Traits of Alpha Project Managements in the February issue PM Network, PMI’s monthly magazine has a great article entitled “Are You an Alpha?” It’s about Andy Crowe’s book, Alpha Project Managers – What the Top 2% Knows That Everyone Else Don’t. This is great content, especially for aspiring project managers like me. These are the areas where alpha project managers shine.

This information was largely based on my own experiences, reading and talking to project managers. One thing that surprised me was the fact that alpha project managers spend twice the time planning than non-alphas. However, both believe it’s equally important. Why is it that alpha project managers spend twice as much time planning than non-alphas? Do they have the ability to manage sponsors and upper management? Or are they more adept at ensuring that it is done, while less experienced project managers lose their focus when it is not necessary? Is it that non-alpha project manager want to get into the doing too soon? If you are reading this, please leave a comment to let me know what you think.