The style of leadership changes throughout the life cycle of a project

"Abstract" To summarize the article different leaderships styles is necessary to apply when a success for a project wants to be achieved.

Introduction

Leadership is an essential role during a construction project or any other type of project. Construction project is often regarding a lot of different professions on different educational levels which together should reach the same goal – construction e.g. a building. As a leader it is important to be able to motivate and lead in a direction which the led will follow. The characteristic of the leader has therefor an influence on whether the led will follow or not. During constructing e.g. a building a lot of uncertainties will appear and therefore it is necessary for the style of leadership to change. Different factors will have influence on which style of leadership there will be necessary to apply as e.g. a high educational level expects greater deference and sensitivity. The styles of leadership has in [Winch] been divided into four different styles and as the uncertainties in a project decreases another style of leadership from the one used in the first phases should be applied.

Leadership

In this section the basics of leadership will be elaborated. The basics of the leadership is important regarding the power of levers to ensure the success of the project. In a business organisation the leadership is required at three distinctive levels. defines them as follow:

• Leadership of the organisation overall
• Leadership of the principal divisions of the organisation
• Leadership of the various units which make up the organisation

As the last level of leadership, which concerns leading a single team, is quit different from the two other levels, the main focus will therefor be at the first two levels.

To generate an appropriate leadership three factors influence the appropriate manner of leading and motivate the project coalition, this can be seen of the figure bellow.

Figure 1. - Appropriate project leadership.

Of the figure the three terms: Leader, Task and Led can be seen. The terms refers to [Winch] description

Styles of leadership

There four different classification of leadership defined by .

• Autocratic: The leader takes the decisions alone or relies on an exclusive circle of advisors
• Paternalistic: The leader takes the decision alone, but takes pains to explain
• Consultative: The leader discusses the issues with the led prior to taking the decision
• Participative: The decision is discussed by the led as a whole

The life cycle

The life cycle is a description of different phases a project is going through to reach success. The phases are described by [Winch] as "distinct stages, each with its own challenges and pitfalls and each requiring different skills"

1. Phase

   Phase 1 will be characterized as the start-up. The startup has 3 different key task which will be elaborated. The first key task is that it is necessary to build a team that can ensure the succes of the project and at the same time a team that can work together. The good collaboration in a team can be started by getting to know each other and thereby the different stresses that can compromise the good collaboration. To maintain the good collaboration within the team communication is the most important tool.When the team is created it is important as a leader to please the team and keep the members of the team inspired. The second key task in this phase it to review the project. Here the different job specifications are identified and the planing of the project is conducted. In this part of the phase the people who will be affected by the project is beared in mind and included. The third key task is to build up personal credibility with the client and other groups who has an impact on the project e.g designers.

2. Phase

   This phase is divided into two; the first part is primarily buying material to perform the project. The second part of the phase is to conduct the project, this will happen alongside the buying process. As the project gradually develop different challenges will appear which will often be handled by dialogue with contractors and/or logistics.During phase 2 the relation with the people who will be affected by the project will still be maintained and also the responsibility of the welfare and collaboration within the team.

3. Phase

   The third phase

4. Phase

   The fourth phase

5. Phase

   This phase is characterized as the testing phase. This means that the achievement of the fourth phase is tested, it will become a success if the project can be concluded as completed.

Discussion

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