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By now, most professionals recognize the value of having a strong personal brand. After all, if you’re not associated with particular concepts, strengths, characteristics, or viewpoints, you’re probably invisible inside your organization.

With the rise of the Project Economy, one of the most emblematic roles, the Chief Operating Officer, is coming to an end. And it is being replaced by the role of the Chief Project Officer, who will be accountable for bringing a considerable portion of an organization’s revenues, not deliverables and reports.

I am a huge believer in the incredible power of projects for good and noble causes, but also conscious about their undesirable side. Unfortunately, most of our current leaders do not understand projects and ignore their overwhelming positive, and sometimes enormously negative, power.

I am happy to invite you to the first HBR webinar in Project Management – at least in the past 7 years – that will take place next Wednesday 8th Dec, from 1 pm to 2 pm UK time. Registration here. Feel free to share with other colleagues and hope to see you there!

I am very happy to share with you that the current issue of Harvard Business Review printed magazine has Project Management and my article, “The Project Economy Has Arrived” in the spotlight, including the editorial from their chief editor, Adi Ignatius.

This summer we recorded the following two LinkedIn Learning courses, which apply the same principles as when I started teaching: simple, fun, and impactful: a) Project Management Reinvented for Non-Project Managers; b) How to Be an Effective Project Sponsor.

An inadequate and untrained sponsor in a project frequently leads to an unhappy team and almost inevitable project failure. Meet the executive sponsor to tell them the importance of the role and offer your assistance to coach them through the project.

As part of the research for my next book with Harvard Business Review – the HBR Project Management Handbook – and leveraging HBR vast influence and access to executives, we just launched a global survey on the latest trends and future of the project management profession.

HBR – Project Management Research – Paper vFinal Download Form Name* First Name Email* CAPTCHA As the number of projects in organizations skyrocket, understanding project fundamentals and fostering project management skills have become essential for all leaders and managers. Yet project failure rates remain extremely high. Why? Leaders have too many projects with too little…

As part of the research for my next book with Harvard Business Review – the HBR Project Management Handbook – and leveraging HBR vast influence and access to executives, we just launched a global survey on the latest trends and future of the project management profession.

As part of the research for my next book with Harvard Business Review – the HBR Project Management Handbook – and leveraging HBR vast influence and access to executives, we just launched a global survey on the latest trends and future of the project management profession.

Join us every Thursday to listen and network with incredible thinkers.

Join us every Thursday to listen and network with incredible thinkers.

The Strategy Implementation Institute has the pleasure to announce a partnership agreement with APMG International, one of the largest and most respected professional accreditation organizations, to increase competencies and recognition of implementation specialists.

Since the outburst of the global coronavirus crisis, thousands of initiatives have been launched to bring some kind of support to those that have been impacted most severely. I guess that many of us felt an urgent call to action.

I firmly believe that it is time that we co-create the Project Manifesto. My proposal is composed of the 12 guiding principles that you can see below. Appreciate if you can share your thoughts, add or challenge them, and ultimately endorse the Manifesto.

Whitney Johnson is one of the 50 leading business thinkers in the world (Thinkers50) and an expert on disruptive innovation and personal disruption, a framework codified in the critically-acclaimed book Disrupt Yourself: Putting the Power of Disruptive Innovation to Work.

Understand the essentials of decision making, strategic thinking and project implementation success.

Imagine a world in which most projects – personal, social, corporate, organizational and governmental – are successfully accomplished. That is the purpose and the reason for writing this book.

I firmly believe that it is time that we co-create the Project Manifesto. My proposal is composed of the 12 guiding principles that you can see below. Appreciate if you can share your thoughts, add or challenge them, and ultimately endorse the Manifesto.

There is no better way to finish a year full of exciting news with Roger Martin. Roger has an extraordinary career, full of achievements and recognitions. In 2017 he was named the world’s #1 management thinker by Thinkers50. He has published 25 articles in Harvard Business Review and 11 bestselling books!

