What Skills Does a Project Manager Need to Master?

Project Managers need to master the following skills and traits in order to be successful:

Have Recognized Leadership Skills

Posses Good Decision Making Skills

Posses Good Communication Skills

Have a Sense of Humor

Have Integrity

Possess a Driven Desire to Succeed

Have Demonstrated Project Management Skills

Have Self-Discipline

Have Vision

Posses Active Listening Skills

Be Compassionate

Utilize a Proven yet Flexible Project Management Methodology

The question we need to ask ourselves is how we master the above skills? My quick answer is a blend of education, experience, on-the-job training, mentoring, and a continuous feedback loop.

I'm grateful that in my career I've had mentors to help me improve my skills while helping me learn to drop bad habits. In order to move from good to great we must work to improve our skills and focus on our strengths; however, we must also identify and minimize or eliminate our weaknesses.

Finally, great project managers like working with people. They like challenges, they have an even temperament, and they are a motivating influence to those around them. They don’t just plan and delegate, they get involved and become part of the team. They have to respect others and be shown respect in return. They are congenial, they are approachable, and they have integrity. A project manager that is lacking in any of the above areas won't be successful over the long haul.