Interview with BUB's Chris Kindermans, MSc PMP

Boston University’s own Chris Kindermans sat down with us recently to discuss the Project Management Institute’s PMP®, Project Management Professional exam and integration into the curriculum at BUB. He will be leading the two-day pre-exam course hosted by BUB on March 30th and 31st from 08:00 to 17:00hrs.

 

What value do you feel Project Management training has to today's professional?

Project Management is the discipline of planning, organizing, allocating, and managing the scarce resources of a company or an organization, in order to achieve its specific goals and objectives. This type of training let acquire all students, wanting to work and to develop a career in any kind of organization or government body, a vital skill or competency that makes them stand and perform in line with the organizational requirements and expectations in this times of Globalization. Acquiring Project Management knowledge should be given the same consideration as learning how to read and how to write.

How has the class at BUB been created to meet the needs of the students?

In line with the exponential growth of the number of certified Project Managers in the world and with the explosive demand from the national and international markets, for trained Project Managers, BUB has decided in 2006 to create 4 Project Management training modules, in line with those modules, offered by the main campus. These 4 modules haven proven to cover all needs of the students.

Have you found a good response so far?

Right from the beginning Project Management classes belong to the top classes of BUB, in fact they belong to the top tier from a participants point of view.

How do you see Project Management contributing to the development of a leader?

In order to become a good project manager, someone has also to develop a set of interpersonal and leadership skills. To name some: We expect a Project Manager to be Ethical, Professional, Respectful, Fair, and Honest. He/She should be a good communicator and inspire a shared vision for the project team. She/He should be competent, empathic, and enthusiast. We also require from a project manager a good capability of finding sustainable solutions, solving problems, negotiating, motivating people,  and conflict handling. We train the students in all those areas, which all belong to the skills set of a great leader.

Is there a place for Project Management in International Relations?

When we go back to all of the above, it goes without saying that project management skills, competences and knowledge belong to the key attributes of a successful Manager, working in International Relations. Knowledge of cultural differences is yet another competency, to be acquired by project managers. Globalization thrives on competent project managers and proper resources allocation.

Do you see a difference in the approach to Project Management internationally as opposed to the US?

Except for dealing with some cultural aspects, there is no difference between the US approach  and approaches in other parts of the world. Courses at BUB are largely inspired by the PMBoK, the Project Management Body of Knowledge, an ANSI standard, issued by PMI. PMI, the Project Management Institute, with currently more than 550.000 members worldwide, has issued only one global standard for project management and everywhere in the world, people who want to be certified have to study the same PMBoK and they have to pass the same type of exam. Worldwide, there are now more than 600.000 PMP's, certified Project Managers from PMI. A proof that the profession of Project Manager is really global, and the courses at BUB are aligned in the same way.

The Evolution of Leadership Study

Today we're going to take a look at how academic thought about the field of leadership has changed over the years.  One of the first things that new students to our Master of Science in Leadership program find out is that Academia hasn't had just one approach examining what makes for a great leader.

First, the Great Man

This is where most people still seem to be when it comes to thinking about leaders.  It is summed up in the old adage Great leaders are born, not made.  The idea, popular in the 1800's, was simply that great leaders were great men (remember, this theory pre-dated gender equity); that is, they were born with a certain set of inherent traits that propelled them to great feats and thus into the history books. 

Just as history has been said to be written by the victors (that is, after the fact from the point of view of those to who triumped), this theory looked at those who emerged as leaders with 20/20 hindsight and ascribed their qualitites as those of great leaders.  Hmmm... does that sound tautological to anyone else?

Next, Combinations of the Right Traits

Next it was considered that it wasn't simply inherent traits in the individual that contributed to effective leadership, but those that could be learned as well.  Perhaps one was born with oratory acumen, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't possible to learn how to become a better speaker still.  No longer was it left to genetics one's chances of becoming a great leader.  Now one could strive, learn, and grow to increase one's skill in certain traits associated with effective leadership.

Finally, Situational Leadership

While recognizing that leadership traits could be learned as well as inherent in the personality was a step forward, academia was still re-examining its approach to the field.  It was recognized that a great leader in one context (say, the battlefield) was not necessarily a great leader in another (democratic politics).  A great prison warden would not necessarily be as effective as the head of the local Girl Scouts troop.  Thus was incorporated the approach of Situational Leadership, that is, the recognition that it is important to look at the context in which one is applying her skills to determine her effectiveness as a leader as much as the skills themselves. 

