The Smart Mission: NASA’s Lessons for Managing Knowledge, People, and Projects

About the Presentation

What does it take to be a successful leader in our current workplace? What are the successful leadership behaviors of project leaders? How can we design and sustain high-performing teams?

This special presentation is about leadership for complex, dynamic, and challenging missions. Project management has traditionally emphasized control, rigid processes, and tools—but, according to The Smart Mission, those are not the most important capabilities for leading a project. Human skills and expertise, not technical tools, are what make projects successful.

Dr. Edward Hoffman, Matthew Kohut, and Laurence Prusak, authors of, ‘The Smart Mission’ will lead a keynote session based on the paradigm-shifting book that challenges the conventional wisdom on project management. This session will highlight six principles for leadership, team, and organizational success: knowledge, learning, culture, teaming, story, and collaboration. This interactive session will define the factors necessary for sustained performance in a complex project world.

Key Takeaways

  • Understand the factors shaping our knowledge-based project economy.
  • Recognize the mindset and capabilities necessary for creating and sustaining a successful project.
  • Describe the six dimensions that matter for mission-based work.
  • Promote reflective leadership through conversation based on real issues and case examples.
  • Identify implications for all leaders and practitioners engaged in critical missions.

About Dr. Laurence Prusak

Laurence Prusak is the coauthor of Working Knowledge, a widely cited text on knowledge effectiveness in organizations, as well as seven other books, three anthologies, and over 50 articles.

About Dr. Edward J. Hoffman

Edward J. Hoffman was NASA’s first Chief Knowledge Officer and founder of the NASA Academy of Program/Project and Engineering Leadership. He is the co-author of Shared Voyage: Learning and Unlearning from Remarkable Projects and numerous journal articles.

About Matthew Kohut

Matthew Kohut prepares executives, elected leaders, diplomats, and scientists for events ranging from television appearances to TED talks. He is co-author of Compelling People: The Hidden Qualities That Make Us Influential.

Dr. Laurence Prusak

Dr. Laurence Prusak

Former Strategy Consultant to Hoffman at NASA
Senior Knowledge Advisor to McKinsey and the World Bank
Dr. Edward J. Hoffman

Dr. Edward J. Hoffman

CEO of Knowledge Strategies, LLC
Senior Lecturer at Columbia University
Matthew Kohut 24

Matthew Kohut

Managing Partner of KNP Communications,
Former Communications Consultant to Hoffman at NASA

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