Project Management Masterclass is the podcast for project professionals who want to move beyond managing tasks and start leading projects with clarity, influence, and strategic thinking. Hosted by Brittany Wilkins, founder of Makoway Consulting, author of Letters to My Sisters in Engineering , and creator of the emerging philosophy known as Execution Intelligence , this show explores what truly drives project success in today's increasingly complex environment. Brittany built her career inside the gap between strategy and execution—the place where capable teams often struggle to turn plans into results. Through years of leading projects, advising organizations, and studying the leadership behaviors that separate successful initiatives from failed ones, she developed a simple belief: Project success is rarely limited by effort. More often, it is limited by execution. Each episode explores the principles, frameworks, power skills, and mindset required to navigate complexity, align teams, improve decision-making, and deliver meaningful outcomes. From leadership development and industry trends to lessons learned from real-world projects, Project Management Masterclass equips professionals with the tools needed to elevate their careers and lead with confidence. Listeners come for the insight and stay for the practical perspective. One listener shared: "I listened during a road trip from Arkansas to Texas and was completely hooked. The content is relevant, inspiring, and genuinely memorable." Another reflection from the same review: "Your calm, articulate cadence makes the content accessible even for listeners who speak English as a second language." Resources & Next Steps Execution Intelligence Diagnostic Identify where execution may be breaking down across leadership, decision-making, visibility, and team alignment. https://executionintelligence.scoreapp.com/ Execution Intelligence Book Waitlist Join the waitlist and receive updates on Brittany's upcoming book. https://makowayconsulting.scoreapp.com Makoway Consulting Learn how organizations eliminate execution friction and turn strategy into measurable results. www.makowayconsulting.com Whether you're leading projects, programs, portfolios, or organizational change, Project Management Masterclass is designed to help you strengthen the skills that separate project managers from project leaders. Tap into the insights. Strengthen your leadership. Execute with intention.
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October 12, 20261 min
Go Deeper with Project Success Playbook
Send us Fan Mail Knowing project management and successfully leading projects are two different things. Project Success Playbook is the premium series from Project Management Masterclass, exploring the decisions, behaviors, systems, and leadership practices that shape successful projects. Subscribe to access episodes including: • The Two Types of Decisions That Expedite Project Outcomes • Designing for Execution Success • How High Performers Stay C.L.E.A.R. Under Pressure • The Project Flywheel: How to Build Momentum That Compounds • How Intelligent Organizations Fail Without Collapsing Each episode turns ideas from books, research, and real-world project experience into practical lessons to help you think differently, lead better, and execute with greater clarity. Listen through Apple Podcasts? Subscribe directly there. If Apple Podcasts isn't your platform, sign up for Project Success Playbook here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2308468/support Deepen your project leadership with Project Success Playbook. Support the show Deepen Your Project Leadership https://www.buzzsprout.com/2308468/subscribe
October 6, 2026Episode 3734 min
37. Project Management Trends 2026| Managing with People
Send us Fan Mail Project managers are often accountable for outcomes delivered by people who do not report to them. Team members may come from different functions, answer to different leaders, balance competing priorities, and bring different skills and ways of working to the project. So what does it really mean to lead when positional authority is not enough? In this episode of Project Management Masterclass , we continue the Project Management Trends 2026 series with Managing With People . Host Brittany Wilkins shares her personal experience of struggling to manage with people early in her career and what it took to grow into a more effective leader. Through lessons learned along the way, this episode explores the importance of creating clarity, developing capability, building ownership, adapting your communication, and bringing people together around a shared mission. Because successful project leadership is not about making yourself necessary for every task or decision. It is about creating the conditions for people to contribute, take ownership, and deliver together. Support the show Deepen Your Project Leadership https://www.buzzsprout.com/2308468/subscribe
