College completely failed in teaching me how to manage projects.

So I spent over 10,000+ hours in the field and studying legendary project leaders.

Then, I distilled what I learned into 27 simple sentences.

But unlike college, these won't cost you $60,000.

Here they are for free:

1. If it doesn't have a clear goal, budget, and deadline, it's not a project - it's just work.

2. The power is in planning, not the plan. A plan is just a way to store your research and decision-making.

3. What we do for a living is design, make, and build things. Everything else is administration and support.

4. Successful project teams are full-time and dedicated. Focus is everything.

5. Anything is possible if you break it down into small enough steps.

6. Agreements are flexible, but deadlines are not.

7. Gantt charts are outdated the second you press save.

8. A bad executive is a distraction; a good executive shields a team from distraction.

9. The greatest threat you face managing a project isn't external; it lies within your own biases and thought patterns.

10. Lead with the answer. People have busy minds. Give them what they came for first, then back it up with the details.

11. A picture is worth a thousand words. Use diagrams, charts, and models to explain complex ideas.

12. Create one team room where everyone works, shares data, and laughs together.

13. The only acceptable answer to "who owns this" is one single name.

14. The daily huddle is the 15 most important minutes of the day.

15. Risk management is done continuously, not once. Assumptions change, so should your response.

16. One small scope change won't derail a project, but 100 will.

17. People come and go. Standardize onboarding and off-boarding for team members.

18. Preparation always beats planning. Plan for order and you’ll be destroyed by chaos. Prepare for chaos and you’ll thrive in any condition.

19. Communication isn’t what you say—it’s what they understand. Always check for alignment.

20. Celebrate small wins every week to build momentum.

21. Your project's strategic purpose is your guide for decision-making and storytelling.

22. Healthy debates, but one decision. One team, one voice.

23. Best-in-class managers are prepared to handle change orders, and so are their clients.

24. Completion percentages are a waste of time - too subjective. A task is either done or not done.

25. If you accept behavior once, you've just lowered the bar for the whole team. You're leading. They're watching.

26. Spend 80% of your time on the top 20% of your stakeholders. They can make or break your project at the snap of a finger.

27. Finish, document, reflect, and learn before starting a new project.

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