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Let's start the new year by revisiting one of the key topics to making our projects successful. Most projects suffer from a lack of leadership. Why? I'll address that tomorrow. In the meantime, if you are a project manager, then make the resolution to do something every week to grow your own skills of leadership. You'll enjoy your role more AND your project teams will be better for it.

One action you can take is to read others' perspectives on leadership. Last year I introduced Patrick Lencioni's leadership trilogy of books. They are all a good read, practical, and, actionable. Make it a point to read them.

I subscribe to an IndustryWeek email service. Each week I get a column delivered from one of their columnists. My favorite is Brandt on Leadership. John R. Brandt, formerly editor-in-chief of IndustryWeek, is president and editorial director of the Chief Executive Group, publisher of Chief Executive magazine. John continues to write a monthly column for IndustryWeek. His first column of the year is titled Competing Beyond Quality. Brandt opens the article with

One of the striking things about most companies is how little employees (or managers, for that matter) understand the concept of customer value. In most instances, they believe that customer value resides in something they did to a product or service — bending a piece of metal, processing a form — before handing it to someone else in the value chain.

What they forget, however, is that customer value fundamentally is determined at the point of the end-user, whether that end-user is one, two or 20 steps away. And the reality is that if that end-user cannot see how your step in the process created value, you didn't create customer value…

Did that set you back in your chair? No! Well then, read it again!

How many of our customers see us performing the work on our projects? We might meet with the customer once/week, but usually it is much less. When we do meet the purpose is to review the project. We probably prepare a show to be certain the customer leaves with confidence that we know what we are doing. No where is there the opportunity for the customer to see us in the process of producing value for him/her. If only we could have them look, we just might find some of those work products we so diligently create are absolutely of no value to the customer. (Waste #9:providing something the customer doesn't want.) Instead, we continue to tax our team with activities that only add costs to the project, often incurring long hours along the way.

It is an act of leadership to keep the team focussed on what it is that produces value and fulfills the promises of the project for the customer. If John Brandt is right, then we must invite our customers around more often giving them the opportunity to interact with the project team members. It is the only way they can see us in the act of creating value for them…and, in the process strip the waste.