Balancing leadership in projects: Role of the socio-cognitive space

Abstract

Balanced leadership has emerged as a contemporary theory of the dynamics in the continuous transfer of leadership authority between project managers and team members in projects. This article addresses the cognitive mechanisms for the coordination of this transfer. Four case studies in three different continents identified the most generic cognitive coordination mechanisms between project managers and team members. By building on and extending the concept of the socio-cognitive space, the study shows that empowerment, self-management, and shared understanding of skills needs govern and legitimize the question of ‘who leads’ at any point in time. The content of these three constructs varies contingent on the type of project management methodology used. A theory about the role of the socio-cognitive space in balanced leadership is developed and discussed.