Leading the project team means helping people work effectively toward project objectives. It includes setting expectations, empowering the team, solving problems, representing the team’s voice, supporting different skills and perspectives, choosing an appropriate leadership style, and clarifying roles and responsibilities.
Leadership is not limited to giving instructions. The project manager must create conditions where the team can perform, communicate, collaborate, and make decisions appropriate to the project environment.
Why This Task Matters for PMP® Preparation
For the PMP® exam, this task often appears in scenarios involving unclear roles, low motivation, team performance problems, decision-making confusion, or the need to adapt leadership style.
You should be ready to choose responses that support empowerment, collaboration, servant leadership, problem solving, and role clarity. The exam often rewards leadership behavior that helps the team perform rather than simply controlling the team.
Enablers of This Task
- Establish expectations at the team level.
- Empower the team.
- Solve problems.
- Represent the voice of the team.
- Support the team’s varied experiences, skills, and perspectives.
- Determine an appropriate leadership style.
- Establish clear roles and responsibilities within the team.
To learn the Lead the Project Team task, you need:
- In the PMBOK Guide 8th Edition, read chapters 3.6 (part ‘Standard’) and 2.6.2 (part ‘PMBOK’).
- Read chapters 4 and 5 in the Agile Practice Guide.
- Watch the video:
5. Test your knowledge to complete the study of the PMP Lead the Project Team task.