AI is changing how projects operate, but speed and automation also introduce new risks that are easier to miss and harder to challenge. This conversation examines how artificial intelligence accelerates existing project warning signs and creates confidence without evidence. Cornelius Fichtner welcomes Matthew Oleniuk, author of The Seven Red Flags of Failing Projects, to revisit four critical red flags through an AI lens. Together, they discuss how AI-driven reporting, task automation, and decision support can intensify output-focused thinking, hide weak outcomes, and create polished narratives that mask real project health. The discussion emphasizes that AI does not introduce entirely new problems but magnifies behaviors that already exist in project environments, especially overconfidence, automation bias, and reduced human challenge.
Projects rarely fall apart because of tools or templates. They struggle because leaders lack clarity, adaptability, awareness, and strong communication habits. Author and coach Scott Barnard joins Cornelius Fichtner to share a practical leadership framework built on four pillars that help project managers guide their teams through turbulence. Drawing from more than three decades of recovering troubled initiatives, Scott explains how these pillars help teams anticipate disruption, reduce stress, and keep moving toward meaningful outcomes. His experience spans major global programs, complex software projects, and large organizational transformations, all of which reveal a consistent pattern: when leaders strengthen these four pillars, chaos loses its grip and teams deliver more confidently.
Click above to play either the audio-only episode or video episode in a new window.
Episode Summary
Subtle problems often start long before a project shows obvious signs of distress. Leaders feel the pressure to deliver momentum, teams shift toward activity over outcomes, and stakeholders slowly fade as competing priorities pull them away. In this conversation, Matthew Oleniuk brings his experience from overseeing large public sector projects and highlights seven early indicators that signal when a project is heading toward trouble. He explains why these issues are easy to ignore, how they quietly compound over time, and why strong leadership vigilance matters more than any dashboard color. He also describes how patterns like output beating outcome, performance theater, and risk box ticking show up in real projects and why they are so harmful when left unchallenged.
Click above to play either the audio-only preview episode or video preview episode in a new window.
Episode Summary
Project leadership is more than delivering on time and budget. It is about leading people with honesty, awareness, and courage. In this episode, leadership coach and author Susanne Madsen joins Cornelius Fichtner to discuss how project managers can transform their project outcomes by developing authentic leadership. Drawing from her acclaimed book, *The Power of Project Leadership*, Susanne explains the Project Leadership Matrix, how to assess whether we are proactive or reactive, and how self-awareness is the foundation of great leadership. She also unpacks how leaders can balance people and task focus while recognizing that reactivity often stems from corporate culture rather than personality.
Click above to play either the audio-only episode or video episode in a new window.
Episode Summary
When stakeholders doubt the schedule, they doubt the leader behind it. Project schedules are more than a collection of dates... they are instruments of leadership that can either inspire confidence or create skepticism. In this conversation, Michael Pink, CEO of SmartPM Technologies, joins Cornelius Fichtner to explain how schedule visibility enables project leaders to see risks early, prevent overruns, and lead with credibility. Drawing from his experience in analyzing thousands of construction projects, Michael explains how transparent and data-driven schedules elevate leadership trust, keep teams aligned, and ensure projects stay on course.
Click above to play either the audio-only episode or video episode in a new window.
Episode Summary
For many project managers, the urge to command every meeting and own every milestone feels natural. But veteran program manager Anisha Manvatkar proves that the most effective leaders often work in silence. In this conversation with Cornelius Fichtner she shares how “invisible leadership” unites purpose, communication, and AI-powered efficiency to deliver high-performing projects at Nvidia and beyond. Listeners hear why stepping out of the spotlight lets teams step up, how a clear “why” keeps momentum when priorities shift, and where AI can shoulder the busywork so people focus on innovation.
Click above to play either the audio-only episode or video episode in a new window.
Episode Summary
Constant change, evolving stakeholder needs, and dispersed teams can twist even the best-planned projects into knots. Leadership expert Kevin Eikenberry (Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group and author of Flexible Leadership) joins Cornelius Fichtner to unpack a practical roadmap for staying effective when everything around you shifts. Drawing on three decades of coaching leaders in more than 50 countries, Kevin explains why rigid command-and-control approaches snap under real-world pressure, how “flexors” help you bend without breaking, and where to start if your calendar already looks like a game of Tetris.
Click above to play either the audio-only episode or video episode in a new window.
Episode Summary
Project environments rarely slow down, yet outstanding leaders keep schedules intact, teams motivated, and stakeholders confident even when interruptions pile up. Leadership strategist Robert Heath Sr. joins the show to explain how he transforms shifting priorities into opportunities for greater impact. A former Marine officer and combat-tested communications expert, Robert now advises Fortune 500 firms on building cultures that thrive under pressure. He shares field-tested techniques that help project managers cut through noise, protect focus, and make decisions at speed while maintaining team morale.
Project Management for Beginners and Experts
Going beyond Project Management Professional (PMP)®, PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®, and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®
PM PrepCast, Agile PrepCast, PM Exam Simulator, PDU Podcast, PM Podcast are marks of OSP International LLC.
PMI, PMBOK, PMP, PgMP, PfMP, CAPM, PMI-SP, PMI-RMP, PMI-ACP, and PMI-PBA are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
