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What’s the difference between a project lead and a project manager?

Are you trying to find out what a project lead is but struggling to find a definitive answer?

We hear you. Everywhere you look, there’s conflicting information, right? And with so many similar-sounding job titles in project management , it’s no wonder things get lost in translation.

Project lead, project manager, project leader, project planner, team leader — the list goes on.

So. Many. Titles.

So don’t feel bad if you’re not 100% sure what a project lead is. We feel your pain.

Fortunately, monday.com  is here to clear up these misconceptions once and for all.

In this article, we’re going to define the role of the project lead, the skills needed to be a successful project lead, and look at the key differences between a project lead and a project manager .

No need to thank us. You’re welcome.

What is the role of a project lead?

Generally speaking, a project lead is someone who fulfills many of the duties of a project manager but may not have the experience or certification to gain the full PM title.

So although a project lead might have some of the responsibilities of a project manager, they usually aren’t as qualified or experienced.

Sounds pretty simple, right?

We have some bad news.

The role of a project lead can vary from company to company and industry to industry.

Different companies each have their own definition of what a project lead is, and this makes it hard to pin down exactly what the role entails.

For example, one project lead might manage specific elements of a large project, but another might manage entire projects — just smaller, less complex, and lower priority ones than those tackled by the company’s PMs.

We know. It’s annoying that there’s no concrete definition. But on the whole, a project lead will often play a similar role to a project manager.

Don’t miss more quality content!

What is the difference between project lead and project manager.

As we’ve already mentioned, the answer to this question depends on the industry you’re working in, and the company you’re working for.

But overall, here are the main differences:

So if you had a project lead and a project manager working at the same company, chances are the project lead would be in charge of smaller projects, or would be working underneath the project manager on larger projects.

What does it take to be a successful project lead?

The skills of a successful project lead are similar to those of a successful project manager — the ability to collaborate, communicate, organize, and think critically.

Let’s take a look at how mastering these skills can help you become a successful project lead.

1. Collaboration

A project lead will collaborate with team members to complete their project work on time and within budget. Whether that’s liaising with the project team about specific tasks, or working with the project manager to get things moving, collaboration is always important.

A recent survey also found that 75%  of project management professionals believe using team collaboration tools will increase this year.

And with collaboration as one of the key components of project management , it’s no surprise that professionals in the industry have made this prediction.

If their opinion is anything to go by, project leads need to think about using a platform to improve their collaborative efforts — if they’re not already using one, that is.

Enter: monday.com.

A work management platform makes collaboration  quick, easy, and straightforward. With our platform, a project lead can collaborate with every team member from a central location. You can even share files and send messages , too.

2. Organization

Without wanting to sound too dramatic, the project lead’s organizational skills could be the catalyst for project success or complete and utter failure.

Think about it. There’s a lot going on in the life of a project lead. Various deadlines, project progress, resources, budgets, teams to manage — and it’s all happening at the same time.

Now imagine trying to keep on top of this without  being organized. We shudder at the thought.

And that’s why it’s important that every project lead has strong organizational skills. Without organization, the project would undoubtedly fall apart.

And if you feel like you need a helping hand with project organization, get in touch  with the team here at monday.com.

With our software, there’s no need to worry about losing track of tasks, or whether projects will finish on time. Our platform hosts everything in one central location for optimal organization.

3. Critical thinking

Managing change is part of the job when it comes to project management. No matter how hard you plan, it’s rare for a project to make it from start to finish without any changes or complications along the way.

Fortunately, there’s a way for project leads to take these changes in their stride: critical thinking.

With critical thinking, a project lead is also able to reflect on the success or failure of the project and use that information to inform project decisions going forward.

And before you start to worry about this laborious process, don’t. It doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, using a work management platform makes it easy to spot gaps or areas of improvement in past and current projects.

Take monday.com, for example. With our platform, project leads can optimize their dashboard  to view the relevant metrics on each project. With one glance, you can see the information you need to make quick, informed decisions.

How to make the life of a project lead easier with monday.com

In the world of project management, we’re constantly looking for ways to improve our workflow and make things easier to manage.

And that’s where monday.com can help.