Context means not only the situation (the environmental factors) but the followers as well: who they were and how they operated.  Therefore leadership is now seen as a function of traits (inherent and learned), characteristics of the followers, and the nature of the situation.

And what traits are associated with effective leadership?

• Capacity (this one leans towards the "you're born with it or you aren't")
• Achievement (a mix of inherent and learned skill/effort)
• Responsibility
• Participation
• Status

As you can see, these traits nicely mix those you are born with, and those you can improve through effort and will.

What's the next step in the study of what it takes to become a great leader?  I'm not sure but our MSL students will be some of the first to know and apply that knowledge out in the real world!

The International: February Newsletter is Out!

The Boston University in Brussels November Newsletter is out!  Click on the image below to access the full pdf:

Note: if image does not work: use the URL:

http://freepdfhosting.com/ffea163467.pdf

The MSL and Post-Graduate Success: An Interview with Alumna Claudia Ritter

This month we had a chance to sit down with Claudia Ritter, a graduate of the BU Brussels Masters of Leadership degree in 2011.  In response to many applicant inquiries as to how the MSL degree is used post-graduation, we focused the conversation on how she's found value in applying her knowledge in the work world.

Claudia, thanks for joining us today.  I'd like to talk about your experience with BU Brussels's MSL program.  What initially interested you about getting a Masters in Leadership degree at BU?

I was at the time cycling through a career transition, leaving a highly politicized working environment to set up my own consultancy in cross-cultural communications in Brussels. I had held senior management positions in EU public affairs for twenty years. I had gathered significant experience building international teams, managing international projects, organizing European-wide campaigns and developing international media strategies. And I felt ready to design and deliver leadership programs for companies and organizations challenged by the complexity of multicultural working environments: when seeking to enter new markets, when sub-contracting to other countries, when driving a change process...

At the same time, I wanted to update my knowledge, preferably in an academic environment. The BU Masters in Leadership degree seemed to fit my objective: the courses are being taught by industry-experienced  professionals who combine their practitioner’s skills with academic structure.

Did you have any expectations about what you would be learning?  If so, what were they?

My expectations were clear, at least I thought so. I wanted business-focused knowledge for immediate use in my daily work. But I got so much more out of it than just topical content. I learned about strategy, finance, negotiating, leadership and team dynamics. But I also learned that good leadership development programs – whether in higher or in executive education – are not just a series of classes you sit through to obtain your degree or certificate.

Good leadership development programs are those that have a long-term value because they become a transformative journey. They do not simply teach you about leadership, telling you what you should do to be successful. They also help you capture the spirit of leadership by integrating emotionally intelligent leadership practices. They are not only about achieving learning goals, they also address the powerful drivers of leadership behaviors. And those are skills you need in today’s international workplaces. Ignore the real state of an organization you work for, ignore the norms of the groups you interact with in your professional relationships, and you are set up for failure. Know how to navigate complexity, and organizational systems and cultures will support you.

Every choice to go back to school involves weighing out time and money investment against what you perceive the value of the program will be.  What did you expect the value of the MSL to be for you specifically (not just value to the typical student)?  Were there certain issues you wanted to address, or career goals you wanted to obtain?  Did you use the MSL to help you in a career transition to a new career, or to advance in your current position?

I wanted to position myself on the market. There are many consultants around- many competent colleagues. So how would I make a difference? I already had my academic credits, but I felt that a postgraduate Masters from a renowned American University would help.

And indeed, it has. Not only have I embarked on new learning, I have accessed new networks. Two former co-students of mine in Brussels have become business partners. A professor on the campus in Boston has given me valuable advice relating to my professional activity, though we never met in person. I can present myself as a seasoned professional who combines twenty years of experience in the industry with up-to-date academic learning. This has by the way helped me win an important contract last month. The MSL has opened many doors for me: to new learning, to exciting business partnerships, to an academic community I feel that I belong to, and to new clients.

How have you applied the knowledge from the program in your work life?

I integrate much of my theoretical learning at BU into my own leadership programs. But, most importantly, I use a lot of BU’s teaching methodologies, blending them with my own. I love bold mixtures of learning techniques that are conducted over a period of time.

My programs are not designed as one-time quick-fixes – or correctives -, but built as multifaceted processes that permeate the three layers of any organization I work with: the individuals, the teams in which they work,  and the culture of the organization. They combine intellectual and emotional learning. They blend contextualized content with action learning and coaching, where participants use what they are learning to diagnose and solve real problems in their organizations.

No doubt BU has inspired me to design leadership programs that are different from what you normally find in the executive training arena.

Do you look at others (peers, underlings, bosses, clients) differently now?  If so, how?

