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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.

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Cornelius will be at the PMI Global Summit in Phoenix from November 12–15! If you’re attending, let’s connect. Write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we’ll set up a time to meet.

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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.

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Episode Summary

Leadership comes in many styles, and the podium of a conductor offers striking lessons for project managers. In this conversation, Itay Talgam brings his wealth of experience as a classical conductor to shed light on what leadership means when you are tasked with guiding a group of experts toward a shared goal. Using vivid stories about Riccardo Muti, Leonard Bernstein, and other legendary maestros, he shows how leadership style is not fixed but evolves with culture, context, and experience. Just as conductors must adapt to each orchestra, project leaders must adapt to the unique culture of their teams and organizations. The discussion emphasizes how authority and autonomy can coexist, why culture and leadership are inseparable, and how leaders can expand their own style without losing authenticity.

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Episode Summary

Managing more than one project at a time can feel like a constant balancing act, and for many project managers it is part of everyday life. In this conversation, Elizabeth Harrin joins Cornelius Fichtner to discuss the updated second edition of Managing Multiple Projects and the changes it brings. The discussion highlights how Chapter 7 has been reframed as "Practices," offering practical approaches for building sustainable success. Listeners will gain clear advice on where to start, how to set boundaries, and which methods can lighten the workload without sacrificing quality.

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Episode Summary

The most dangerous issue facing a Project Management Office (PMO) is not sudden collapse but a gradual decline in relevance and impact. In this conversation, Mel Bost, author of Understanding Project Practices and Processes, shares his insights from Chapter Four of the book, which focuses on PMOs and project performance. He explains why PMOs often fail to deliver consistent value, even when they are not technically “broken.” He highlights overlooked factors, from alignment with organizational strategy to a lack of meaningful performance measures, that contribute to slow underperformance. The discussion underscores that without proactive adjustments, a PMO can continue to operate while its value to the business quietly diminishes.

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Episode Summary

Project managers know that skill building requires consistency, but finding the right structure can be a challenge. Olivia Pekny introduces PM Master Quest, a program built around 30 days of practical, daily challenges that strengthen core project management capabilities. Instead of long theory-based courses, participants apply short, focused tasks directly to a project storyline, turning everyday actions into learning opportunities. The design is simple yet powerful: take one challenge per day, reflect on the experience, and gradually develop the mindset and behaviors that effective project managers demonstrate. Olivia explains how the program helps professionals at all levels gain traction in areas such as stakeholder communication, decision-making, and team leadership while creating momentum through daily practice.

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Episode Summary

Project managers often excel at delivering on scope, schedule, and budget, but struggle when asked to prove the value of their work to senior leadership. Barbara Kephart brings her extensive experience in project, program, and portfolio management to address this common challenge. She outlines a clear approach to bridging the gap between technical project reporting and leadership’s focus on business outcomes. Drawing from her career in both public and private sectors, Barbara explains how understanding the language of leadership and linking project metrics to strategic objectives can transform how executives perceive your contributions.

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Episode Summary

Leadership expert Shyam Ramanathan joins Cornelius Fichtner to unpack what great leadership looks like for project managers. Shyam brings over two decades in IT, an extensive leadership blog with 400 plus posts, and two books, “Maximise Potential” and “Maximise Potential 2.” He outlines a clear, three-part foundation for leading well, then connects it to day-to-day project work. You hear how vision sets the direction, how the ability to inspire moves people to act, and how leading by example creates credibility. Shyam ties these principles to project realities like reading the charter, clarifying scope and budget, selecting and positioning the right people, and building a balanced team through honest self-awareness.

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One Playlist. Sixty Free PDUs. Zero Hassle.

We’ve made it incredibly easy for you to earn your Professional Development Units (PDUs) using Spotify. In this episode, Cornelius Fichtner explains how you can listen to 60 hours of curated podcast content from The Project Management Podcast and self-report those hours as free PDUs with PMI.

