PMO Leaders and Leadership - What's the Secret?

Portfolio Management is about change; and change isn’t about process, it’s about leadership.   

Sure, you need to have a clear view of the change you’re trying to make and a clear plan for how to get there, but that’s not enough.  If people don’t buy into the need for change and then stick to the plan (so it becomes a team effort), not much is going to happen. 

So, if you’re the PMO Leader tasked with lifting the PMO from being just the part of the organisation responsible for overseeing project administration and turning it into something that delivers real strategic value and ROI, change leadership is a big thing for you.

PMO Leaders: Playing the Leadership Game on Hard Mode 

Let’s not sugar-coat it; PMO Leaders are playing the leadership game on the hardest difficulty setting.  It’s not enough to have a crystal-clear vision of how project and portfolio management should evolve.  It’s not even enough to have a meticulous roadmap. 

The kicker? 

Much of the change the PMO needs to see happen, sits squarely outside their direct control.

That means PMO leaders can’t just manage.  They have to lead.  And leadership in this context means showing up in three different directions: 

1. Downwards – Leading within the PMO itself and the wider project delivery community. 
2. Sideways – Influencing and supporting stakeholders across the business, who might be focused on daily operations and see the PMO as just more red tape. 
3. Upwards – Collaborating with the executive team, driving strategic alignment, and pushing through the hard parts of transformation. 

Let’s break that down, because each direction brings a different set of challenges - and opportunities...

Position Your PMO Where It Delivers Most Value 

Drive alignment. Clarify priorities. Prove impact. 

Build a tailored business case that shows how your PMO accelerates strategic delivery. 

In five minutes, create a message that resonates at the executive level - and earns influence where it counts. 

Leading Downwards: Building a PMO Worth Following 

This is the “easiest” of the three - not because it’s simple, but because it’s where the PMO leader has the most control.  Your team looks to you for direction.  They expect you to set the tone, provide clarity, and push for better practices.  If you want to build a modern, value-adding PMO, the internal team is your launchpad. 

Here’s the secret; stop thinking of the PMO as a function and start treating it like a movement.  People don’t rally behind processes - they rally behind purpose.  That means articulating why your PMO exists beyond tracking project milestones.  It's about enabling strategy, accelerating delivery, and amplifying business outcomes. 

You need to set high standards, yes, but you also need to create space for growth, experimentation, and autonomy.  The days of the PMO as the “project police” are over.  The future belongs to PMOs that act as trusted advisors and strategic enablers. 

Leading Sideways: Winning the Middle of the Business 

This is where things get trickier.  Leading peers across the business - especially those who are under pressure to deliver results today - requires serious credibility and even more empathy. 

Here’s what won’t work: pushing templates, tools, or governance frameworks at people who are already overwhelmed.  That just gets you labelled as bureaucratic overhead. 

What does work?  Start with the pain points they already feel.  If a product leader is frustrated by duplicated work, conflicting priorities, or under-resourced projects, that’s your in.  Show how the PMO can help bring clarity, coordination, and control - not through more red tape, but through better decision-making and smarter prioritization. 

It’s not about selling the PMO.  It’s about proving its value, over and over again, until people start coming to you.  Influence in the middle of the business is a long game, but when you play it well, it’s game changing. 

Earn Influence Where It Matters Most 

Middle of the business. Maximum complexity. If you want your PMO to cut through the noise and become a true partner to your peers, you need more than tools — you need trust. 

And trust starts with a clear, compelling message that your peers can rally behind. 

Use this simple tool to create your own Case for Change - tailored to your organization and your goals. 

Curious what your personalized case could look like? Start building it now. 

What’s the Real Secret? 

So, what’s the secret sauce for PMO leadership? 

It’s not a magic framework. It’s not a tool or a dashboard. It’s this: act like a leader, not just a manager. 

That means: 

• Focusing on people and purpose, not just process. 

• Building influence beyond your formal authority. 

• Being comfortable with discomfort - your own and others’. 

• Showing resilience when change gets messy (and it always gets messy). 

• Taking ownership for strategic outcomes, even when you don’t control all the levers. 

Let’s be clear: this is not for the faint-hearted.  Change leadership is tough in any role, but when you’re trying to lead without direct power, in a space that’s still evolving, it can be exhausting. 

But it’s also one of the most exciting places to be, because when PMO leaders lean into true leadership, they don’t just improve project delivery - they transform how the business thinks, plans, and executes. 

They turn the PMO from a support function into a strategic powerhouse. 

They shift the narrative from “project oversight” to “business value amplification.” 

And they earn their place - not just at the table, but as a key player in shaping the future of the organization. 

Final Thought 

Here’s the punchline: the future of the PMO doesn’t rest on better frameworks. It rests on better leadership. 

So, if you’re a PMO leader today - or aiming to become one - the question isn’t, “What process should I implement next?” 

It’s, “How can I lead better - downwards, sideways, and upwards - to drive real, lasting, business-wide change?” 

Because once you unlock that, there’s no limit to the impact your PMO can have. 

So, if you recognise the leadership challenge and want to step up to meet it, what are your first steps? 

• We have an upcoming (recorded) webinar on leadership for PMOs [insert detail of webinar promotion blurb – NB this blog will remain in place after webinar] 

• Get some focused thoughts on your own particular challenges in a call with our CEO, Stuart Easton.  This is an opportunity to explore the subject of leadership and reflect on strategies and tactics that will have the most effect in your business.    

Step Up and Lead the PMO Your Business Needs 

Better frameworks won’t drive lasting change - better leadership will. 

If you’re ready to lead downwards, sideways, and upwards with impact, start by building your own tailored case for change. 

Create your personalized leadership case now. 

Leadership is what you do next.