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Theme of the Month: Napoleon on Project Management—Timeless Lessons in Planning, Execution and Leadership By Jerry Manas, PMP

Published on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 03:53 PM

Napoleon had it easy. He had an ambitious vision of a free and united Europe unconstrained by monarchy—and that vision jelled perfectly with the desires of the French people. In the chaos following the French Revolution, with rebels and royalists still battling, the people were more than ready to accept someone who could give them a sense of order and hope and yet still meet their needs for equality. And this was precisely what Napoleon offered. After all, it was Napoleon who said, "A leader is a dealer in hope."

To fully appreciate this phrase, it is important to understand that the word hope does not signify unsupported optimism or dreaming of the impossible. Hope implies a sense of expectation. And to give people a sense of expectation, you must give them a clear vision of what will come—a picture they can grasp. A vision without a purpose—a need to fill—is not compelling to anyone except its creator. Any vision of a desired end state therefore must have a purpose—a problem or need that it is meant to address. In Napoleon's case, the need was clear and shared by all. As project managers, we are not always so fortunate and must work harder to define and communicate the problem and to craft a clear picture of the future But even with a problem to solve and a clear vision of what the end state should look like, we still need a strategy—a way to get from the problem to the desired result. There is a saying: "A vision without a strategy is a hallucination." We need to develop a solution to the problem—ideally several alternate solutions, from which the best can be chosen.

We have defined three elements of a compelling vision:

A problem to solve—a need to fill, giving rise to a purpose
A strategy to solve the problem
A vision of the future—a clear picture of the end state of the solution

These three stages also need a basis for reliable and consistent direction. If this problem-strategy/solution-vision combination serves as the ship's compass, then guiding values are needed to serve as the rudder. Ken Blanchard and Jesse Stoner recognized this in their book Full Steam Ahead! in which they tout the importance of having "a significant purpose, clear values, and a picture of the future" as the key ingredients of any compelling vision.¹ In Napoleon's case, the values of liberty, equality, and fraternity—the battle cry of the French Revolution—served as the rudder that would guide his actions, at least for a while.

For the time being, Napoleon had all the necessary elements for success: he had a problem to solve, a strategy to address it, a vision of the future, and guiding values to live by. We can learn much by examining each of these in more detail. We will start where we should always begin when establishing a vision—with a problem to be solved.

THE PROBLEM TO SOLVE: POSTREVOLUTIONARY CHAOS

Napoleon said in his memoirs: "My throne was raised by the unanimous wishes of the French people." Indeed it was. In order to understand the problem that so rapidly needed to be solved, it is important to understand the environment at the time. In the late eighteenth century, the French people were tired of injustice and inequality after years of being ruled by a royal and privileged class, so they rebelled. This led to the overthrow of the Bourbon dynasty, in particular, Louis XVI. You probably know this as the French Revolution.

The storming of the Bastille prison by the revolutionaries on July 14, 1789, marked a symbolic victory against tyranny, but chaos persisted for several more years. Although the revolutionaries formed a new government, royalists posed a serious threat—backed by the kings and queens of other countries, who were not about to see an antimonarchy precedent set in France. More threats came from revolutionaries who favored total anarchy and from those who grew impatient with the slowness of change.

By 1793, a new government was formed in France, led by a ruthless left-wing extremist, Robespierre. Not only did he have anyone suspected of being a royalist beheaded, but he also began murdering even the moderate left. All over France, people rebelled against the new government, bringing France into further turmoil. Eventually, Robespierre's own people sent him to the guillotine, and the Terror—as this era was called—was over.

THE ARRIVAL OF NAPOLEON

In 1795, a new constitution was created and a new government, called the Directory, was formed. The government leaders were faced with two difficult tasks. First, they needed to protect France's newfound freedom by heading off the persistent royalist plots, many aided by England. Second, they needed to bring a sense of order to this chaotic environment—an environment torn apart by civil war between royalists and revolutionaries. And the people wanted order. They needed order. After years of suffering the whims of a privileged monarchy, and later the ruthlessness of an unbalanced extremist, consistent rules would have been a blessing. Unfortunately, this weak and unpopular government was not up to the task. Enter Napoleon Bonaparte.

