Community Post

26 SEPTEMBER 2011
 

Can a Project Manager Become the Next CEO?

CEOs come from finance, sales and marketing and even R&D or IT—but rarely do they come from a project or program management position.

Are the skill sets needed to be a senior executive or CEO similar to the skills of project managers? Do project managers even want to move up to the executive suite?

A recent discussion posted on LinkedIn asked: “Can a project manager become the next CEO?”

Man alone in boardroomThe responses varied. Some felt that project and program managers do not like regular or so-called “line” management because they prefer to see the end results of their efforts.

“Projects and programs are well-defined constructs of work that have specific scope and allow project managers to have direct hands-on impact on parts of the business,” said Jan Cifra of Brussels, Belgium, a recent MBA graduate with five years of experience in project and program management, mostly in IT.

On the other hand, Jason Taylor, head of change and customer service at the Independent Police Complaints Commission and global executive partner at the Academy of Business Strategy, noted that many successful CEOs have an understanding of project portfolio management at some level. “Steve Jobs [former CEO of Apple, Inc.] could not have done what he has without taking a portfolio approach to innovating and integrating projects as an enabler for the brand.”

Study Examines the Skills Necessary for Becoming an Executive

So how do the skills compare?

Jean-Pierre Debourse, PhD, MSc, and Russell D. Archibald, PhD (Hon), MSc, PMP recently completed a PMI-sponsored study, Project Managers as Senior Executives.

The research closely examined the characteristics of project managers and senior executives, which gained insights into their career paths and the skills and roles necessary for success.

Twenty-five senior executives and 20 project managers from six countries were interviewed. An online survey for project managers garnered more than 600 responses.

The survey covered topics such as:

  • Career path
  • Education, certification and project management experience
  • Opinions on the skills needed for project managers and whether they match those needed for senior executives and CEOs
  • Opinions on the importance of project management experience in achieving senior management positions

Twelve to 15 percent of project and program managers who responded to the survey reached senior executive positions. The researchers found that in project-driven companies, project managers do better moving toward the senior executive position than in project-dependent companies (those producing goods and services).

The face-to-face-interviews with CEOs showed that, in both project-driven and project-dependent companies, being a project manager is an essential experience before becoming a CEO.

“If I had to choose my successor, the only condition would be to have proven [experience] in the field as a project manager and COO,” said one respondent from a project-driven company.

The researchers found the attributes most similar among project managers and senior executives center on skills such as communication, leadership and negotiation abilities.

Back on LinkedIn, Elizabeth Connolly, an executive coordinator for corporate development for the Gold Coast (Australia) City Council, who is now able to participate in strategic management roles, confirmed the value of project management. “Project management allowed me to understand both the strategic and organizational sides of the business, and provided me with planning, problem solving and people management experience.”

Although project management skills were desirable for executive-level positions, those skills alone are not enough, survey respondents said.

"It takes personality, charisma, an ability to evolve. We must focus on people who have aggressiveness and willingness to succeed," said one CEO respondent.

Do You Want to Be a Senior Executive?

Respondents also suggested project managers seeking entry into the executive suite concentrate on, among others, the following areas:

  • Cross-functional expertise
  • Leading, negotiating and reaching goals
  • Political skills
  • Constant perception of the company’s outside world
Members May Download the Study

PMI members can read the completed research report, Project Managers as Senior Executives, by downloading the final report (volume one and volume two).

In the LinkedIn discussion, Perry A. Wilson, PMP, owner of Perry A. Wilson Consulting, advised ladder-climbers to “Get an MBA and make connections in the ‘CEO world.’ Be aware of developments in the industry and talk about them in visionary language, not in language of implementation."

“In short, CEO is just like any other job. Get the skills, make the network work, and focus on the goal.”

 

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