They will have a good combination of experience, knowledge, skills for analysing the project and personality traits that will help them to get the job completed. With all this in mind, here are the five personality traits we believe make a good project manager.

1.Organised

No amount of project management qualifications are going to help a project leader if they are not able to be organised and efficient when it comes to the workload required for a project. The ability to be able to break the project down into bite sized pieces and coordinate a number of team members working on different aspects of the project at the same time should never be overlooked. Being organised is vital when it comes to the success of a project.

2.Great communication skills

Clear communication is a vital trait for a good project leader. Everyone needs to be informed and updated on project details and members of the project team need to feel that they can approach the project manager to discuss any concerns. A great team leader consults with his or her team regularly and is receptive to new ideas. They’re approachable, and able to listen as well as talk to everyone in the team from the project management apprentice to stakeholders on the board.

3.People skills

Some people have them, others don’t. A great project leader is able to form a cohesive team in which the members are all supportive and help each other. They are also aware of where the strengths, and weaknesses, lie within the team and are able to delegate tasks accordingly in order to gain the best from the team. A good project leader will also spot potential in the team, that person who is looking to gain extra skills and will help nurture this.

4.Experienced

Whilst industry specific experience may not be vital when it comes to project management, it is important to have experience of leading projects and dealing with a team. Whilst project management skills on their own are a vital part of running a successful project, experience is also really important and can make the difference when it comes to spotting problems before they really get a hold. 

5.Reliability

Both reliability and responsibility are essential traits for a project leader. Its really important that a project leader means what they say and says what they mean. Team members needs to be able to respect the integrity of their team leader and know that they are loyal to the members of the team. 

With all these taken into account, do you believe you have what it takes to be a truly brilliant project manager, or could your training do with a brush up?