Napoleon earned a good reputation in the French army, deftly defeating France's adversaries one by one, beginning with dislodging the English from Toulon, an important Mediterranean port. Napoleon also won respect in that battle. When his superior officer wanted to postpone an attack because of bad weather, the French government offered Napoleon the chance to assume command and issue an immediate attack. He declined, saying that he had full confidence in his senior officer and instead would convince him of the need to go forward. Napoleon did exactly as he promised, and the battle was won. The senior officer sang Napoleon's praises, writing to the Ministry of War of Napoleon's intelligence, bravery, and character. Napoleon eventually worked his way up the military and political ladders through a combination of rousing victories, word of mouth, and clever propaganda.

In 1799, a few members of the government secretly identified Napoleon as the only man capable of saving France. His mission? To bring order to France; to protect the values of the French Revolution—liberty, equality, and fraternity; and to craft a new and brighter future for France, where privilege by heredity would have no rank. This was the problem to solve—Napoleon's reason for being. France was in desperate need of change, and Napoleon was the one to help bring it about.

IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM: TOOLS FOR SUCCESS

This has been an interesting story, and it clearly illustrates the pressing need at the time. But what of us, as project managers? How can we learn from this? First, Napoleon rose to power by addressing a problem—in his case, the postrevolutionary chaos of France. It is the same in business. A project, whether undertaken to provide a product, service, or result, exists to solve a problem— be it a gap in the market, a needed improvement, or a risk or a fear that needs to be addressed.

The challenge for the project manager is to determine the specifics of the problem to be solved, with the ultimate goal of communicating the need the project is meant to address. This is often done as part of the business case for the project, and in theory is done before the project manager is even assigned. In reality, however, the business case is often weak, if one exists at all, and it is critical for the project manager to assist the customer with completing the business case. Not only does this help assure that the project is aligned with a true need, but it helps motivate the team and get stakeholders on board as well.

For Napoleon, the problem was clear. But because we are not always so fortunate, we need a few tools to help us get to the bottom of the real problem. One tool for extrapolating the real problem is the application of the Five Why's, popularized by Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline. This involves asking, "Why?" five times until you get to the root of the problem. ²

Another tool is the business case, often part of a request/gover-nance system or portfolio management system. Ideally, the need should be tied to some fundamental business driver. This is where it helps to have some business acumen. A mission statement is another tool that is good to have, once the problem is identified and the need documented. A mission statement is not meant to be an inspiring paragraph of fluffy words that everybody ignores—as spoofed in numerous Dilbert car-toons—but rather a statement of purpose. An effective mission statement should address the question: Why do we exist?—at least from the perspective of the project. This differs from a vision statement, which depicts what the end state is supposed to look like and addresses the question: Where are we going? The vision statement should be developed after the mission statement, since it is hard to know where you are going until you know why you are going there.

There was no doubt about the problem facing Napoleon and his staff. As project managers, we need to get to that same point. Once we've identified and communicated the problem, the next step is to develop a solution. In Napoleon's case, this meant getting organized. This next step will often be the same for us as well.

DEVELOPING A STRATEGY: GETTING ORGANIZED

Before a vision can be crafted, there must be a problem to address, ultimately elaborated into specific requirements. In addition, there must be a solution to the problem—and this becomes the foundation of any vision. Napoleon's solution was to first organize with his core team—the consulate—which, in addition to Napoleon, included Emmanuel Sieyès and Roger Ducos. They knew that quick and frequent communication was critical, and they addressed the people of France with this simple initial statement, which also served to communicate the guiding principles of their regime:

People of France: Swear with us to be true to the Republic one and indivisible, founded on equality, liberty, and the representative system.

Note that the consulate specifically mentions "the representative system." The original battle cry of the French Revolution was "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity!" This is a key point in that without a strong representative system, a constitution giving rights of equality and liberty would forever be in jeopardy.

The problem was clearly identified and the guiding principles were communicated. The next order of business was to create a capable organization. The consulate assigned a Ministry of Finance, a Ministry of War, a Ministry of the Interior, and a Senate and legislative body.