Send us Fan Mail Plans are necessary. But every project manager knows that the assumptions behind a plan don't always survive contact with reality. Requirements change. Stakeholder expectations shift. Resources move. Market conditions evolve. The challenge isn't simply knowing how to update a project plan. It's knowing when change actually warrants a response without constantly disrupting execution. In this episode of Project Management Masterclass , Brittany Wilkins continues the Project Management Trends 2026 series with a closer look at adaptive planning . Drawing on familiar project management fundamentals, we explore how techniques such as rolling-wave planning, iterative development, stakeholder engagement, impact analysis, and reprioritization help teams navigate uncertainty. But the conversation goes further: adaptive planning also depends on decision rights, governance, and an organization's ability to distinguish meaningful change from noise. Because too little adaptation can leave teams executing against outdated assumptions. Too much can create rework, budget overruns, shifting priorities, and teams that stop trusting the plan altogether. The goal isn't constant change. It's intentional adaptation. Be rigid on the outcome. Stay flexible on the approach that gets you there. Episode Keywords: adaptive planning, adaptive planning project management, project management trends 2026, project planning, project management planning, project management trends, rolling wave planning, progressive elaboration, iterative project management, project decision rights Support the show Deepen Your Project Leadership https://www.buzzsprout.com/2308468/subscribe
August 11, 2026Episode 3526 min
35. Project Management Trends 2026 | The Strategic Value of AI Beyond Productivity
Send us Fan Mail Artificial intelligence has become one of the biggest conversations in project management. Much of that conversation has focused on productivity: summarizing meetings, drafting communications, identifying risks, analyzing data, and automating routine tasks. But the value of AI extends beyond productivity. In this episode of Project Management Masterclass , we begin our Project Management Trends 2026 series by examining the strategic value of artificial intelligence and what it means for project leaders. We explore how AI connects to corporate strategy and business value, what the changing demand for AI skills signals about the future of work, and why governance must become part of the conversation as organizations expand their use of AI. Because adopting AI is only part of the challenge. Organizations must also understand where AI is being used, what risks it introduces, who owns the decisions, and whether those investments are actually delivering value. For project managers, the opportunity is bigger than learning another tool. It's understanding how AI, strategy, governance, risk, and execution come together to deliver successful outcomes. The technology may be changing, but the fundamentals of strong project leadership still matter. If you are ready to strengthen the skills that separate project managers from project leaders, explore the Power Skills Accelerator , a course designed to help professionals master the leadership capabilities needed to thrive in complex project environments. Enroll in the Power Skills Accelerator https://www.developpowerskills.com/sales-page If you want to assess where execution may be breaking down in your current projects, take the Execution Intelligence Diagnostic to identify gaps across leadership, decision making, and team alignment. Start the diagnostic https://executionintelligence.scoreapp.com/ Join the waitlist for Brittany Wilkins’ upcoming book, Execution Intelligence , focused on the mindset, systems, and discipline required to turn strategy into measurable results. Join the book waitlist https://makowayconsulting.scoreapp.com To learn more about how organizations eliminate execution friction and turn strategy into measurable results, visit Makoway Consulting . https://www.makowayconsulting.com Support the show Deepen Your Project Leadership https://www.buzzsprout.com/2308468/subscribe
July 14, 2026Episode 349 min
34.Scope 2 Is Changing: What Every Project Leader Should Know
Send us Fan Mail Have you noticed that sustainability reporting is becoming more precise? One of the biggest proposed changes to greenhouse gas accounting is happening right now, and while it may sound like a topic reserved for sustainability professionals, it has real implications for project leaders. In this episode, Brittany Wilkins explains the proposed updates to Scope 2 greenhouse gas accounting, why annual renewable electricity matching may no longer be enough, and how changes like hourly matching could reshape projects across operations, IT, procurement, finance, and sustainability. More importantly, this episode explores the leadership lesson behind the technical guidance. As organizations face increasing pressure to provide better data, stronger transparency, and measurable results, projects become the mechanism for turning new requirements into reality. You'll learn: • What Scope 2 emissions are and why the accounting guidance is changing • What hourly matching means in practical terms • Why these proposed changes extend far beyond sustainability teams • How project leaders can prepare for increasing business complexity If you want to lead projects that matter, understanding the business environment around your projects is no longer optional. If you are ready to strengthen the skills that separate project managers from project leaders, explore the Power Skills Accelerator , a course designed to help professionals master the leadership capabilities needed to thrive in complex project environments. Enroll in the Power Skills Accelerator https://www.developpowerskills.com/sales-page If you want to assess where execution may be breaking down in your current projects, take the Execution Intelligence Diagnostic to identify gaps across leadership, decision making, and team alignment. Start the diagnostic https://executionintelligence.scoreapp.com/ Join the waitlist for Brittany Wilkins’ upcoming book, Execution Intelligence , focused on the mindset, systems, and discipline required to turn strategy into measurable results. Join the book waitlist https://makowayconsulting.scoreapp.com To learn more about how organizations eliminate execution friction and turn strategy into measurable results, visit Makoway Consulting . https://www.makowayconsulting.com Support the show Deepen Your Project Leadership https://www.buzzsprout.com/2308468/subscribe
