Gordon Ramsay is my favorite celebrity.
Ramsay can often be seen hurling barbaric insults at bumbling chefs whenever I turn on Netflix. Some great quotes include:
“I wish that you would jump in the oven. It would make my life so much easier!
“I have never, ever ever, ever ever, ever, ever seen someone I believe in as much as you.”
“My Gran could do better, but she’s dead!”
Brutal.
Source: Flickr
While Gordon Ramsay is an entertaining source of entertainment, it is a guilty pleasure to watch him in the kitchen on a reality television show. His insults won’t make people better cooks, but real people are hurting their feelings. My guess is that Ramsay doesn’t run his own kitchens as he does on Hell’s Kitchen or Kitchen Nightmares. I doubt any project manager or kitchen manager would be able achieve the highest recognition (three Michelin star) without a team that is respectful. Ramsay is a great boss because he only needs to work with his contestants once before he walks away.
He uses the same skills he uses on the show to make his home restaurants more sustainable: quick and effective feedback, rejection of mediocrity, and patience when dealing with flamboyant chefs. He is not afraid to share information that would benefit his team and is always looking for ways to improve the restaurant.
Included are project managers.
Is Gordon Ramsay a role-model for how we should encourage our team members? Is he an abusive boss who should be chastised because he is indifferent to the emotions of others?
Perhaps both.
Ramsay displays some of the traits that make a great project manager, but you need to have more to be a great PM.
A list of articles written by experts shows that a project manager’s personality is:
Although I agree with the eight traits, there was a ninth trait that experts included that bothered me: Extroversion. Project Times explains that project managers must make presentations regularly and lead work groups. The author states that introverts will need to undergo long-term coaching and training to become more effective in all environments. Extroverts tend to be more comfortable in these situations and are more likely to succeed.” A study found that 65% of senior executives believe introversion is a hindrance to their ability to “climb the ladder”.
I’m not certain if this is true. Forbes reports that 40% of executives (including juggernauts such as Bill Gates and Katharine Graham) identify themselves as introverts. Introverts aren’t necessarily shy. They just get tired of being stimulated and need to be alone.
Introverts are not a handicap. They can help leaders succeed. Jennifer Kahnweiler, author of The Introverted Leader, notes that introverts spend more time preparing for presentations and thinking through their goals. They are more likely to resist the temptation to multitask than their extroverted counterparts. Kahnweiler also said that introverts are more attentive to others. This means that introverts will be more in tune to their team, which is good news for project managers.
I don’t believe that introversion is necessary for project management success. Extroverts and introverts both have essential personality traits that make them effective project managers.
If project managers have the eight essential skills (client-orientation and authority, organization, strong communication, foresight and modesty, pragmatism and empathy), then they are the right personality to do the job.
Every project manager does not have to manage in the same way as Gordon Ramsay. They don’t need to be loud or abrasive. They can be polite and calm.
