In line with the belief that “nothing is as practical as a good theory,” the overall purpose of the Center for Project Leadership (CPL) is to develop useful theories of project leadership and management that are based on robust assumptions, suitable for dynamic situations, and conducive to the development of effective project management practices.

One of the key objectives of the CPL is to develop practices facilitating the leadership development of practitioners and the leadership orientation of students.  Leadership development requires, among other things, a culture of continuous learning and systematic reflection. This process facilitates a systematic review of underlying research assumptions and an updating of prevailing models and practices in order to keep pace with changing needs.  Our research and pedagogy cover this broad range of issues while also concentrating on project leadership issues associated with global infrastructure projects and project leadership challenges when project work is dynamic and uncertain.

The CPL employs all common research methodologies and works in close collaboration with industry in order to ensure that the theories it develops are useful and that the derived practices are effective. This process requires working closely with competent practitioners in the most successful organizations during all phases of research, from formulation of the research questions and development of the models and practices through their testing and dissemination.