Momentum was key, and a financial system was the first order of business. Napoleon declared, "Every day must be marked by one step forward in the creation of a general system of finance." For motivation, Napoleon ordered that a plan be devised to place all captured enemy flags under the dome of the Invalides (now Napoleon's resting place) and that the chronology of each victory be engraved on marble tablets. He also had the Ministry of War draw up a plan of operations for the new army. Things were quickly getting in order.

In the coming months, Napoleon's administration would create the Bank of France and a new constitution. They introduced the constitution with a brief but powerful statement. It managed to address the people's fears, emphasize strong guiding principles, paint a picture of stability, and declare an important symbolic mile-stone—the end of the French Revolution and the beginning of the new future—all in six short sentences:

To the people of France: A constitution is submitted to you. It will bring to an end the uncertainties that attended the provisional government in all its dealings, exterior, military, and interior. The Constitution is based on the true principles of representative government, on the sacred rights of property, of equality, of liberty.

The powers it provides for are strong and stable, as they should be to guarantee the rights of citizens and the interests of the State. Citizens, the Revolution is now anchored to the principles which gave it birth. The Revolution is finished.

Napoleon and his consulate continued to implement further improvements, including the creation of the Legion of Honor and the establishment of educational reforms, such as uniforms for teachers and students, and classes in the letters, arts, and sciences. In 1804, the Code Napoleon was established, which introduced a civil code that is still in use today in France and provided the inspiration for many civil codes worldwide. This code introduced principles such as separation of church and state, freedom of religion, no recognition of privileges of birth, rules of inheritance, divorce laws, and, most important, equality of all in the eyes of the law. In essence, Napoleon organized things.

CHOOSE A CORE TEAM AND COMMUNICATE EARLY

Project managers can learn many lessons from Napoleon's steps for getting organized. First, Napoleon wasn't alone. He had a core team to work with—the consulate. As the First Consul and leader, however, he set the pace and was able to make final decisions. It is wise for project managers to assemble a small core team, especially for large projects.

Next, Napoleon met with his core team to draft a quick communication. At this point, the ultimate vision didn't need to be part of the communication, merely a brief statement of purpose—a call to action. Early and frequent communication is critical when managing projects. In fact, according to the Project Management Institute, 90 percent of a project manager's job is communication, and rightfully so.³ As Napoleon knew, people need to feel a sense of order, and this need is met by frequent communication.

ESTABLISH AN ORGANIZATION

Once the core team is assembled and stakeholders have been addressed, the next step is to establish an organization capable of not only carrying out the work, but often contributing to defining the work as well. Napoleon needed an organization appropriate for managing a country. In our cases, the organization may need to be tailored for each instance, because the need will differ by project. For example, a project for developing a software product might require an architectural lead, a testing lead, a quality/configuration lead, a security lead, and leaders for other major areas. A project for designing a new building might consist of a planning lead, an engineering lead, a construction lead, an administrative lead, and so forth. Often, these leads are added to the core team.

DEVELOP SOLUTIONS

The next step is to begin developing solutions with the assistance of the core team. We can assume that Napoleon and his staff spent hours going over the current situation and various plans and alternatives before deciding on the appropriate course of action. Their solutions initially were to develop the constitution and a system of finance, and then to rebuild their military. Later, other needs were addressed. It is at this point that we, too, work with constituents to review alternatives and propose one or more solutions. The ultimate vision hasn't necessarily been established yet, but this process should get the team going in that direction.

This brings us to another issue to consider at this stage: momentum. Remember, Napoleon stated that each day had to be marked by one step forward in the development of a financial system. He knew people sometimes tend to get lax just as things are getting organized. The project manager must be the catalyst for keeping things moving. This is also a time to use any sources of motivation, just as Napoleon had requested captured flags to be hung in the Invalides and victories to be engraved on marble tablets. This early in the game it is not always practical or feasible, but it is something to think about.

