A Talk with Kevin Ciccotti

Have you ever considered what makes for a good leader? Is it their ability to give inspiring speeches, or to simply have a chiseled jaw, a fine suit, and piles of money? Believe it or not, those are not genuine terms to describe truly good leaders, and today we experienced a unique presentation from Kevin Ciccotti to outline the five attributes that make for exceptional project managers.

The Exceptional Project Manager

Mr. Ciccotti started his presentation by reminding us that people quit their boss, not their jobs. Reflecting back on my past work history, I found this to be particularly true. Being a good boss, or project manager, can be absolutely invaluable to an organization and to a project. With that said, what should a manager do to transform from being a good leader into becoming a great leader?

Leadership Begins With You

This might seem obvious to some, but sometimes it is worth repeating. Do you walk the walk, and talk the talk? Or are you putting on a facade? If you truly want to be an effective leader, you need to work on yourself and do plenty of self-reflection. Others will recognize that, and it will inspire them to be better as well.

Leaders Put People First

There are five practical insights that Mr. Ciccotti provided us with:

  1. Be authentic (real)
  2. Meet and talk to people
  3. Say please and thank you
  4. Under promise, over deliver
  5. Make people feel significant

I try to follow these insights every day, but some days it is more challenging to do than others. Keep practicing it, and remind yourself to put people first.

Leaders do the Right Thing as Opposed to the Easy Thing

Mr. Ciccotti provided a really good quote from Nido Qubein that I liked:

The price of discipline is always less than the pain of regret.

What does this mean exactly? Always commit to continuous improvement. Never become stagnant. So, for example, set a goal to complete 1% of a project every day. After 100 days, the project will be complete. Also, 1% a day can be the slight edge that wins the race.

Leaders Practice Self-Leadership

As a leader, you should be doing more than leading others. Lead yourself as well. Mr. Ciccotti recommends living life rom the inside-out, and to not be easily swayed by the influence of others.

Leaders Take Care of Their Minds and Bodies

Lastly, you need to take care of yourself. Do not neglect your health. You can do everything from working out to meditating. It is all useful towards improving your wellbeing. Sometimes it is easy to get wrapped up in the needs of others, but if you are not taking care of yourself, it will be increasingly difficult to help others.

With that said, every leader should really consider each of these key points. I know I will!