Most of us have experienced coaching in our professional lives. At one point, we want to get better, improve some our weaknesses. It is often a painful process, which requires moving out of our comfort zone. Sometimes the coaching process works, but often it doesn’t.

Most of us have experienced coaching in our professional lives. At one point, we want to get better, improve some our weaknesses. It is often a painful process, which requires moving out of our comfort zone. Sometimes the coaching process works, but often it doesn’t.

Most of us have experienced coaching in our professional lives. At one point, we want to get better, improve some our weaknesses. It is often a painful process, which requires moving out of our comfort zone.

It was in 2013 when I first came across Rita McGrath’s work. I still remember the impact that “The End of Competitive Advantage” had on my thinking. It was an eye-opener of the disruptions that would be soon coming and turn our world upside-down.

Several years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Richard Straub over a long breakfast in Brussels. Richard is the founder of the non-profit Peter Drucker Society Europe after a 32-year career at IBM.

In the past 150 years, management has been focusing primarily at running and optimizing the business. Over this period, organizations have been structured in a very similar way, Hierarchically. The best way and model to maximize efficiencies and volumes, while reducing costs to the minimum. Projects were considered an addition to the business, hardly ever a priority.

You probably knew that the term ‘Coaching’ started in the later part of the 1880s and has been mostly associated with the sports profession. The concept progressively spread during the nineties and references to coaching were continuously mentioned in business journals.

Last Monday I had the pleasure to participate in the Thinkers50 Gala in London, an event that is considered by the Financial Times the “Oscars” of Management and Leadership thinking. I always wondered what it would be participating at the Oscars and receiving one of the Awards. Well, it happened.

Published in the Harvard Business Review
Every organization needs what I call a “hierarchy of purpose.” Without one, it is almost impossible to prioritize effectively.

Published in the Harvard Business Review
In the beginning companies sold products. And then they sold services. In recent years, the fashionable suggestion has been that companies sell experiences and solutions, solving the needs and aspirations of customers.

I had the pleasure to interview MEP Mrs. Mihaylova, and one of the most influential women in the area of Regional Development in Europe.

How projects are driving the implementation EU Regional Cohesion Policy – Mrs. Mihaylova, Chair of the Committee of Regional Development.

I am always curious to find out how other people, different than the ones I regularly work with, manage projects. A few months ago I had the pleasure to participate in a session with a Lama from Tibet.

Welcome back to my newsletter discussing the latest trends in project management, leadership and strategy implementation.

Welcome back to my newsletter discussing the latest trends in project management, leadership and strategy implementation.

Articles, podcasts and other interesting stuff that I came across over the past month.

What lessons can we learn from noteworthy projects that failed or were delivered successfully. With the aim of learning from past failures, this section analyses, using a simplified framework developed over more than ten years, a notorious project that was poorly managed and was terribly unsuccessful.  

I had the pleasure of interviewing Robin Speculand, one of the first experts focusing on strategy implementation. I was curious to hear about his personal project, as well as his views on the link between project management and successful strategy execution.

Projects, have, are, and will be an essential part of value creation and social transformation. We are witnessing the rise of the project economy. The so-called gig economy is driven by projects.

Change your brain, Change your game … 15 big ideas for business leaders to win in a fast-changing world. Thinkers50’s European Business Forum brings together Europe’s business leaders with the best new ideas in business in Odense on 9-10 May 2017

The last part includes further articles, webinars, podcasts and interesting stuff that I came across over the past month.

One of the most surprising project failures I came recently across was the one of the new Berlin airport. It is rare to see a project of such size fail, especially in Germany, a country known for its effectiveness, efficiency and planning capabilities.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Stuart Crainer and Des DearLove, founders of Thinkers50, launched in 2001, and the first-ever global ranking of management thinkers. I was curious to hear about their project, as well as their views on thought leadership, and why project management has been ignored by most of the “gurus”.

Every organization needs what I call a “hierarchy of purpose.” Without one, it is almost impossible to prioritize effectively.

We all receive tens and hundreds of emails, newsletters, blog post – per day. My goal is to make this one insightful, engaging, and to the point. Once a month, I will only share some of my latest thinking and a few stories that I found useful for myself.