Studying leadership, if taken seriously, transforms you. It changes the way you relate to colleagues, business partners and clients, because it changes your mindset. You learn that being a good leader does not mean that you have to be the toughest gal or guy on the block, nor that you have to head a team or an entire company. You learn that leading is about inspiring people, about creating places of resonance, and about making sense. You learn that leadership effectiveness goes well beyond the management of resources and the rational operation of organizations. And, yes, studying Leadership has fundamentally changed the way I look at others. I have become more open, more tolerant, more curious – and more aware of the need to create innovative leadership practices. Interestingly, I seem to always be meeting people – new colleagues, partners, friends – who share my interest in helping leaders cultivate a broader range or depth of social and emotional competencies not just for added leadership strength in their own organizations, but for the vitality of our economy. That’s synchronicity at its very best…

Why do you think that leadership is such a hard topic for people to understand?  I've found that many people feel they should be interested in it, but very few actually go forward and try to learn more about it.  Do you agree?

I believe that strong leadership programs have to be focused on intellectual and emotional learning. They are not just about tackling reality, they are about implementing ideals too. This is not what you typically find in most business schools and executive training centers, at least not yet. They continue to operate according to traditional metrics, such as financial performance and organizational strategy. These will of course always be important considerations. But in today’s diverse and constantly changing global market we need a new generation of leaders with that extra dimension that makes the difference, with that extra set of new skills. We need people not only responding to economic challenges, but to ethical and cultural challenges too. People not only interested in  aligning their underlings, but also in developing attuned relationships.

This is a principle that many colleagues of mine, my business partners and myself apply when developing our leadership programs targeting the executive education arena: we increasingly build on the concepts of authentic leadership and emotional leadership. Our clients love this approach as it combines business-focused know-how with techniques to uncover their own strengths and ideals, and to use their daily work as a laboratory for learning and personal development.

I am convinced that the most forward-thinking business educators will over time recognize the importance of transmitting, alongside topical content, certain skills and behaviors in higher education to help their graduates become true leaders instead of mere managers. That would be long-term value for people and organizations. Imagine what our societies would be like if  they were structured around the concepts of resonant leadership. What would our parenting be like, our schools, our businesses, our communities…

And I am sure that we will get there. Remember how unusual the breakthrough concept of « emotional intelligence » (EI) seemed to us when Daniel Goleman first coined the term in the early nineties of the last century ? How could EI possibly exist when it could not be measured, unlike the intelligence quotient, the IQ ? Today, EI is a respected area of academic research. We know from two decades of analysis within top organizations that resonant leaders excell not only through skills and smarts, but also by connecting with others.

One question we've been asking people is "Why Leadership and Why Now?"  If someone were to ask you why they should learn about leadership now as opposed to later, what advice would you give them?

Today’s markets are complex and highly competitive. The sooner you position yourself with a degree from a top-ranking university, the better. And Leadership it should be, provided that the classes blend proven traditional management models with these new work skills: self-awareness, empathic understanding, self-mastery, and personal responsibility. Learning about leadership now makes you fit for the future. It helps you navigate international business environments - building trust, developing attuned relationships with colleagues and clients, detecting differences in management and leadership styles in other countries or organizations - and adapt your strategy. It will take you into the ranks of leaders-to-be benefitting not only their own organizations, but also their families, their communities, and society as a whole. I have witnessed it myself when  enrolling as a student with BU: learning about leadership in an academic context not only changes the way you interact in your professional, but also in your personal relationships, in addition to opening up great networks. 

Thank you for your time Claudia.  Congratulations on all your successes.

Why Leadership Matters for the Best Jobs of the 21st Century

Leadership is hard to define.  It is a concept, much like acceleration, which is only theoretical until it is applied to an actual set of tangible circumstances.  While leadership a hot topic these days, with books on the subject selling briskly and degree programs opening up worldwide to address the interest, many people feel that it is important without really being able to explain why.

As a concept, leadership can be thought of as an accelerant, something that increases the velocity of that upon which it acts.  Is your career stagnating?  Learning what it is to be a leader, and the nuts and bolts of how effective leaders work through traits, behaviors, and relationships, will help boost you from where you are to where you want to be.  Are you an entrepreneur?  Leadership studies will help you learn how to attract and gain the loyalty of followers, who will in turn elevate you and your ideas.  You will learn how groups select a leader from amongst peers, and learn how to maximize the chances that you will be that leader chosen.  If you already lead others, you can learn about how a leader creates meaning for others and shapes the reality they see, so that others decide on a course of action that the leader desires.  You can study how leaders align the efforts of others towards a common goal by shaping and perfecting that goal (through storytelling, charisma, and emotional intelligence) and motivating followers to come along.

