Why do we obsess over blame when things go wrong but ignore lessons when they go right?
This episode explores the common but limiting belief that asking for help is a sign of weakness for project and PMO leaders. Host Laura Bernard draws on her 30 years of experience in organizational change and PMO leadership to challenge this mindset. She argues that trying to "do it all alone" is a barrier to growth and true leadership.
Bernard contrasts how organizations often focus on assigning blame when things go wrong but rarely analyze successes to replicate them. She observes that successful executives leverage teams, advisors, and coaches rather than operating solo. Bernard shares a personal anecdote about a former colleague named Luke, who remained calm and effective by leveraging others, unlike her own earlier "hair on fire" approach as a single mother and senior leader. She details a transformative moment from her career when building a PMO: she asked ten program managers to each dedicate 15% of their time to co-creating PMO capabilities. This collective effort dramatically increased capacity, fostered ownership, and sped up innovation. For leaders who are a "PMO of one," she recommends forming a volunteer community of practice to gather input and co-create solutions.
A key insight is that doing everything alone is not a badge of honor but a limitation that prevents strategic leadership. Bernard emphasizes that organizational impact is measured by outcomes delivered through others, not by personal exhaustion or intensity. She admits she doesn't have a perfect system, recording this episode on a Saturday to manage her own capacity. The story of Luke illustrated that being "executive material" is about orchestrating and enabling others, not personal task completion. The community of practice concept shows that people invest in solutions they help create, leading to better adoption and results.
The host advises listeners to let go of the ego that insists on being right or doing everything perfectly oneself. She states that real intelligence is proven by knowing when and whom to ask for help. Bernard's success, she claims, came from surrounding herself with people smarter than her in certain areas and asking questions. The episode frames leadership as building something bigger together rather than carrying weight alone.
The tone is conversational, confessional, and directly supportive, as if offering advice to a peer. Bernard's style is motivational and instructional, blending personal stories with actionable strategies. She positions herself as a fellow learner still navigating these challenges rather than a perfect expert.
Project managers, PMO leaders, and transformation professionals feeling overwhelmed and isolated would find this episode highly relatable and practical. Listeners seeking purely technical project management methodologies or those averse to self-reflective, coaching-style content might choose to skip it.
