Optimism is absolutely key - you need to keep everybody 'going' and keep them focused. I actually quite like it when things veer off course ... that's the whole point of project management - things never go to plan. It keeps you on your toes and makes you think of creative solutions (things that you may not have considered at the beginning of a project).
Problem solving (and transparently so) is another important skill. I use a simple tool - when things go wrong... Basically you identify options and evaluate the options to assess their viability. The first option is always ‘do nothing’. What happens if we maintain the status quo and bury our heads in the sand? Then get creative. Brainstorm as many options as you can, whittle them down to a handful and evaluate each in terms of
Operability (will it work), Achievability (can we do it), Technology (is the technology there), Risk (does it fall within our risk appetite) and Interoperability (strategic fit in the bigger picture). This does not have to be an onerous task - it could be in your head - but it gets you thinking and justifies a change of direction.
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