Here’s how it works:

• Step 1 – Download the Tracking Spreadsheet: Use this spreadsheet to track your learning ➡️ Download Spreadsheet
• Step 2 – Listen and Track: Open the Spotify playlist, start listening, and log your progress in the spreadsheet ➡️ Open Spotify Playlist
• Step 3 – Self-Report with PMI: Use PMI’s CCRS platform to self-report your earned PDUs ➡️ Report at PMI

Need More Help?

Visit our detailed instructions and FAQ at Earn 60 Free PDUs on Spotify..

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Episode Summary

Many project managers are trained to manage scope, schedule, and cost. But what happens when the project itself is the business? In this solo episode, Cornelius Fichtner introduces the Project Business Professional (PBP) certification and explains why it fills a major gap in traditional project management education. Drawing on his own recent experience earning the PBP credential, Cornelius walks through what makes project business fundamentally different from internal project delivery and why nearly half of all project managers are already operating in this external, client-facing space—whether they realize it or not.

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Episode Summary

This episode flips the script on traditional project management education by using memes to deliver real, applicable insights. Cornelius Fichtner selects seven past podcast interviews and distills their core lessons into memorable memes. Each meme acts as a springboard into deeper project truths, making this a visually rich episode that’s equal parts fun and functional. Topics span remote leadership, stakeholder communication, power skills, data literacy, and more. This creative format makes complex ideas stick and gives project managers simple reminders they can laugh at and learn from.

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Episode Summary

Project teams often finish on time and on budget only to face silent rejection from users. Change-management practitioner Mario González joins Cornelius Fichtner to map out the “adoption gap” and how to close it. Mario manages public-sector projects and brings fifteen years of leading agile transformations. He explains practical ways to detect early signs of low adoption, measure real usage with crisp KPIs, and listen for informal feedback that exposes hidden concerns. Listeners learn why classifying stakeholders as supporters, neutrals, or resistors creates clarity and how to move each group toward active buy-in.

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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.

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Episode Summary

Genocide survivor, educator, and leadership consultant Dr. Emad Rahim joins host Cornelius Fichtner to share the S.A.L.T. model—Survive, Adaptation, Love, Transformation—a framework he forged while rebuilding his life from the Khmer Rouge killing fields to the executive boardroom. Rahim explains why acknowledging a “survival state” is the first step toward meaningful change and how project managers can move beyond firefighting into strategic growth by embracing adaptation through value-based decisions. He highlights the critical role of supportive networks (“love”) in sustaining momentum and shows how transformation becomes attainable when leaders combine clear goals with short- and long-term wins.

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Episode Summary

Project managers know that clear schedules and smart strategies cannot guarantee success. Jackie Barretta, award-winning CIO and author of Primal Teams, shows how emotion sits at the heart of team performance and why leaders who understand this outpace those who ignore it. Drawing on twenty-five years in Fortune 500 IT leadership and consulting, Jackie explains how authentic emotional awareness activates sharper thinking, faster creativity, and stronger collaboration, turning ordinary groups into high-performance engines.

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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.

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Episode Summary

The Project Management Institute (PMI) has introduced a new validation rule in the Continuing Certification Requirements System (CCRS) self-reporting form that automatically treats any number in the activity title as a PDU claim code. When the rule is triggered, for example by “Episode 525 - The Unofficial Project Manager” or “PMO Symposium 2025,” the form displays an error and blocks submission until the title is edited. This affects all self-reported learning activities whose names contain digits.

Follow these steps to submit your Project Management Podcast PDUs without triggering the error:

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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.

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Great news: our full archive of 620 Project Management Podcast episodes is now available in Apple Podcasts and Supercast for premium subscribers. Upgrade from the free feed to unlock every interview, including more than 100 premium-only shows, earn PMI PDUs effortlessly, and download detailed transcripts.

I plan to publish three episodes each month in 2025: two free and one premium. So now is a perfect time to join. Choose the platform that fits your listening style using the links below. Thank you for supporting the show and letting us be part of keeping your projects on track.

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