Why do so many projects spiral into stress, shifting priorities, and endless risks while others seem to flow smoothly toward success? What if the difference isn’t just about tools or methods, but about how you lead?

Thankfully, today’s guest brings a fresh, human-centered approach to project management.

James Louttit is the author of Leading Impactful Teams: Achieving Low Stress Success in Project Management, a leadership coach, and a former CIO who now trains managers and business leaders around the world. His work blends real-world experience with practical tools to help managers lead projects with clarity, sustainability, and impact.

In this episode, James introduces his “eight lenses of project management” and reveals why prioritization is often the missing key to project success. He shares powerful ways to engage stakeholders, identify and manage risks, and avoid common mistakes in estimating time and effort.

Along the way, James offers stories and frameworks that any manager, whether formally a project manager or not, can use to keep work on track and teams energized.

In the extended members-only conversation, James explains how to properly scope your projects and define quality, two notoriously tricky areas that can make or break your results.

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Conversation Topics

(00:00) Introduction to Project Management
(01:44) The Eight Lenses of Project Management
(03:13) The Importance of Prioritization
(07:54) Agile vs. Waterfall Project Management Approaches
(10:23) Engaging Stakeholders Effectively
(17:20) Managing Risks in Projects
(24:09) Time Management and Estimating Effort
(30:40) Keep Up with James
(31:30) [Extended Episode Only] How To Properly Scope Your Projects
(33:10) [Extended Episode Only] Defining Quality In Project Management

Additional Resources:

- Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month

- Read the full transcript here

- Follow me on Instagram here

- Visit my website for more here

- Upskill your team here

- Subscribe to my YouTube Channel here

Keep up with James Louttit

- Follow James on LinkedIn here

- Subscribe to his YouTube channel here

- Join the IPM Community with a free 7-day trial here

Guest Bonus: Free Audio Book: Leading Impactful Teams and 3 FREE 1-Year Membership to IMP Community

Leading Impactful Teams is a lively exploration of the "lenses" of project management – Scope, Prioritisation, Time, Cost, Quality, Risks, Team and Stakeholders – that will enable the reader to develop a "sixth sense" for potential issues that could derail their project. It provides a practical toolkit to help you and your team deliver great project outcomes with minimum stress and maximum fun.

The IPM Community helps you deliver projects on time, on budget, and without burnout through bite-sized lessons, tactical tools and weekly peer support. Created by James Louttit, author of Leading Impactful Teams, it’s a no-jargon, no-exam space where professionals learn fast, share real challenges, and lead with confidence.

To get this bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.

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The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive and great work gets done.

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378: How to Lead Projects and People without Chaos and Burnout with James Louttit

The Modern Manager