This is also a good time to develop any administrative tools necessary for carrying out the project, just as Napoleon asked the Ministry of War to develop a plan of operations and asked other leaders to develop appropriate plans, forms, and operating procedures. With the need defined, the team assembled, a solution chosen, and tools and procedures in place, the foundation is set. It is now time to begin crafting and communicating a clear vision of the end state.

A VISION OF THE FUTURE: NAPOLEON'S VISION

We began this chapter talking about Napoleon's vision of a free and united Europe. But this vision didn't come out of nowhere. It evolved. An overall vision of a better and glorious France certainly would have been tempting, but much too broad to start with. Napoleon needed to focus on only a few important things, beginning with improving France's economy. Thus, he began to build his vision for a more prosperous France. He concentrated on the thirty-six thousand communes of France, with each commune representing one thousand people. This gave him thirty-six thousand points of measurement.

Napoleon called for his Ministry of the Interior to draft a spreadsheet showing the status of these communes, listing them under the following categories: those with assets, those whose accounts merely balanced, and those in debt. He also asked that the spreadsheet include the situation within each commune, depicting the number of incidents and gravity for each major issue—what we refer to today in risk management as "probability and impact." This would allow him to focus on only the critical issues and establish a good set of requirements.

Napoleon called for the removal of mayors who were not in line with the reforms, knowing that alignment of all management was critical to success. He established an annual system of rewards for those who reached midterm milestones. He then was able to declare his short- and long-term visions. The short-term vision was to have all communes out of debt within five years. The long-term vision was to make all communes prosperous within ten years, bringing those communes whose accounts merely balanced to the category of "communes with assets." Here was the vision—clear, measurable, and realistic.

The economy began to improve, and with systems in place to sustain those improvements, Napoleon began to focus on a broader vision. Specifically, he wanted to create a federation of nations and put an end to monarchy once and for all. He recalled that vision, which could, for all intents and purposes, be called a "United States of Europe":

One of my favorite ideas was the fusion, the federation of the nations, which had been separated by revolution and politics. There are in Europe more than 30 million French, 15 million Spaniards, as many Italians, and 30 million Germans. I wanted to unite them all into one strong, national body. The accomplisher of this work would be awarded by Posterity with its most beautiful wreath, and I felt myself strong enough and called on to undertake this work. When this was done, people could devote themselves to the realization of the ideal, at present only a dream, of a higher civilization. Then there would be no more vicissitudes to fear, for there would be only one set of laws, one kind of opinion, one view, one interest, the interest of mankind. Then perhaps one could realize for Europe the thought of an amphictyony, a North American Congress.

Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, through a combination of circumstances, deals gone wrong, and the lure of power, Napoleon lost his way. But the point is: he had a vision, and so must we.

Our vision needs to begin realistically. We don't want to create a pie-in-the-sky illusion. Remember, Napoleon built his vision over time. He started with specific goals and objectives, detailing not only how to get the communes out of debt, but what the whole situation should look like in five years. He then went on to establish his ten-year vision—having all communes profitable. As things began to fall into place, only then could he focus on the broader vision of a united Europe, and even that was only after fate, circumstance, or whatever it was, led to the assimilation of other countries into Napoleon's empire.

To create a vision of our own that can evolve and flourish over time, we should account for and consider some other factors. First, as project managers, we must understand our roles and limitations with regard to the vision, and, at the very least, we must communicate the vision and ensure that it is realistic and measurable. Next, we need to assure that every team member and participant is truly working cohesively and in support of the vision. And to facilitate that, we must understand how to inspire team members with our own passion for the project. We must keep our eyes on the strategic goals, and not just focus on short-term needs, to help sustain the longevity of the vision and thus the results of the project. Finally, we must establish a routine for monitoring the overall status of the project against the vision and for being sure the vision still makes sense. Let's explore each of these areas in more detail.

THE NATURE OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND VISION

How can we as project managers—and our leadership teams, if applicable—create a compelling vision if the projects are usually assigned by way of a charter?

The answer is that we won't always have the opportunity to create the vision, but we can—and must—understand and articulate it. If we don't understand the problem that is being addressed, the rationale for doing the project, and what the end result is supposed to look like—by way of customer-driven requirements—then we won't be able to relay it to our team. And we will be fighting an uphill battle to get our team and our stakeholders on board.

