Flexible Leadership as the Key to Effective Project Team Management

Purpose. This article aims to provide an in-depth analysis of modern leadership models in project management, with a particular focus on flexibility, emotional intelligence, service orientation, and adaptability to dynamic environments. It explores the leader’s role as a central factor in building cohesive, high-performing, and resilient project teams. Design / Method / Approach. The study employs comparative analysis, typology of leadership styles, interdisciplinary literature review, and logical-analytical synthesis. It draws on concepts from contemporary management, organizational behavior, and human resource leadership. Findings. The research identifies transformational, coaching, servant, and distributed leadership as the most effective approaches for fostering employee engagement, creativity, responsibility, and responsiveness. It outlines key factors influencing leadership model selection, including project type, team structure, and implementation phase. Theoretical Implications. The article expands the conceptual understanding of modern leadership in project management, emphasizing the shift in leadership paradigms and the importance of emotional intelligence. Practical Implications. The research offers practical recommendations for selecting leadership styles according to project-specific contexts, which may benefit project managers, consultants, and educators. Originality / Value. The article integrates multiple leadership models into the project management framework, allowing for a strategically flexible approach to team leadership. Research Limitations / Future Research. The study focuses on transformational, servant, and adaptive leadership in project management. Its scope is limited due to the complexity and diversity of leadership theories and the inability to examine all existing styles. To gain a deeper understanding of the effectiveness of various leadership models, it is necessary to conduct empirical validation of the findings across different industries and teams with diverse structures. Additionally, further research should explore the influence of organizational culture, industry specifics, and innovation levels on leadership model selection, particularly in the context of virtual teams and remote leadership. Article Type. Conceptual Paper.