Every big project accomplished, like the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, welcomes the visitor with one of the bold statements. This approach to ruling a region is inspirational to the business community, which is seen as the perfect partner in helping the government implement the strategic plan.

Look around. Think back to your organizational experience. I have done the same. Over three decades working in organizations and carrying out research into organizations, I have come to the conclusion that very few companies succeed in implementing their strategy.

I did this interview for The Economist’s Intelligence Unit five years ago for an article on “Mitigating project portfolio risks in the financial services industry”  on how companies track projects to mitigate risks…

Project Management has continued to evolve over the past years, becoming more and more relevant in both organizations and governments around the world. There are a few developments which I believe will become mainstream in 2016. I recently talked about this in Portfolio Manager with PMI Today. My views are based on my own experience as Head…

“If you want to make sure something doesn’t get done…. make it a project.” This is a common statement often heard from senior executives, including CIOs. Companies often have too many projects going on at one time. This leads to a high rate of failure, here’s a look at how to change that.   This…

During the past century, companies’ efforts to achieve their strategic initiatives have led to the improvement, and thus reduction, of operational work (run-the-business activities) and to an increase in projects (change-the-business activities). This slow but inevitable trend has had a significant impact on strategy execution. Unfortunately many companies remain ill-equipped to manage this shift. Thus, as the…

Over the past years we have seen unprecedented changes in the world, which have transformed the business landscape in which organizations operate. Besides the acceleration of the changing consumers needs; CEOs, Boards, directors, executives, leaders and senior managers have to face: a) a never ending financial crisis, b) languish market recovery and c) an increase…

Over the past years I have seen Portfolio Management evolving from a purely administrative process….

October 26, 2104, Phoenix, Arizona. A few weeks ago I had the pleasure to meet Earvine “Magic” Johnson. I knew Magic as a basketball star, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 80’s, often against the Boston Celtic from Larry Bird. He won five NBA championships, three MVP awards, and an Olympic gold…

I have always been intrigued by the few companies that manage to stay alive for decades whilst the majority of them fail or are taken over after a few years of existence. A recent study reflected that today the average lifespan of a leading US company listed in the S&P 500 index is 15 years.…

Nokia, Blackberry, TWA, Kodak, Olivetti, Enron, Blockbuster, Delta Airlines, Swiss Air, Arthur Andersen, General Motors, Chrysler, Lehman Brothers, Worldcom…and many other world known companies went busted

I strongly believe that most of the project managers have a very solid basis to build upon and grow as future leaders. In my previous article “Project Managers have the skills to become CEOs, so why don’t they?” I provided evidence – for the first time – that project managers have all the skills and competencies…

It is well known among the project management community that there is a glass ceiling in the career path of project managers (PMs). Only a tiny proportion have the opportunity to reach the top of the corporate ladder and land the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) job. In this article, I will prove – for the first time – that project managers have…

Lack of focus is one of the biggest hindrance organisations face in achieving their strategies. This issue is magnified by the fact that Human Beings tend to Disorderand Procrastination.

To Focus …or Not to Focus?
The essential question you should ask yourself if you want to achieve Success, Satisfaction, Performance and Happiness

Wharton, Insead, Harvard, Stanford, London Business School, Columbia, IMD, MIT, Instituto de Empresa, Chicago,…the world most prestigious business schools, don’t teach project management as a core course to the future business leaders as part of their flagship MBA programmes.

   One of the biggest challenges senior executives are facing today is how to prioritise their hundreds of projects, programs and strategic initiatives. This article will cover some of the key elements of the design and implementation of a project selection and prioritization process (PSP) as part of an enterprise-wide project portfolio management (PPM) deployment…

Is your company totally focused in their vision, in a few products, in a few services, in a few projects, in one single culture…? If not, asI explain in the following article, it might explain most of the issues you are currently facing… There is a major transition happening today inside organisations; and companies moving…

   …first time Teaching @ Instituto de Empresa… best business school in Madrid..one of the top in Europe… tough… yet great experience… will be back soon!