There’s a strange paradox in project management. Sometimes when we do our jobs well, nothing happens. No crisis, no headlines, and no heroic saves. Just outcomes!
That truth came into sharp focus in my recent conversation withFrank Saladis, PMI Fellow, longtime volunteer leader, author, educator, and one of the true stewards of our profession.
Frank has lived through multiple eras of project management, from the early days of formal PMOs to the rise of IT, agile, and global scale. What makes his perspective powerful isn’t nostalgia, it’s clarity.
The Day the World Didn’t End
We talked about Y2K. If you remember the hype, you also remember the fear:
* Planes falling out of the sky.
* Systems failing.
* Infrastructure collapsing.
And then… nothing happened. People were almost disappointed.
But as Frank points out, the reason nothing happened wasn’t luck. It was four years of planning, risk management, and disciplined execution. That moment quietly changed how organizations viewed project management.
It was not about paperwork and overhead, it was about essential infrastructure. When project management works, the absence of drama is the success.
Most Failures Aren’t Process Problems, They’re People Ones
One of the most important moments in the conversation came when Frank challenged a common myth:
“People say projects fail because people don’t follow process. But if the process doesn’t work, the answer isn’t to ignore it. You fix the process.”
That distinction matters because breaking process isn’t leadership, working around it isn’t agility, and “just getting it done” doesn’t scale.
Mature organizations don’t rely on heroes, they build systems that learn. Rules aren’t meant to be broken, they’re meant to be improved.
Calm Is a Leadership Skill
We also spent time talking about leadership under pressure. Frank’s view is simple and increasingly rare:
When things go wrong, leaders don’t panic, they get curious. They ask:
* Where are we right now?
* What do we know for sure?
* What do you need from me?
Confidence doesn’t come from having all the answers. It comes from trusting the team and creating space for them to solve the problem together.
The result is not only good leadership, but also professional maturity.
Why International Project Management Day Exists
Frank also shared the origin story of International Project Management Day, an idea he championed not as a celebration of projects, but as recognition of project managers.
Everything we rely on every day: buildings, technology, transportation, and systems exists because of projects. Yet the people who make those outcomes possible are often invisible.
The day exists to remind the world: This profession matters and so do the people who practice it.
A Conversation About Stewardship
This episode isn’t about trends or tools, it’s about stewardship. Taking responsibility for a profession that has shaped organizations, careers, and lives.
If you care about:
* Leadership without panic
* Process without bureaucracy
* Influence without ego
* And why project management still matters
You’ll enjoy this conversation.
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