June 9, 2026Episode 3324 min
33.Business Transformation in an Age of Complexity: Insights from the CLM Summit
Send us Fan Mail Business transformation is often discussed through the lens of technology, AI, automation, and digital initiatives. But after attending the CLM Summit, one theme surfaced repeatedly beneath the technology conversations: maintaining visibility and coordination is becoming increasingly difficult as complexity grows. In this episode, host Brittany Wilkins shares key observations from the summit and explore why connected systems, trusted data, lifecycle alignment, and cross-functional coordination matter more than ever. We discuss the role AI plays as an amplifier, the risks of disconnected systems and tribal knowledge, and why organizations must think beyond technology implementation when navigating transformation. Topics include: • AI and operational foundations • Product complexity and customization • Connected systems and data visibility • Lifecycle alignment across business functions • Human barriers to transformation • Why coordination is becoming a competitive advantage Whether you work in project management, operations, manufacturing, digital transformation, or organizational leadership, this episode offers practical insights into what it takes to maintain clarity and control in an increasingly interconnected business environment. The promise does not come without the process. If you are ready to strengthen the skills that separate project managers from project leaders, explore the Power Skills Accelerator , a course designed to help professionals master the leadership capabilities needed to thrive in complex project environments. Enroll in the Power Skills Accelerator https://www.developpowerskills.com/sales-page If you want to assess where execution may be breaking down in your current projects, take the Execution Intelligence Diagnostic to identify gaps across leadership, decision making, and team alignment. Start the diagnostic https://executionintelligence.scoreapp.com/ Join the waitlist for Brittany Wilkins’ upcoming book, Execution Intelligence , focused on the mindset, systems, and discipline required to turn strategy into measurable results. Join the book waitlist https://makowayconsulting.scoreapp.com To learn more about how organizations eliminate execution friction and turn strategy into measurable results, visit Makoway Consulting . https://www.makowayconsulting.com Support the show Deepen Your Project Leadership https://www.buzzsprout.com/2308468/subscribe
May 12, 2026Episode 3226 min
32.Mental Health Isn’t the Problem- Pressure Is.
Send us Fan Mail May is Mental Health Awareness Month. But awareness alone won’t fix what’s breaking project leaders. In this episode, Brittany Wilkins challenges the conversation around mental health in high-pressure environments and reveals the real issue: unmanaged pressure. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, delayed decisions, avoided difficult conversations, or questioned your ability to lead under pressure—this episode is for you. Because the truth is simple: Your projects don’t break first. You do. And until you learn how to manage pressure in real time, you will continue to hit the same wall—no matter how skilled or experienced you are. If you are ready to strengthen the skills that separate project managers from project leaders, explore the Power Skills Accelerator , a course designed to help professionals master the leadership capabilities needed to thrive in complex project environments. Enroll in the Power Skills Accelerator https://www.developpowerskills.com/sales-page If you want to assess where execution may be breaking down in your current projects, take the Execution Intelligence Diagnostic to identify gaps across leadership, decision making, and team alignment. Start the diagnostic https://executionintelligence.scoreapp.com/ Join the waitlist for Brittany Wilkins’ upcoming book, Execution Intelligence , focused on the mindset, systems, and discipline required to turn strategy into measurable results. Join the book waitlist https://makowayconsulting.scoreapp.com To learn more about how organizations eliminate execution friction and turn strategy into measurable results, visit Makoway Consulting . https://www.makowayconsulting.com Support the show Deepen Your Project Leadership https://www.buzzsprout.com/2308468/subscribe
May 7, 2026Episode 3124 min
31.How to Identify Execution Collapse Before It Happens (Spirit Airlines Case Study)
Send us Fan Mail Every business is measured by its financial performance. Revenue. Profit. The bottom line. That’s what people look at when something collapses. But by the time the numbers reflect the problem, it’s already been there. There are other indicators that get overlooked. Decision speed starts to slow. Pressure builds in places no one is tracking. Options begin to narrow long before anyone calls it a risk. I didn’t look at Spirit Airlines and think this was sudden. I thought about how long it had probably been building. In this episode, I walk through what most people miss when they look at business failure. Not the outcome. The pattern behind it. Because collapse doesn’t start with financial results. It starts inside the system. And if you’re not paying attention to those signals early, you don’t get time to react. You get forced to respond. If you are ready to strengthen the