At monday.com, our job is to make your job easier. With our work management platform, project managers and project leads can host all their project tasks, activities, and schedules in one central location.

And that’s not all. We’ve got an array of features and functions that are sure to make your life easier.

1. Collaborate with your team

As a project lead, collaborating with your team  is vital. Well, using monday.com makes collaboration a walk in the park. In our platform, you can add comments, share files, and see who’s working on which task.

Much easier than having to manually reach out to people on different platforms, don’t you think?

2. Easily view project progress

Keeping on top of project progress is easier said than done. Especially if you have a team of remote workers, or if you’re working on more than one project at once.

But with monday.com, you can easily see how projects are progressing.

Our progress tracking column  provides visibility of how far along each task has progressed, and you can even view this on more than one project at once.

3. Review the successes/failures of previous projects

We’ve already mentioned how important critical thinking skills are as a project lead. And with monday.com by your side, this process becomes a whole lot easier.

With our intuitive and user-friendly interface , you can easily review past projects to identify areas of improvement going forward.

So not only will monday.com make your active projects easier to manage, but it’ll also help you identify the highs and lows of past projects. Something that’s also helpful if you need to update a project stakeholder , too.

What comes next?

If you’ve made it this far, congrats! You now know what a project lead is, the difference between a project lead and a project manager, and the skills needed to be a successful project lead.

You also now know one of the top secrets in the project management industry.

There’s no concrete definition of a project lead.

At least you can stop scrolling endlessly through Google to try and find the right definition. Ultimately, there isn’t one.

Whatever your definition of a project lead, using a work management platform will undoubtedly improve your project management. 

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Role and Responsibilities of a Project Lead and the Skills to Succeed

Project management is a must for a business to be productive. Projects need to be planned, monitored and evaluated carefully if they are to be completed successfully. Resources have to be identified, allocated, scheduled and utilized optimally. Budgets have to be planned and human resources have to be handled with prudence. Project management comprises a range of complex processes that help accomplish this goal. It is a challenging task and the project lead must be adept in the art of steering their team towards the successful completion of the project.

Project Lead: Role

Project owners have a common project objective and they bring people together to form teams to achieve this goal. The team may be led by a project manager, a project lead or a team leader. Each of these has divergent roles and responsibilities. Each role requires certain project management skills that help the leader guide their teams from planning to execution to completion of a project.

Any venture that requires coordination and management of projects needs a project lead – their role is vital. Every business, be it information technology, design, telecommunications or any other, has a series of projects. And the goal is always to complete these projects on time. It is the business manager’s responsibility to ensure that it happens.

Project Leader or Project Manager: Different Roles They Play

Businesses plan and execute several projects as part of their operations. All these projects have a specified set of goals and must be completed within a pre-defined time frame and budget. A team of skilled talent has to come together and work cohesively to achieve the desired outcome. And there has to be a person who leads the team towards this goal.

We often swap between the terms project lead and project manager. The two don’t refer to the same role - there is a difference between them. But they also have something in common – they both contribute to the successful delivery of the project. Before we discuss the responsibilities and skills needed for these jobs, let’s understand the distinction between these two roles.

A project lead oversees the planning, execution and tracking of a specific aspect of a project. It could even be a smaller and less complex project within the organization. They guide and lead their team towards fulfilling the specific project tasks assigned to them within the set timeline.

The project lead must ensure that the project is successful by planning and monitoring the project carefully to ensure it is completed on time and within the given budget. The project plan must define the scope, timeframe and budget of the project. They must hire the right talent, assign tasks and make sure the entire team works together to implement this plan. Team members are vital to developing a project and the project lead must work closely with them.

Project leads also work closely with project managers. They provide the project manager with regular reports on the progress of their assigned project.

A project manager, on the other hand, is responsible for planning and managing the entire project or even several projects concurrently. They manage the project through the entire lifecycle and are ultimately accountable for its success or failure.

Though their roles are similar, the scope of the responsibilities of a project manager is much wider. They develop a detailed plan for the entire project and manage the resources needed to make it successful. They are responsible for the delivery of the whole project. Project managers require excellent project management skills to keep the projects on track.