How can we get this data? There are several ways. Much of it should be found in the business case that was used to accept the project. If there isn't one, it may be a good time to institute a formal request and approval process that requires the requester to state the problem the project is meant to address, any tangible or intangible benefits, and any known risks. This is also useful in determining which projects to undertake. Many organizations have a formal portfolio management and governance process to address this. The problem can also be confirmed via surveys of the user community, management, and the project's sponsor, or via a series of meetings. Make certain the project's sponsor agrees as to the people who should be consulted. This will ensure that the project is meeting the needs of all stakeholders.

In some fields, design samples or mock-ups are used to toss around for comment and feedback. This is ideal, in that the vision can be fine-tuned based on people's feedback. To avoid a runaway project, what we call "scope creep," an agreement must be made in advance as to how many times it will go back and forth before agreeing on the scope of the vision.

Finally, to guarantee that the parameters of a vision—the supporting goals and objectives—are optimized for success, they should abide by certain basic rules. Remember Napoleon's goal of improving France's economy? Notice that this goal was qualitative and not quantitative. Goals state what we want to accomplish in general terms. Objectives, which support the goals, are more detailed. Napoleon's key objectives—getting the communes out of debt within five years and making them all prosperous within ten years—observed the modern-day rules that we refer to as SMART. That is, they were Specific, Measurable, Aligned (with the goals and overall vision), Realistic, and Time-bound. Just like Napoleon's, our objectives, and our overall vision, should follow these basic guidelines.

TEAM COHESION AND VISION

Napoleon knew the importance of ensuring that the management team was on board with his vision. He offered incentives for those who embraced the vision and dismissal for those who didn't. As project managers, we don't often have that amount of latitude, nor is it the best method we have today, but it is critical to have your leadership team buy into the vision, and Napoleon knew that.

It would be incorrect to assume that Napoleon made all of his decisions in isolation just because he expected his managers to support his vision. Quite the contrary. In his memoir, Napoleon: How He Did It, Baron Fain, Napoleon's secretary, said: "After his rise to commander-in-chief, he feared nothing so much as revealing the opinions of his bygone youth, and his policy in this respect went so far as to cultivate and even to seek out men of opposing opinion."⁴ In other words, he made sure he had buy-in from others, before expecting his managers to follow his lead—at least until his later years, when the trappings of power took hold.

One way we can assure buy-in is to make certain that our vision is inclusive to begin with—that it considers the needs of all stakeholders. Books such as Dean Anderson and Linda Ackerman-Anderson's Beyond Change Management and Peter Senge's The Fifth Discipline suggest using a Whole System Model that considers the vision from the perspectives of all stakeholders, with the ideal situation being a cocreated or shared vision.⁵ Kaplan and Norton echo this in their landmark book, The Balanced Scorecard, which suggests tying vision and strategy to four perspectives: Learning and Growth, the Business Process, the Customer, and the Financial Perspective.⁶ These books should be the foundation for anyone seeking to craft a truly inclusive vision. Napoleon could have benefited from them, especially later in his career.

Fundamentally, Napoleon excelled at awareness, so no doubt he would have admired these studies—especially since they provide an organized, systematic way of keeping others' perspectives in mind. The key point is that just as it is important to be aware of changing circumstances and external events, it is critical to be aware of how a project impacts people, systems, and the future. There are a million ways that an otherwise well-run project could meet resistance and be seen as a failure, even if it ends up on time and on budget. Project management is about much more than just managing the triple constraint of time, cost, and scope. Ultimately, it is about people.

PASSION AND VISION

Speaking of people, there is nothing that makes a vision more compelling and a team more cohesive than passion. If a vision is based on some passionate need or drive, or is meant to ease a deep-seated fear, it is automatically compelling. Napoleon knew all too well what the French people were feeling after the Revolution. He had been there in Corsica, so he was able to play to the people's feelings.

