We're offering 7 full scholarships for the upcoming Project Business Professional (PBP) seminar, taking place September 8–11. This live, interactive training is for project managers working on client-facing, outsourced, profit-driven projects.
To apply, visit pm-podcast.com/scholarship and complete the short form by August 18. Tell us why you want to become a PBP—and you could be one of the seven randomly selected.
Premium subscribers: this time, you must opt in too!
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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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Episode Summary
Many professionals manage projects every day without holding an official project manager title. This conversation highlights why so many individuals lead crucial initiatives by accident and how they can succeed even without formal authority. Guest expert Kory Kogon brings extensive experience in helping people adopt practical leadership approaches, emphasizing the idea that a project’s success hinges on building trust, clarifying expectations, and fostering genuine engagement among team members.
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Episode Summary
Agile project management emphasizes collaboration, adaptability, and continuous feedback, allowing teams to produce high-value increments quickly and adjust as requirements evolve. This approach is brought to life by speaker and project management expert Cornelius Fichtner, who shares how focusing on key agile values helps deliver outcomes that genuinely match customer needs. Drawing on years of experience, he explains how frameworks like Scrum and others drive collaboration, transparency, and open communication, empowering teams to respond rapidly when priorities shift. He provides insights into managing uncertainty by breaking large initiatives into smaller deliverables, collecting constant customer input, and prioritizing real results over excessive documentation.
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Episode Summary
Leadership in complex environments requires a clear focus on practical methods, teamwork, and risk mitigation. Retired General Stan McChrystal joins the discussion to share proven approaches for navigating high-stakes situations. He draws on his experience as a former commander who led large-scale military operations around the globe. His insights emphasize that genuine leadership combines strategic planning with a profound understanding of your team’s capabilities, motivations, and communication needs.
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Episode Summary
Leadership is more than just managing tasks—it’s about inspiring teams, fostering collaboration, and guiding change. In this episode, we break down what true leadership means in a project management context and beyond. Whether you're leading a small initiative or a large-scale transformation, understanding leadership principles can significantly impact your success.
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Episode Summary
Preparing for the PMP exam can feel overwhelming, but the right strategy and mindset make all the difference. In this episode, recent test-taker and now PMP-certified professional Rich Rushlow shares his journey to certification, offering firsthand insights into the study materials, resources, and techniques that worked best for him.
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Episode Summary
Project managers play a pivotal role in turning strategy into execution, but what exactly do they do daily? From ensuring teams stay aligned to mitigating risks and keeping projects on schedule, their responsibilities are both broad and essential. This episode breaks down the core tasks defining a project manager's daily work and explores how their roles evolve from junior to senior levels.
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Episode Summary
Cornelius Fichtner provides a clear and focused overview of the role of a project manager and the profound impact these professionals have on organizational success. He explains how project managers coordinate tasks, motivate teams, and deliver results while balancing risk, scope, and stakeholder needs. Project managers create an environment where projects can flourish and meet their goals by defining objectives, procuring resources, managing constraints, ensuring quality, and tailoring processes.
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Episode Summary
PMOs are often seen as administrative hubs, yet they possess far greater potential when aligned with organizational strategy. Cornelius Fichtner welcomes seasoned consultant and leader, Demi Anderson, who has more than three decades of experience in project, program, and portfolio management. She shows how PMOs can focus on strategic goals rather than serving solely as process gatekeepers. And we learn that each PMO setup depends on the needs of the company, from a temporary project-level office to a permanent enterprise-level structure.
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Episode Summary
Project management stands at the heart of many successful initiatives, providing the structure and guiding principles needed to achieve meaningful outcomes. Cornelius Fichtner, PMP, draws from extensive industry experience to explain how a clear strategy, effective collaboration, and continuous improvement can empower professionals to meet and exceed project objectives. He emphasizes that every project benefits from a well-defined scope, an appropriate methodology, and ongoing risk management, allowing teams to navigate challenges without losing sight of key goals.
Cornelius Fichtner, PMP, CSM, is the host and the author at The Project Management Podcast. He has welcomed hundreds of guests and project management experts to the podcast and has helped over 60,0000 students prepare for their PMP® Exam. He has authored dozens of articles on projectmanagement.com and PM World 360. He speaks at conferences around the world about project management, agile methodology, PMOs, and Project Business. Follow him on Twitter and connect with him on LinkedIn.
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