Both the project manager and the project leader roles are vital for the project to be completed successfully. Here’s a quick look at the differences between the two:

Key Responsibilities of a Project Lead

An important role in the success of the project is played by the project leader. It is not only about planning and resource management to ensure that the project remains on track. It also involves guiding and motivating one’s team members to try their best.

Planning the project: The goals, scope, budget, timelines and resources required for the project are always outlined by the project lead together with the project manager.

Managing the resources: Any sort of efficient resource management is required to keep any project going. Resource allocation is carefully done by the project lead so that they can be effectively scheduled as well as used in their optimized forms. This is necessary for continuity within the plan. If there are poor controls over resource usage, it can make entire projects go astray.

Managing the team: Project leads manage their teams themselves. They also organize and allot appropriate tasks to each member of their teams so that all members work well together.

Leading and motivating the team: The role of a project manager is to guide and assist the members of his/her team. They create an atmosphere that will be non-threatening to their workers, thus motivating them to perform at their utmost level.

Solving problems: This is among the responsibilities that come with being a project manager. The lead on the project must have good troubleshooting skills. This means being proactive in identifying likely obstacles and finding creative ways around them in order to make sure that the progress of the project does not stop.

Managing risks: Another crucial element in effective project management is proactively identifying any potential risks or obstacles that may cause delays in completing the project within the timeframe. These issues must be resolved immediately by the manager.

Tracking the progress of the project: Because of this, project leaders encourage team members to remain fixed on their tasks. While doing so, they keep track of what has been done so far, obtain additional resources if necessary and adjust timelines as required to ensure completion within the due date.

Communicating seamlessly: He or she should keep everybody informed about how things are progressing including all people involved in this process like members of his/her team and a PM.

Meeting quality standards: In terms of ensuring that projects are executed according to quality standards and deliverables meet client’s expectations, it is essential for a leader to test new product prototypes before declaring them ready for production.

Managing budgets: The project lead controls all project costs to stay within the allocated budget.

Generating project reports: The project lead keeps the project manager up-to-date on the progress of the project, resource utilization , and the final closure.

Skills for an Effective Project Leader

The project lead wears multiple hats, including those of:

• a manager who ensures that the project is planned and executed to meet all project goals,
• a mentor who supports and enables his team toward project success, and
• a team member of the larger project team who keeps the project on track and updates stakeholders on the progress made.

A project lead needs to possess a combination of technical, business, communication, and people skills to be able to manage his/her responsibilities appropriately. Let us read on about the skills that distinguish an effective project leader:

• Technical competency: The project lead should have knowledge and experience in project management and must understand the technical specifications and requirements of the project. Additionally, the project lead must be aware of different collaboration and project management tools that are used by other project managers.
• Strong leadership and team management skills: A great leader for projects or teams motivates and inspires team members to reach their targets successfully. Assigning appropriate tasks to the right individuals is one way in which a manager can effectively utilize every employee on his or her team. To be successful, a project leader has to create a well-balanced team.
• Organizational skills: Also, strong organizational skills coupled with attention to detail are needed for the role of a Project Lead so as to smoothen the entire process flow. These abilities help project leads plan, structure, and organize end-to-end project development lifecycle; establish priorities; define milestones; and set up deadlines for projects.
• Problem-solving and critical thinking competence: A major responsibility of a project leader is to plan and develop the project plan efficiently. Critical thinking comes in handy at this point as it helps them identify possible obstacles and barriers and enables them to find creative solutions. These also make them more equipped to handle other possible ones that may arise during the project’s life cycle.
• Excellent time management skills: Projects always have a set timeline. Therefore, the project head should prioritize tasks and assign time for each task using time management techniques such as time blocking, among others, to keep the team on track.
• Exceptional communication skills: Communication is vital within a team. Information can be easily lost in big projects with many processes, tools, and people involved. If there is a clear communication plan in place, the project head can communicate effectively with all their stakeholders which include the team itself, the larger project team, the project manager, as well as management to whom he is accountable.
• Conflict resolution skills: The team must work together for the success of any given project. In such cases, therefore, it is up to the project head to resolve any differences that may exist, which should never allow for any delays in finishing up work.
• Negotiation skills: Negotiating is an art and project managers need to be adept at it. The project lead needs these skills while dealing with the client, the project manager or even his teammates.
• Adaptability and flexibility: Projects are dynamic and the scope may change anytime during their lifecycles. A successful project lead should be flexible and adept at handling any unexpected challenges. They should be able to reallocate resources and workloads, and rework plans quickly to meet new project demands.