Leadership as a topic is not one to be kept in books.  It provides value by being taken out, tested, and wrestled with every day.

Recently a book was published which highlighted the best jobs for the 21st century.  In the midst of financial crises, increasing unemployment, and globalization, many of us are happy to just have a job, and are not worrying about if ours is the best.  But these negative factors define the reality in which we operate, and the best jobs are a reflection of these conditions.

In short, the best jobs are those which cannot be outsourced: high-touch, on-site jobs.  But these are not the only factors.  After all, you can't get your car repaired overseas that easily, so it would seem that being a car mechanic would be a safe job.  But it isn't, because you are highly replaceable, and when this is the case, wages are driven down and you don't make that much (because everyone competes on price).

The key is to not be a commodity.  Be unique.  Be hard to replace.  Here I'll quote directly from an article that discusses the book:

Therefore, the best jobs for the 21st century--the high-growth, high-paying, job-creating occupations--will be in services that require some combination of creativity, sophisticated decision making, interpersonal sensitivity, and adaptability to a changing environment. This last factor, adaptability, means the ability to learn new skills and the flexibility to change work roles and possibly employers as opportunities emerge. It also means that a college degree, while serving as the entry ticket to one of these highly rewarding jobs, does not free the worker from the need for additional education or training. Continuing education is a legal requirement for many of these jobs and a practical necessity for the others.

Two points above are critical.  First, the highlighted skills- those which make you unique and valuable- are all direct aspects of leadership development.  They ARE leadership.  Second, it isn't ever too late to go back to school and further develop your skill set.  This is the beauty of a leadership graduate program: it is applicable to everyone.  


Every year we watch students advance their skill sets and become more valuable in the workplace with our Masters in Leadership degree.  Where they take those skills, how they apply them, and how far they go is up to them.  What's certain is that as we head further into the 21st century, more and more indicators are showing that becoming a better leader in your field is the path to more stability, satisfaction, and apparently a shot at the "best jobs" the century has to offer.

Differentiate yourself.  Consider BU Brussels.

The BUB Newsletter - Dec / Jan

For the holidays, we are combining two months' of newsletter into one.  Click on the image below for the full pdf version of the December / January newsletter for Boston University - Brussels:

If link from image does not work, click here.

Communicating as a Leader with today's Electronic Media

As a leader, you have many options for communication at your disposal.  Traditional (now called "rich forms") of communication remain the best option for sensitive or confidential matters, or arenas where the style of delivery (such as tone of voice) are important.  Rule of thumb: no sarcasm in email!  It doesn't translate.  In addition to the context of the message, it's important not to over-rely on electronic communications in general.  Psychologists have noted that there are several hidden problems that result- people need human interaction to remain connected, motivated, and stimulated.  Simply turning to the computer or smart phone for every message won't do. 

So tip #1 is: Combine new methods of communication with old "human interaction."  Take a walk around your office to chat with people.  See what comes up.  Often when this unstructured space for communication is available, simmering issues can come up and be addressed before turning into big problems.  If you have virtual workers, try to organize periodic events where you can all meet in person.

Next, consider the existing level of relationship in your communications.  Do you all know each other well in person?  Have you been working together for some time and "gelled" as a group?  If so, you probably have existing communication patterns, which can then be supplemented with electronic communications.  In other words, if you've known each other for a while, you can read "between the lines" of emails and text to understand what is meant over and above what is simply said.  If you are new to working together, try not to rely too much on emails or texts at first.  You may not know the other well enough to know what they truly mean in these short communications.

It's also important to READ AND RE-READ your messages before yous send them off!  This applies both to emails and to texts.  Simple errors in emails can lead to misunderstandings and hurt feelings.  These days the autocorrect feature on your smartphone can turn a regular text into an embarrassing missive.  Typing "ok Bob I will call client now" quickly while driving (which you shouldn't be doing anyhow) can turn into a whole different message if call is autocorrected to kill.  It's happened!  A quick Google search shows innumerable examples.  Also be sure to check who you are replying to.  Many a career has been ended over hitting "Reply to All" instead of "Reply." 

Finally, know when it's in poor taste or tacky to use email or texts.  Some interactions just need to happen in person.  Important issues, the loss of a loved one (even a pet!), and other sensitive topics should be addressed in person, or if that is not possible due to distance, at least over the phone.  If you're not sure- ask!