M Damodaran congratulated the winners of the PMI India Best Project of the Year on their accomplishments, and shared some thoughts and practices on how to become successful leaders. He advised delegates to become aware of their strengths as also the strengths of their competitors to stay relevant.

“You need to know your strength before engaging. You also need to know what strength lies on the other side. Choice of time is also very important. There will be failures, obstacles, and shortcomings, but that does not mean you leave the road,” he said.

He noted that time management was crucial for project delivery. Giving the example of an average middle-class working woman with two small children, Damodaran compared her task list with that of a project manager. Much like a working mother, a project manager needs simple principles such as multi-tasking to make him/her successful without having to go through management course books. He also spoke about team management and leadership styles. According to him, a leader needs to create an environment where every team member performs to the best of their ability.

“Delegate and empower your team members, incentivise them, and make them accountable. The results would then be much better,” he added.

He also urged project managers to not forget to celebrate success, as this helps to keep the team together.