I was born when my country was dying. Thirty thousand Frenchmen disgorged upon our shores, and drowning the throne of Liberty in a sea of blood—such was the hateful spectacle that offended my infant eyes. My cradle was surrounded, from the very day of my birth, by the cries of the dying, the groans of oppression, and the tears of despair. ⁷

At age twenty, Napoleon wrote the above letter to General Paoli, a former family friend and freedom fighter on Corsica, Napoleon's birthplace. At the time of the letter, Napoleon was a young soldier just returning from holiday, and Paoli was in exile. The letter continued:

Our compatriots, weighed down by the triple chain of soldier, lawyer, and tax collector, live despised—despised by those who wield the power of government.⁸

Napoleon wrote the letter seeking feedback about a campaign of protest he intended to begin. It is no surprise that Napoleon, who practically grew up fighting oppression, was passionate about the mission of fighting monarchy, or that he was able to inspire others to this mission. We can apply this to business. When undertaking a project, is there some passionate need or fear that the project addresses? Can one be identified—and not fabricated? If so, it can be a powerful tool for making a vision compelling. If you can show people an example that clearly illustrates the need, all the better.

[Put another way], emotions motivate people more than statistics. One way to help trigger emotions is through stories. People tend to remember stories. They are moved by stories, which is why Jesus spoke in parables.

What kind of stories can we tell? Perhaps stories of past events or other companies or projects, either those we should emulate or those we should avoid. The bottom line is: if we can find a story or an example that clearly shows the need for our project and inspires some sort of emotion, we'll be well on our way to getting people on board—with dedication and passion.

COST REDUCTION AND VISION

When Napoleon became the First Consul, it was a time of economic uncertainty in France, much like most of our world today. Knowing this, he created a vision that at the end of five years, all communes would either have their accounts in balance or have assets. Napoleon had a spreadsheet devised to analyze the situation and used it to craft a plan to get things in order. He even had a ten-year goal of all communes becoming profitable, ultimately leading to a prosperous and economically independent France.

Certainly these improvements would involve cost reductions. But they were tied to a need and sold as such, and were in harmony with other, more uplifting goals, rewards, and milestones. These uplifting goals included the civil codes and reforms that supported Napoleon's guiding principles of equality, liberty, and the representative system. Napoleon never lost sight of France's future. Today's companies would be wise to follow the same path.

In our own times of economic uncertainty, it is not surprising that cost cutting has become epidemic across the globe. Unfortunately, this is making its way into vision statements everywhere. A target cost reduction could indeed be part of a vision statement, but unless framed correctly, it's not very motivating. It is a challenge to project managers to make a vision that is centered on cost reduction sound compelling, just as it is a challenge for organizations to consider long-term strategies during economic uncertainty.

The solution would seem to be to consider target cost reductions only as needed, and in the context of the long-term vision, much as Napoleon did. It is better to focus on improvement initiatives or a strategic need, with cost reduction as a by-product. The trick is to frame it appropriately. For example, Napoleon's true goal was not to cut costs; it was to get France out of debt and for France to become ultimately prosperous. Cutting costs was merely a stepping-stone toward a more positive and uplifting goal—and one geared toward the future. Since many of today's organizations tend to focus only on the short-term needs, it becomes even more critical for the project manager to identify and articulate whatever vision there is, and to frame it in the context of a brighter future.

CHECKING YOUR VISION

Napoleon's vision evolved over time. As circumstances changed, old visions were no longer appropriate and new ones began to take hold. Once the communes were out of debt and the empire grew, he was able to focus on loftier visions that would have been unthinkable earlier.

The same holds true in project management. Ensuring that the vision is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Aligned, Realistic, and Time-bound) can help to avoid miscues. But even then, circumstances can change, and what seemed reasonable at one time may no longer be valid. Of course, to know this, we must keep tabs on how things are going. We can assume, based on Napoleon's documented passion for staying on top of changing events and altering plans accordingly, that he regularly checked that his vision and all related plans were still sound. In some cases, he had key performance indicators that let him know if things were on target. For example, since he was striving to improve France's economy, he used the price of wheat across the country as an economic indicator. Every two weeks he would check for trends and comparisons, along with the average price for all of France and the two counties representing the highest and lowest prices. In this way, he could see if his debt-reduction plans were working, and if his five-year vision was still appropriate.