How important are project leads for the success of an organization?

Project management is a critical element of any business today. Business managers use project management techniques to create project plans that ensure that all goals are met. A project manager is obviously integral to the success of the project, but they cannot achieve this on their own. The project lead and other team members contribute just as much to making the project a success.

Project leads act as a bridge between the project managers (and also upper management) and the team members. They collaborate with their team to deliver their tasks on time and within budget. And they work with the project managers to ensure that the broader project goals are achieved. Effective project leads can ensure that projects meet their objectives, stay within budgets, and meet all deadlines.

Skilled project leads are critical for any project and hence, any organization. And when they are equipped with a project management platform like eResource Scheduler, it makes working with diverse resources more effective and efficient.

How can a project lead use project management software to support their skills?

Efficiently managing resources, effectively working with their team, and guiding and mentoring them are of utmost importance for a project lead. They oversee all aspects of their projects and work to ensure that their team successfully completes all tasks to meet the pre-set objectives. And resource management software like eResource Scheduler makes this exercise much easier to manage.

eResource Scheduler has a variety of features that make collaboration within teams easier. A single platform provides real-time data on resource availability, allocation, scheduling and utilization, leading to more efficient project planning. All project tasks, schedules, and timelines are posted here, allowing everyone to stay informed and aware of the progress of the project.

eResource Scheduler comes with an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easier to manage current projects and review previous ones. Managers can generate customized reports that provide the necessary insights to make well-informed decisions. Contact us for a free demo and find out how eResource Scheduler can help you optimize resource management for your organisation.

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Project Leader: Skills, Responsibilities, Job Description, Salary & Everything You Should Know

• Written by Contributing Writer
• Updated on August 3, 2023

In today’s hypercompetitive world, companies are ambitious in achieving aggressive goals, and it takes a team of well-skilled people to accomplish those. To ensure the team remains productive and positive, project leaders are called in to manage tasks and goals and are an integral part of the process.

This article will explore what makes a project leader, what you can expect to do in this role, how to determine whether it is right for you, and how you can gain th skills you need through a project management bootcamp .

What Is a Project Leader?

A project leader is responsible for steering a team to complete their project goals by coordinating actions through planning and focusing on the people aspect of the team to get tasks done.

Project Leader Roles & Responsibilities

Project leader job descriptions often ask for experience leading teams, organizing project tasks, and supporting the people working on the project. Project leader responsibilities will vary from company to company, but overall, they are expected to do the following tasks:

• Work with multiple different teams to understand needs and coordinate tasks
• Manage project schedules and communicate with stakeholders on progress through reports, presentations, etc.
• Orchestrate activities to lead the team efficiently to achieve project objectives
• Productively resolve issues and challenges and report to management to improve the quality of the project
• Offer emotional support to team members to encourage and motivate them to maintain a healthy and positive work environment
• Responsible for the day-to-day activities of your team
• Develop project plans with clear goals and details for team members to pick up tasks
• Allocate the appropriate personnel and resources to complete goals

Also Read: What is Strategic Management? Here’s A Professional’s Guide

How to Become a Project Leader

Project leader prerequisites & requirements.

Regarding what companies are looking for in project leaders, some prerequisites will need to be obtained to meet the requirements of a project leader job description.

Most project leader roles require a bachelor’s degree with majors spanning from business management, communication, marketing, or in the industry you plan to work in, such as IT, engineering, biochem, etc. To stand out from the competition, many opt to join training programs that specifically teach project leadership skills as well.

