Exploring Project Uncertainty and Leadership Strategies

Abstract

Managing projects under conditions of uncertainty requires a fundamental shift in how project leaders plan and execute initiatives. They need to reimagine not just their vision and purpose but adopt new ways of thinking that will allow them to thrive at a time of extraordinary change and disruption. The project manager's leadership style needs to be tailored to mitigate various sources of uncertainty. This study identifies main domains and factors of project uncertainty and synthesizes leadership competencies to address such uncertainty. By constantly evaluating the characteristics of these domains, project managers are more likely to convert “unknown unknowns” to “known unknowns.” It is argued that certain leadership competencies are necessary to find new approaches and achieve an advantage in crisis. Adoption of critical leadership competencies by the project manager is key to move from crisis prone to crisis prepared.