission is not given ?

]]> By: Layla http://blogs.gartner.com/donna_fitzgerald/2009/10/13/our-next-generation-of-ppm-leaders/comment-page-1/#comment-624 Layla Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:35:53 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/donna_fitzgerald/?p=214#comment-624 Indeed, PPM needs creative leaders who will play a critical role in improving the PPM maturity level in smooth way. And also can guide the team to be leaders. When I hear PPM the first thing comes to my mind is conflicts and problem solving…. That’s why who are working in PPM area needs to be excellent in both conflict management and problem solving/decision making. I think that courage is the key element to be a leader Indeed, PPM needs creative leaders who will play a critical role in improving the PPM maturity level in smooth way. And also can guide the team to be leaders. When I hear PPM the first thing comes to my mind is conflicts and problem solving…. That’s why who are working in PPM area needs to be excellent in both conflict management and problem solving/decision making. I think that courage is the key element to be a leader

]]> By: Diane D. Miller http://blogs.gartner.com/donna_fitzgerald/2009/10/13/our-next-generation-of-ppm-leaders/comment-page-1/#comment-613 Diane D. Miller Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:38:38 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/donna_fitzgerald/?p=214#comment-613 Donna - I agree with and appreciate your insight to boil leadership down to three primary elements: Vision, Courage and Responsibility. I am sad to say that I have seen very little of these in recent day "leaders". Over my career, I have seen many people with amazing aptitude beaten into submission by managers that fear the power of these would be leaders and organizations that allow their managers to behave badly. It is unfortunate that we do not have more role models that unabashedly show us what strong leadership looks like. As our global economies continue to falter, I am afraid that exhibiting leadership has become too risky of a position for people to take. This is a sad time indeed. If we do not start growing our next wave of leaders now... What will the world look like for the generation inheriting this mess? Diane D. Miller DianeDMiller@gmail.com Donna – I agree with and appreciate your insight to boil leadership down to three primary elements: Vision, Courage and Responsibility. I am sad to say that I have seen very little of these in recent day “leaders”.

Over my career, I have seen many people with amazing aptitude beaten into submission by managers that fear the power of these would be leaders and organizations that allow their managers to behave badly. It is unfortunate that we do not have more role models that unabashedly show us what strong leadership looks like.

As our global economies continue to falter, I am afraid that exhibiting leadership has become too risky of a position for people to take. This is a sad time indeed. If we do not start growing our next wave of leaders now… What will the world look like for the generation inheriting this mess?

Diane D. Miller
DianeDMiller@gmail.com

]]> By: Donna Fitzgerald http://blogs.gartner.com/donna_fitzgerald/2009/10/13/our-next-generation-of-ppm-leaders/comment-page-1/#comment-577 Donna Fitzgerald Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:12:57 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/donna_fitzgerald/?p=214#comment-577 Since I didn't go to USC and I was only 20 when I started my MBA I had a very different experience than you did. I certainly didn't come out of grad school a master at anything. Of course my program wasn't focused on creating leaders of industries. It was focused on checking a box that says MBA. With that said, let me come back to my point. Leadership is NOT a matter of education. It might be a matter of training (the thought under consideration here) but I'm still not sure. As to needing competency... Actually you don't need a shred of personal competency to lead. You simply need a vision (which you don't need to be able to realize all by your lonesome), the courage to commit to a course of action, and the willingness to take responsibility for the consquences of your actions (after all those are real people your're leading and if you take them over a cliff the blame is completely yours.) As to needing to know the business again same answer. If your idea is crackbrained, people will be smart enough not to follow so you can't lead. On the other hand if your idea is a radical departure from any form of current process and it WORKS then you're brilliant. Essentially there are consequences in any leadership related activity and that's why it takes courage and responsibility. Since I didn’t go to USC and I was only 20 when I started my MBA I had a very different experience than you did. I certainly didn’t come out of grad school a master at anything. Of course my program wasn’t focused on creating leaders of industries. It was focused on checking a box that says MBA.

With that said, let me come back to my point. Leadership is NOT a matter of education. It might be a matter of training (the thought under consideration here) but I’m still not sure.

As to needing competency… Actually you don’t need a shred of personal competency to lead. You simply need a vision (which you don’t need to be able to realize all by your lonesome), the courage to commit to a course of action, and the willingness to take responsibility for the consquences of your actions (after all those are real people your’re leading and if you take them over a cliff the blame is completely yours.)

As to needing to know the business again same answer. If your idea is crackbrained, people will be smart enough not to follow so you can’t lead. On the other hand if your idea is a radical departure from any form of current process and it WORKS then you’re brilliant.

Essentially there are consequences in any leadership related activity and that’s why it takes courage and responsibility.

]]> By: Glen B. Alleman http://blogs.gartner.com/donna_fitzgerald/2009/10/13/our-next-generation-of-ppm-leaders/comment-page-1/#comment-576 Glen B. Alleman Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:06:49 +0000 http://blogs.gartner.com/donna_fitzgerald/?p=214#comment-576 Donna, Congradulations on the light bulb moment. The primary benefit of holding an MBA is to understand the processes of business. After all it is a Master in Business Administration. The counter-MBA folks (and there some in high PM thought leader poisitons - which itself is an oxymoron) fail to disconnect their personal experiences of having a boat load of MBA from Mckinsey dumped in their project and the "real" role of an MBA. As a holder of a MBA with an emphasis on Systems Engieering, provided by a former employeer - it was crystal clear why they sent me to USC... They wanted program managers who understood the business, could move into business management roles, and could connect the dots between being a technical lead and a business leader. I'd suggest to anyone considering an MBA from the IT or project management role, to use this experience to learn about business management not just the management of the technlogy of business. PPM is Business Management. An MBA is a Master in PPM if applied correctly. As a final thought your basis for leadership - Vision, Courage and Responsibility - where does competency in the subject matter come in. Vision, Courage and Responsibility can run you off the cliff in the absence of knowing how the business processes enable all that vision, courage, and responsibility. Glen Alleman VP, Program Controls Aerospace and Defense Denver, Colorado Donna,

Congradulations on the light bulb moment. The primary benefit of holding an MBA is to understand the processes of business. After all it is a Master in Business Administration.

The counter-MBA folks (and there some in high PM thought leader poisitons – which itself is an oxymoron) fail to disconnect their personal experiences of having a boat load of MBA from Mckinsey dumped in their project and the “real” role of an MBA.

As a holder of a MBA with an emphasis on Systems Engieering, provided by a former employeer – it was crystal clear why they sent me to USC…

They wanted program managers who understood the business, could move into business management roles, and could connect the dots between being a technical lead and a business leader.

I’d suggest to anyone considering an MBA from the IT or project management role, to use this experience to learn about business management not just the management of the technlogy of business.

PPM is Business Management. An MBA is a Master in PPM if applied correctly.

As a final thought your basis for leadership – Vision, Courage and Responsibility – where does competency in the subject matter come in. Vision, Courage and Responsibility can run you off the cliff in the absence of knowing how the business processes enable all that vision, courage, and responsibility.

Glen Alleman
VP, Program Controls
Aerospace and Defense
Denver, Colorado

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