Project Leader Skills

Project leaders are, as the title suggests, leaders and will require skills that will help lead their teams to success. Those skills include both hard and soft skills included in the list below:

• Ability to think strategically
• Troubleshooting and multitasking skills
• Customer-service-oriented mindset
• Verbal and written communication skills
• Organized and able to manage multiple priorities and projects at the same time
• Proficiency with project management tools, methodologies, and software
• Adaptability to changing project priorities and requirements in the business
• Emotional and social intelligence to understand the needs of team members
• Problem-solving skills to tackle team and project issues

What Are the Different Kinds of Leadership Models?

As a leader, you can exercise your skills in the bandwidth of different models. Which one you choose depends on your preference, what your team needs at the moment, and your company’s culture. Here are the typical leadership models you can use and blend to get desired results.

Democratic leadership involves having a leader who takes in the opinions and suggestions of a group before making a final decision. This type of leadership increases group involvement and value and typically makes team members feel encouraged and listened to by the leader. And because they are involved in the decisions, they are more engaged in the outcome of the goal.

A leader following this method tends to be more focused on logic and objectives when it comes to taking in suggestions and is curious about different perspectives. This type of leadership can lead to increased engagement and creativity but also confusion and inequality if members lack experience or feel their opinions are not considered.

Autocratic is more hierarchical with the “do as you are told” approach, where decisions are made at the top, and the leader is in charge of dictating those tasks to the team. Autocratic leaders are not focused on collaboration; instead, they are focused on obedience and results. This type of leadership can become disempowering to workers and create a dependent relationship with leadership but it is effective in emergencies when decisions need to be made quickly and efficiently.

Laissez-faire

Laissez-faire leadership puts most decision-making responsibilities onto the team and trusts them to accomplish the task. As a laissez-faire leader, you are mostly hands-off and there to provide guidance when needed. This type of leadership can boost confidence in the team and result in faster decisions and more competent employees. But there is also the potential for slow or poor results if team members are unclear on overarching project goals or have poor time management skills.

Transformational

Transformational leaders create big visions of the goal and can rally workers to believe in that goal, which, in turn, motivates them to push forward. This type of leadership can foster change, gain employee loyalty, and encourage belief and participation. At its best, it can make employees productive and collaborative to achieve their mission. Still, it can lead to burnout and requires a constant connection with the employees to maintain momentum and beliefs.

Also Read: Top Project Manager Interview Questions and Answers

Project Leader Salary

Regarding benefits and salary, project leaders can expect to make an average of $82,579 a year, depending on location and industry. With more experience, that salary can increase up to $135,000 a year.

Project Leader Training Options

To become a project leader, there are plenty of options to explore, but few will give you the full breadth of knowledge and skills necessary to stand out from the crowd of applicants successfully.

Suppose you’re looking for a university-backed program that covers the building blocks you need for project leadership in a structured way. In that case, this Simplilelarn Post Graduate Program in Project Management , offered in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts, is an option. Upon completion, you will receive an official certification you can show employers to prove your skills.

Is Being a Project Manager Right for You?

Project management and project leadership must work hand in hand to achieve the great goals all companies have to move forward, and you can be a part of this great effort if you wish. If you are interested in managing people to keep them on track while organizing day-to-day plans, then project leadership may be a viable career path for you. To learn more, check out the project management course details.

Project Leader FAQs

What is a project leader vs. project manager.

The biggest difference between project leaders and project managers is that project leaders create plans to complete projects that focus on the needs of the people on the team. Project managers are in charge of the project’s higher-level, big-picture goals and keeping things on schedule and budget. If the project is a ship, you can think of the project manager as the one with the compass, keeping track of logistics and knowing where to sail and how far, while the project leader is the one working among the crew, understanding what each sailor needs to remain motivated and providing what they need on the ground level.

Is a Project Leader a Manager?

Typically, a project manager has the final decision on the direction of a project. Therefore, project leaders are technically not in managerial positions, but they have overlapping responsibilities in managing and addressing team needs and challenges to get to the same goal of completing a project.

You might also like to read:

What Is Problem Solving in Project Management

Program Manager vs. Project Manager: Here Are the Differences You Should Know

What are PDUs in PMI? An Explainer

Is Project Management a Good Career? Here’s What You Need to Know

What is Scope in Project Management? Definition and Importance

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