Leadership

The Craft of Leadership: Beyond “Best Efforts”

When we speak of leadership in project management, it’s tempting to equate it with activity: full calendars, endless meetings, and people giving their “best efforts.” But as W. Edwards Deming wisely taught us, activity without direction is not progress—it is noise.

> “A leader’s job is to understand his people, understand their differences; optimize their interactions, their educations, their experiences.”

Deming, W. Edwards. Western Connecticut State University – February 6, 1990

This insight remains as relevant today as it was 30 years ago. Leadership is not about uniformity or blind compliance; it’s about creating conditions where individual differences become strengths, where diverse experiences become the foundation of resilience, and where people find meaning in contributing to something larger than themselves.

And yet, Deming also reminded us of the danger of directionless enthusiasm:

> “Best efforts are essential. Unfortunately, best efforts, people charging this way and that way without guidance of principles, can do a lot of damage. Think of the chaos that would come if everyone did his best, not knowing what to do.”

Deming, W. Edwards. (2000). Out of the Crisis – 2nd Edition. MIT Press

#Principles Over #Chaos:

a) This is the paradox at the heart of project management.

b) Best efforts without principles lead to misalignment, duplication, and wasted energy = Chaos.

c) Principles without empathy risk rigidity, silos, and resistance to change = Rigidity.

True leadership is not choosing one over the other, but balancing both—building systems where passion is channeled by clarity, and where clarity is guided by respect for human complexity.

My #Compass in #Change & #Project #Management

Over three decades in Change & Project Management, this balance has been my compass:

d) Designing structures that reduce noise but never silence initiative.

e) Building governance models that ensure accountability while still leaving space for creativity.

f) Aligning strategy and execution so that “best efforts” become right efforts—targeted, sustainable, and impactful.

The reward of this approach is more than project delivery—it’s transformation. Teams evolve from fragmented units into resilient systems, capable not just of surviving complexity, but of turning it into competitive advantage.

The #Soundtrack of #Leadership

As I reflect on these principles, the song “Dark Days” by Moby ft. Lady Blackbird feels like a fitting backdrop. Its rhythm mirrors the duality of project work: tension and release, uncertainty and direction, struggle and harmony. Leadership, like music, is about orchestrating these contrasts into coherence.

Leadership today requires more than managing tasks—it requires curating meaning, guiding principles, and elevating human potential.

How do you ensure that passion and best efforts in your teams are guided by principles, rather than lost in chaos?

#Leadership #ProjectManagement #SystemsThinking #Deming #ChangeManagement #OrganizationalExcellence #PMO #ContinuousImprovement #TeamDynamics #Transformation