The Executive's Role in Project Success: Why Leadership Must Be Hands-On

Diana Andrea Fajardo
Oct 29, 2023
3 min read

When projects fail, fingers often point at the project team. But in reality, the root cause often lies higher. Executive engagement isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s a non-negotiable for successful delivery.

Five people discussing around a table with documents and a tablet. A woman in a red-patterned dress speaks, conveying a collaborative mood.

The Disconnect

Most executives expect project success but remain at arm's length from the work. They receive reports, attend high-level briefings, and approve funding—but they don't actively shape the conditions required for success. This creates a dangerous gap: project teams are navigating complex, cross-functional initiatives without visible sponsorship or clear strategic guidance.

The result? Misaligned priorities, slow decisions, poor stakeholder engagement, and initiatives that lose momentum.

Data Speaks: The Case for Executive Engagement

According to PMI’s Pulse of the Profession report:

Projects with actively engaged executive sponsors are 40% more likely to succeed.

Lack of executive support is cited in over one-third of failed projects.

Executives who lead from the front create project environments where accountability, clarity, and collaboration thrive.

Where Executive Leaders Add the Most Value

Executive Action Area	Impact on Project Delivery
Vision & Prioritization	Ensures projects are aligned with strategic goals
Decision-Making Velocity	Removes bottlenecks and accelerates high-impact choices
Stakeholder Alignment	Navigates internal politics and external pressures
Resource Advocacy	Unlocks critical talent and budget when needed
Risk Tolerance Framing	Establishes escalation thresholds and acceptable trade-offs
Culture & Accountability	Models ownership, focus, and outcome-driven behavior

A Modern Model: The Hands-On Executive

The days of delegating everything to the PMO are over. Today’s high-performing organizations feature executives who stay meaningfully engaged without overstepping.

Here’s what that looks like:

1. Strategic Sponsor Cadence

Monthly or bi-weekly strategic reviews—not tactical check-ins—keep executives looped into vision, risks, and cross-functional complexity.

2. Proactive Risk Conversations

Executives should surface potential risks early, setting a tone of openness and agility.

3. Visibility Without Micromanagement

Access to dashboards and milestones enables oversight without day-to-day interference.

4. Decision Windows

Executives must protect time to make timely, confident decisions that remove delivery roadblocks.

What Happens When Executives Disengage

Priorities shift without notice
Scope expands due to lack of boundaries
Teams feel abandoned or invisible
Decisions stagnate
PMOs become reactive instead of strategic

Disengagement doesn’t look like negligence—it looks like passivity. And it’s just as damaging.

How Elaia Helps Executives Stay Engaged

At Elaia, we don’t just build project structures. We build executive engagement into the delivery model.

Executive Sponsor Onboarding

We prepare leaders for their role—including expectations, governance, and behaviors.

Portfolio Health Dashboards

Custom dashboards aligned to executive priorities, not cluttered with irrelevant details.

Governance Cadence Design

Balanced rhythms of information and action that protect leadership bandwidth.

Decision Playbooks

Escalation maps and decision trees so leaders know when—and how—to intervene.

Stakeholder Coaching

Support for internal alignment and influence strategies across departments.

In Practice: What Great Executive Engagement Looks Like

At a national healthcare organization, Elaia introduced a new executive review rhythm across 12 priority transformation programs. Rather than relying on slide decks every quarter.

We provided:

A strategic dashboard for real-time oversight
Monthly leadership working sessions
Escalation playbooks for decision bottlenecks

Results:

Four stalled projects were re-sequenced and relaunched
Resource constraints were resolved in under two weeks
Time-to-decision dropped by 38 percent

Why Elaia

Elaia isn’t just a PMO partner—we are a leadership amplifier.

We coach executives to lead delivery from the front—with clarity, calm, and consistency. We embed engagement into the operating rhythm of your transformation so that leaders are empowered, not overwhelmed.

When executives engage, delivery transforms. And when Elaia supports that engagement, results accelerate.