16.3 What Makes a Great Project Manager?

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There is, of course, more to professional competency than maturity, but that is not the worst place to start. For years, I have joked that good project managers are born, not made. Although not a qualified participant in the "nature versus nurture" debate, I do believe that competent project managers display certain characteristics in significantly higher doses than the worker of average knowledge. Although these traits, if left unchecked, do not necessarily make their owner the most charming, well-adjusted human being after hours, they clearly flag the possessor as being the shameless nudge and ruthless organizer one must be to excel in this field. Their order of appearance does not necessarily imply their relative importance, although I have tried to lump them together with a semblance of coherence.

When evaluating yourself or others against this list, keep in mind that it is the blend of characteristics that determines the potential suitability of any project manager candidate, instead of the weight of any single attribute. Also, try to separate style from substance. Being abrasive, for example, is to me a matter of style that does not necessarily indicate the appropriate level of aggression required to get the job done as much as it points to a possibly intolerant, if not uncouth, personality.

These significant attributes are divided into three categories:

Experience and training
Professional skills
Personal attributes

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