Interview Leadership in Hybrid Projects

Interview about leadership in hybrid projects with Alice Johansson and Minou Larsdotter
Winners of the Swedish Project Academy Thesis of the Year Award

Your thesis, Towards a Leadership Framework for Hybrid Projects, was awarded the Swedish Project Academy’s Thesis of the Year Award. Congratulations. How does it feel?

Thank you very much. It feels fantastic to receive the award. We invested a great deal of time and effort in this research, so it is incredibly rewarding to see it recognized in this way.

Why Study Leadership in Hybrid Projects?

Early in our studies, we became interested in project management. However, we found that much of the literature focused on management processes, methods, and tools rather than leadership itself. We became curious about how leaders navigate increasingly complex project environments, particularly hybrid projects where traditional and agile approaches coexist.

What Is a Hybrid Project?

A hybrid project combines elements of traditional and agile project management approaches. Traditional methods emphasize planning, structure, predictability, and control, while agile methods prioritize flexibility, adaptability, and responsiveness to change. The purpose of a hybrid approach is to capture the benefits of both worlds.

Key Findings

The study identified tensions that project managers continuously balance. Four of them are: control versus autonomy, structure versus flexibility, short-term versus long-term perspectives, and individualism versus collaboration.

Structure Versus Flexibility

The question is not whether flexibility is needed, but how much flexibility is appropriate in a given context. There is no universal 50/50 solution. The balance must be adjusted according to the project’s goals, environment, and circumstances.

Adapting Leadership Styles

Several project managers explained that they had preferred leadership styles but frequently needed to adapt them depending on the situation. The ability to adapt emerged as a critical leadership capability.

Individualism Versus Collaboration

Hybrid projects frequently require people from different disciplines to collaborate more closely and understand each other’s perspectives. Many participants emphasized the importance of broadening knowledge beyond individual specialties. The respondents also highlighted that sometimes you have solo players that you coordinate at regular intervals. This means that you need to lead in a more traditional way regardless of what you think.

Different Views of Project Success

Some project managers defined success in traditional terms such as budget, schedule, and scope. Others focused more on the long-term impact and value generated by the project. One project manager stressed that you also should check how you have developed the project team members and have this as an objective. It takes time and effort but pays back in commitment and gives future capabilities.

Key Takeaways

Project managers should become more aware of their own leadership style. Effective leadership often comes down to small but meaningful adaptations that reflect the needs of the project, the situation, and the individuals involved.

Acknowledgements

The authors expressed their gratitude to Professor Jonas Söderlund for his guidance and to all participating project managers whose contributions made the research possible.

Thank you both for joining us and sharing your findings.

Read the essay at Projekakademiens Homepage.

 

This article is based on a Swedish podcast interview with Alice Johansson and Minou Larsdotter. The text has been summarized and refined with the help of AI. The content has subsequently been reviewed, edited, and approved by Wenell.