I’ve been there.

Every project starts with good intentions. The team has an end goal of a brand new product or a major overhaul to an existing system that’s supposed to bring business value.

Organizations often attempt to save costs by skipping on hiring a professional project manager. However, what initially appears as a cost-saving tactic frequently results in budget overruns, missed deadlines, and incomplete deliverables. The absence of a centralized leadership figure often leads to disorganized teams and duplicated work.

As a project manager and a marathon runner, I've come to realize that the mindset and discipline needed to cross a marathon finish line are surprisingly similar to the ones required to deliver successful projects. On the surface, they seem worlds apart—one is physical endurance, the other strategic and organizational. But dig deeper, and you'll see they share the same core principles.