Your Weekly Guide to Real Project Leadership
Get practical insights, people-first strategies, and lessons from the field. Everything you need to lead with confidence between the milestones and handle what the real world throws at you.
This newsletter goes beyond theory. It provides you with the tools, stories, and clarity to navigate pressure, earn trust, lead with confidence, and deliver tangible results.
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Between The Milestones
The PM Playbook’s weekly newsletter for real project managers solving real problems. Each issue delivers practical strategies, leadership insights, and honest stories from the trenches. It is designed to help you lead better between the big wins.
When Leadership Pushes Too Hard
How to Protect Your Team Without Losing Executive Trust
Read Time: 5 minutes
You have built a realistic plan.Your team is moving forward.And then the email hits.
“Can we launch sooner?”“We need to show progress this quarter.”“This just became the CEO’s top priority.”
Suddenly, you are not managin...
by Daniel Hemhauser —
Jun 22, 2025
human-centered leadership
project recovery
stakeholder management
Stepping Into the Mess
How to Recover a Project That is Already Off Track Before You Even Touch It
Read Time: 5 minutes
You just got assigned a project.
It is already behind.The team is burned out.Stakeholders are frustrated.And no one wants to admit how bad it is.
You are not starting from zero.You are starting from c...
by Daniel Hemhauser —
Jun 22, 2025
human-centered leadership
project leadership
project recovery
Scope Creep Starts Quiet
How to Stop Extra Work From Sneaking In and Blowing Up Your Project
Read Time: 5 minutes
It always starts small.
One more request.One minor change.One extra feature that will only take a day.
And then, three weeks later, your timeline is broken, your team is frustrated, and you are somehow the on...
by Daniel Hemhauser —
Jun 22, 2025
project delivery
project leadership
stakeholder communication
The Only PM in the Room
How to Lead With Clarity and Confidence When No One Else Thinks Like You
Read Time: 5 minutes
You have the plan.You know the risks.You are tracking dependencies, scope, and delivery.And then you walk into a room where no one else cares about any of that.
You are surrounded by visionaries, enginee...
Jun 22, 2025
cross-functional collaboration
project leadership
stakeholder communication
The Soft Skills That Save Projects
Why Your Emotional Intelligence Might Matter ore Than Your Gantt Chart
Read Time: 5 minutes
You can build the best project plan in the world.You can color-code the risks and map the dependencies.You can hit every milestone on time.
But if your team does not trust you.If your stakeholders are cons...
by Daniel Hemhauser —
Jun 21, 2025
emotional intelligence
human-centered leadership
pm soft skills
The First 30 Days
How to Set the Tone On a New Project Before the Chaos Begins
Read Time: 5 minutes
You just got assigned a new project.
The kickoff is scheduled.The pressure is building.The expectations are high.
Everyone is looking to you for a plan.But before you rush to build one, you need something more impor...
by Daniel Hemhauser —
Jun 21, 2025
pm soft skills
project leadership
stakeholder management
When Clients Go Quiet
How to Catch Communication Red Flags Before They Turn Into Full-Blown Delivery Disasters
Read Time: 5 minutes
You sent the agenda.You followed up on the decision.You looped in the right people.You confirmed the next step.
And now the client has gone completely silent.
No updates.No feedback.No si...
by Daniel Hemhauser —
Jun 21, 2025
emotional intelligence
project leadership
stakeholder management
The Retro Is Not the Point
How to Run Retrospectives That Create Change, Not Just Conversation
You finish the sprint.You book the retro.You ask the questions.You take notes.Everyone nods.
Then nothing changes.
The retrospective is not the problem.The way we run them is.
Why Retros Often Fall Flat
Too vague.Too polite.Too r...
by Daniel Hemhauser —
Jun 21, 2025
continuous improvement
project leadership
team dynamics
That One Team Member
How to Handle Challenging Behavior Without Losing the Team or Your Cool
Read Time: 5 minutes
Every project has one.The person who resists everything.The one who interrupts, avoids accountability, or creates conflict in every meeting.The one who drains your energy and slows down the work.
You cann...
by Daniel Hemhauser —
Jun 21, 2025
conflict resolution
human-centered leadership
team dynamics
You Are Not “Just a PM”
How to Overcome Undervaluation and Lead With Purpose When the Title Gets dismissed
Read Time: 5 minutes
Have you ever been introduced as just the project manager?Or sidelined in a decision you were expected to implement?Or left out of strategy sessions, then handed a mess to deliver?
You are not ...
by Daniel Hemhauser —
Jun 21, 2025
emotional intelligence
pm soft skills
project leadership
The PM and BA Divide
How to Collaborate, Not Compete, and Deliver Better Outcomes Together
Read Time: 5 minutes
Let’s talk about a dynamic that trips up a lot of teams.The blurred line between project manager and business analyst.
You have been there.You build a timeline, and someone rewrites it.You lead a meeting, a...
by Daniel Hemhauser —
Jun 21, 2025
cross-functional collaboration
project leadership
stakeholder communication
Project Recovery Playbook
What to Do When Everything Is on Fire and It Is Your Job to Fix It
Read Time: 5 minutes
Let’s talk about something every project manager will face eventually.A project that is off track, under pressure, and unraveling in real time.
You missed early warnings.The timeline is broken.Stakeholders are...
by Daniel Hemhauser —
Jun 21, 2025
project leadership
project recovery
trust building
We Launch On July 9
The PM Playbook is where real leaders connect, share hard lessons, and grow together. No fluff, no corporate speak, just bold and honest leadership in action.
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