5 Ways Project Management Can Catapult You To Leadership

Many aspire to leadership roles but often focus only on formal promotional opportunities to climb the ladder. What if there was a path where you didn’t have to wait for promotions or official titles? The project management career path offers a proactive way to build leadership skills and influence that can position you to be considered for traditional line or staff leadership roles. You might even find that project management skills could take you to the C-suite!

What Is Project Management?

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), “Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. It’s the practice of planning, organizing, and executing the tasks needed to turn a brilliant idea into a tangible product, service, or deliverable.”

According to authors Mayte Mata Sivera and Yasmina Khelifi, co-authors of “The Volunteering Journey to Project Leadership,” a book on leveraging project management and volunteerism for career development, this often-overlooked path can be a launchpad to significant professional growth.

Their argument is simple but compelling: Project management is far more than tracking tasks, milestones, and meetings. It is, instead, a complex, people-centric role requiring more nuanced skills and approaches to leadership than many traditional hierarchical positions. And yet, you may be overlooking the power of project management to provide an alternate, potentially self-directed, path to leadership.

Project Management Can Build Sophisticated Leadership Skills

Project management is not just about timelines and deliverables,” Sivera asserted in a recent interview. “It’s people management. The success of any project hinges on your ability to motivate and align individuals who don’t report to you directly.”

“In volunteer settings, which are often similar to project-based work, people show up because they want to, not because they’re paid,” Khelifi notes. “You have to learn to inspire and engage them. That’s a skill that translates directly into any leadership role.”

Unlike traditional managers, project managers often lead without formal authority. This requires them to develop strong communication skills. These roles also require strong trust with stakeholders; otherwise, nothing will be accomplished. These role demands can enhance project managers’ ability to navigate interpersonal challenges.

Project Management Optimizes Decision-Making Skills

Project management is often cross-functional. Many project managers work across departments, industries, and geographies. These situations expose them to broader perspectives and challenges than they might when working only within their intact team. While many employees may not get the chance to regularly use their strategic thinking and decision-making skills daily, project managers routinely use these capabilities. Some project managers develop these skills and may have more opportunities to demonstrate them to those who evaluate them for opportunities.

“In my day-to-day job, I make recommendations to executives who make the decisions,” Sivera explains. “But in project settings, I’m the one making the decisions with the support of my team. That experience could be invaluable for anyone looking to grow as a leader.

Volunteering As A Project Manager Is A Win-Win

Volunteering your project management skills inside a corporation or in non – or not-for-profit organizations can help you build leadership skills. If you get the opportunity to lead an Employee Resource Group (ERG), coordinate a community event, or do a similar activity, take it. “Volunteering lets you test and refine your leadership skills,” Khelifi shares. “It’s a space to try new things, build relationships, and gain confidence.” Focus more on what you will learn than on how much you will or will not earn. And remember to factor in the icing on the cake: the network-building benefits these roles can provide that make significantly exceed the opportunities in your “day job.”

Project Management’s Complexity Is Empowering

One of the most memorable observations in Khelifi and Sivera’s book is that the leadership demands of project management are often more complex than those in traditional roles. As Khelifi explains, “You’re working with people with competing priorities, across cultural differences, and even within logistical constraints like time zones. To move a project forward, you must build strong relationships and communicate effectively—skills critical for any leader.” This complexity is not for the faint of heart but if you patiently master these skills you will be able to use them in ever other job you assume, including higher-level roles.

Project Management Helps You Create Your Own Opportunities

These authors are particularly passionate about encouraging individuals to be proactive. “If your organization doesn’t value volunteerism or project-based work, create those opportunities yourself,” Sivera advises. Whether initiating a learning circle, volunteering for a company initiative, or beta testing a new technology, these self-directed actions demonstrate initiative and can build your visibility. Be on the lookout for these kinds of opportunities and think of how raising your hand could be a springboard to future success.

Khelifi agrees: “Join a project-oriented community or professional group. The networking and learning you gain there will give you the courage to take the next step in your career.”

Some people avoid project management roles because they only see routine aspects of the job. They may not notice or understand the behind-the-scenes work a project manager does before they show up in a meeting. In reality, an astute and proactive project manager can use those behind-the-scenes activities as a pathway to uniquely powerful influence and career visibility.

Few other roles provide the strategic thinking, decision-making challenges, and interpersonal influence of project management. And few roles can provide those career-enhancing situations early in a professional career. Getting things done without formal authority makes the role very challenging, but also provides unique political advantages. A paid or volunteer project manager role might be the secret weapon you need to achieve the influence and impact you’ve always craved, without depending solely on traditional promotion opportunities. Project management can showcase your capabilities sooner and to a wider range of organizational decision-makers than many other career options.