https://www.pm-podcast.com/534

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Leadership expert Shyam Ramanathan joins Cornelius Fichtner to unpack what great leadership looks like for project managers. Shyam brings over two decades in IT, an extensive leadership blog with 400 plus posts, and two books, “Maximise Potential” and “Maximise Potential 2.” He outlines a clear, three-part foundation for leading well, then connects it to day-to-day project work. You hear how vision sets the direction, how the ability to inspire moves people to act, and how leading by example creates credibility. Shyam ties these principles to project realities like reading the charter, clarifying scope and budget, selecting and positioning the right people, and building a balanced team through honest self-awareness.

• Sports as a leadership laboratory, including preparation habits, how top performers handle losses, and why grace in defeat signals true strength.
• Team leadership in practice, from “brilliant on the basics” to mentoring, using candor with management, and applying “disagree and commit.”
• Competition and winning, setting meaningful benchmarks, celebrating others, and keeping the cause bigger than the individual.
• How leaders slip, where greed overtakes ambition, and practical safeguards like journaling, early escalation, and mentorship.
• Ethics and accountability, financial integrity, respecting laws and culture, and why cross-cultural teams benefit from careful listening and example.
• The one trait Shyam puts at the top of the list, practical optimism, plus simple routines that keep it alive when crises hit.
• Stepping up beyond projects by asking for opportunities, strengthening communication, and, most of all, enjoying helping people succeed.

Throughout, Shyam uses memorable stories and clear language to make leadership actionable. You get direct guidance you can apply on your next project status call, during your next scope debate, or when you must ask for a team change. No tennis racket required.

https://www.pm-podcast.com/533.

Many project managers are trained to manage scope, schedule, and cost. But what happens when the project itself is the business? In this solo episode, Cornelius Fichtner introduces the Project Business Professional (PBP) certification and explains why it fills a major gap in traditional project management education. Drawing on his own recent experience earning the PBP credential, Cornelius walks through what makes project business fundamentally different from internal project delivery and why nearly half of all project managers are already operating in this external, client-facing space—whether they realize it or not.

You’ll hear how external projects introduce legal risk, contract complexity, financial exposure, and reputational stakes that are not typically addressed in PMP, CSM, or PMI-ACP training. Cornelius explains the scope and purpose of the PBP certification, which is designed to support those managing outsourced, client-facing, and cross-corporate projects. He shares his motivation for becoming certified, highlights what he learned, and outlines the value this certification brings to any project manager working at the intersection of business and delivery.

If you’ve ever been the prime contractor, the subcontractor, or customer in a multi-party delivery structure, the PBP equips you with the mindset and practical tools to lead confidently. And yes, it really does help when the client suddenly wants to "talk contract terms" and you know exactly what you're doing.

https://www.pm-podcast.com/532.

This episode flips the script on traditional project management education by using memes to deliver real, applicable insights. Cornelius Fichtner selects seven past podcast interviews and distills their core lessons into memorable memes. Each meme acts as a springboard into deeper project truths, making this a visually rich episode that’s equal parts fun and functional. Topics span remote leadership, stakeholder communication, power skills, data literacy, and more. This creative format makes complex ideas stick and gives project managers simple reminders they can laugh at and learn from.

Using the “Woman Yelling at a Cat” meme, we revisit Amire Amirmazaheri's advice on moving from tactical to strategic PMOs. Gene Wilder’s sarcasm helps us remember Rich Maltzman and Jim Stewart’s warning about pointless meetings. Bernie Sanders reminds us through Barbara Kephart’s lens that stakeholder feedback must be consistently pursued. The Distracted Boyfriend helps explain Kory Kogon’s tips for unofficial project managers juggling dual roles. Gru’s evil plan teaches why power skills are hard but essential, thanks to Neal Whitten. Morpheus breaks the myth that remote leadership is just Zoom logistics, highlighting Wayne Turmel’s guidance. Finally, Roll Safe reminds us through Marcus Glowasz that data literacy is the foundational skill before applying AI.

The episode closes with the “This is fine” meme, summarizing everything with the message that humor, used wisely, can be a fast and effective project recovery tool. So if your project is teetering on chaos, this episode might just be the motivational jolt you didn’t know you needed.