skills that separate project managers from project leaders, explore the Power Skills Accelerator , a course designed to help professionals master the leadership capabilities needed to thrive in complex project environments. Enroll in the Power Skills Accelerator https://www.developpowerskills.com/sales-page If you want to assess where execution may be breaking down in your current projects, take the Execution Intelligence Diagnostic to identify gaps across leadership, decision making, and team alignment. Start the diagnostic https://executionintelligence.scoreapp.com/ Join the waitlist for Brittany Wilkins’ upcoming book, Execution Intelligence , focused on the mindset, systems, and discipline required to turn strategy into measurable results. Join the book waitlist https://makowayconsulting.scoreapp.com To learn more about how organizations eliminate execution friction and turn strategy into measurable results, visit Makoway Consulting . https://www.makowayconsulting.com Support the show Deepen Your Project Leadership https://www.buzzsprout.com/2308468/subscribe
April 7, 2026Episode 3019 min
30. Why Hard Work Isn’t Moving You Forward | 4 Power Skills Every Project Leader Needs
Send us Fan Mail You’re working hard. Delivering results. Doing everything right. So why are you still not moving forward? In this episode, host Brittany Wilkins break down the real reason so many professionals and project leaders feel stuck despite their effort. It’s not about working harder. It’s about developing the right power skills . You’ll learn: Why hard work alone is not enough to advance your career The hidden gap that keeps high performers stuck The 4 power skills every project leader needs to succeed How to position yourself for growth, recognition, and leadership If you’ve ever felt overlooked, undervalued, or stuck in execution mode… This episode will challenge how you think about success. And more importantly—it will show you what to do next. If you are ready to strengthen the skills that separate project managers from project leaders, explore the Power Skills Accelerator , a course designed to help professionals master the leadership capabilities needed to thrive in complex project environments. Enroll in the Power Skills Accelerator https://www.developpowerskills.com/sales-page If you want to assess where execution may be breaking down in your current projects, take the Execution Intelligence Diagnostic to identify gaps across leadership, decision making, and team alignment. Start the diagnostic https://executionintelligence.scoreapp.com/ Join the waitlist for Brittany Wilkins’ upcoming book, Execution Intelligence , focused on the mindset, systems, and discipline required to turn strategy into measurable results. Join the book waitlist https://makowayconsulting.scoreapp.com To learn more about how organizations eliminate execution friction and turn strategy into measurable results, visit Makoway Consulting . https://www.makowayconsulting.com Support the show Deepen Your Project Leadership https://www.buzzsprout.com/2308468/subscribe
March 24, 2026Episode 2922 min
29. Mastering Project Management-Why Change Fails: How the ADKAR Model Explains What Leaders Miss
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Project Management Masterclass, we break down one of the most widely used change management frameworks, the ADKAR model. More importantly, we look at how change actually happens in real-world environments and why it often fails. If organizations don’t change and people do, then understanding how individual change happens is critical to delivering successful projects and real business outcomes. In this episode, you’ll learn: What the ADKAR model is and how it works Why awareness alone is not enough to drive change The difference between understanding change and wanting it How gaps in desire create execution friction Why training and knowledge do not guarantee adoption The difference between knowing and doing How to better align the people side and business side of change This episode also includes a real example from an ERP implementation to show how change can break down when desire is not established. If you are leading projects, managing change, or trying to improve execution within your organization, this episode will give you a framework you can apply immediately. But understanding change is only one part of it. Leading change requires strong power skills. How you communicate, influence, align teams, and drive execution under pressure. If you are ready to strengthen the skills that separate project managers from project leaders, explore the Power Skills Accelerator , a course designed to help professionals master the leadership capabilities needed to thrive in complex project environments. Enroll in the Power Skills Accelerator https://www.developpowerskills.com/sales-page If you want to assess where execution may be breaking down in your current projects, take the Execution Intelligence Diagnostic to identify gaps across leadership, decision making, and team alignment. Start the diagnostic https://executionintelligence.scoreapp.com/ Join the waitlist for Brittany Wilkins’ upcoming book, Execution Intelligence , focused on the mindset, systems, and discipline required to turn strategy into measurable results. Join the book waitlist https://makowayconsulting.scoreapp.com To learn more about how organizations eliminate execution friction and turn strategy into measurable results, visit Makoway Consulting . https://www.makowayconsulting.com Support the show Deepen Your Project Leadership https://www.buzzsprout.com/2308468/subscribe
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