For today's project managers, a simple and effective way to monitor our high-level vision is to have a periodic vision check, perhaps at certain milestones throughout the project. During such a checkpoint, which is ideally done with the project team and/or key stakeholders, it is good to ask questions such as: Are we on track? Is the vision still appropriate? Is there a more realistic or better vision that can be defined? If changes are needed and the vision itself is not under the control of the project manager, as is often the case, then perhaps it is a good time to suggest scope changes to the project sponsors. Of course, at the more detailed project plan level, we have specific performance indicators we can use to monitor how we are doing against schedule and budget (using the Earned Value method), but from a macro level we are just concerned about making sure the overall vision remains sound.

To ensure that a vision remains realistic throughout the length of a project, spot checks are often needed to assure that it still makes sense. Often, circumstances change or new information is obtained that will lead to a better, more appropriate vision.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

We have explored the need to define the problem, devise a strategy, and craft a clear and inclusive vision that considers long-term objectives. We have also benefited from seeing Napoleon and his consulate do likewise, following the postrevolutionary chaos in France. The next step would be a heavy and ongoing campaign of communication. Napoleon knew that the consulate needed to address their stakeholders—including their people, their allies, and, most of all, their enemies.

This combination of organization, planning, and communication paid off in dividends. By 1810, the French Empire had almost complete domination over the European continent. Only England and the Spanish guerrillas resisted. Next, we'll explore how careful and exhaustive diplomacy and networking led to such unprecedented success, and how we as project managers can do the same. As a beginning to that discussion, it may help to consider Napoleon's axiom: In military operations I consult nobody; in diplomatic operations I consult everybody.

FOOTNOTES Chapter 2

1. Ken Blanchard and Jesse Stoner, Full Steam Ahead: Unleash the Power of Vision in Your Company and Your Life (San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2004).
2. Peter M. Senge, The Fifth Discipline (New York: Currency, 1994).
3. Project Management Institute, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK‚ Guide), 2000 Edition (Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute, 2000).
4. Baron Agathon-Jean-François Fain, Napoleon: How He Did It: The Memoirs of Baron Fain (San Francisco: Proctor Jones, 1998).
5. Dean Anderson and Linda Ackerman-Anderson, Beyond Change Management: Advanced Strategies for Today's Transformational Leaders; and Senge, The Fifth Discipline.
6. Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton, The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy Into Action (Watertown, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 1996).
7. J. M. Thompson, ed., Napoleon's Letters (London: Prion, 1998).
8. Ibid.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jerry ManasJerry Manas, PMP, has provided project management, leadership, training, and product development services to the information technology sector for a wide range of organizations, from small domestic businesses to international Fortune 500 companies. He has managed projects of all types, from small software development projects to large-scale, global projects spanning Europe, Asia/Pacific, Latin America, and North America. Jerry is PRESIDENT OF THE MARENGO GROUP, LLC AND cofounder of PMThink! (<a href="http://www.pmthink.com" target=_blank>www.pmthink.com), a thought leadership Web site, where topics such as Project Management, Portfolio Management, and Governance are discussed.

To stay abreast of the ever-changing industry, he remains actively involved with the Project Management Institute, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for PMI's Aerospace and Defense SIG. He has also contributed to several of PMI's international standards, including their Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3), where he assisted with the integration of the model and helped define the glossary; and the new Program and Portfolio Management Standards, where he was recruited to help lead the program (consisting of more than 300 volunteers around the world) as part of a small leadership team.

Jerry's goal is to open new perspectives about project management and leadership: that, to do either well, both are required. His affinity for history, his pursuit of fresh perspectives on leadership, and his understanding about the effectiveness of simplicity create a powerful approach to understanding the complexities of today's leadership issues, especially in project management. Underlying all of this is his strong belief that some of the most relevant lessons for today's project managers and leaders can be learned from an exploration of historical figures their triumphs and their failures.

How well does management support newly assigned project managers?