The Strategic Project Manager's Guide to Complex Projects: Understanding, Navigating, and Simplifying...

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Leon Herszon (International Institute for Learning (IIL))

The Strategic Project Manager's Guide to Complex Projects

Name: The Strategic Project Manager's Guide to Complex Projects
Price: 124.95 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9781394335763

Understanding, Navigating, and Simplifying Project Complexity

Leon Herszon (International Institute for Learning (IIL))

$124.95

Hardback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

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English

John Wiley & Sons Inc
13 April 2026

Computer programming & software development

A practical, research-informed guide to mastering complexity in today’s VUCA world

Modern project management unfolds in environments defined by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). Traditional linear approaches often fail to address the unpredictable, interconnected, and rapidly changing dynamics that shape contemporary projects.

The Strategic Project Manager’s Guide to Complex Projects: Understanding, Navigating, and Simplifying Project Complexity provides a structured yet flexible framework for understanding, analyzing, and managing complexity across industries and organizational settings.

Drawing on more than three decades of experience, Dr. Leon Herszon distinguishes between complicated and complex projects, demonstrating why the latter require adaptive, systems-oriented approaches. Through clear explanations, practical tools, and real-world examples, the book helps project, program, and portfolio managers, students, and educators develop the insight and agility needed to succeed in complex environments. Exercises, discussion prompts, and reflective questions reinforce understanding by encouraging readers to apply concepts directly to their own contexts. The book also integrates artificial intelligence and data-driven practices, preparing readers to leverage emerging technologies in project design and execution.

Delivering the insight and skills needed to succeed in the most demanding project environments, The Strategic Project Manager’s Guide to Complex Projects:

Examines the role of systems thinking and adaptive leadership in navigating complexity

Explores several factors that impact the complexity level in projects

Assesses the integration of AI and analytics in project planning and execution

Features international case studies demonstrating successful management of VUCA challenges

Provides a forward-looking perspective on the evolving role of project managers in dynamic environments

Offers an Instructor Handbook with teaching resources, assessment strategies, and classroom applications

The Strategic Project Manager’s Guide to Complex Projects is ideal for project, program, and portfolio managers, consultants, and executives seeking to strengthen their ability to lead complex strategic initiatives with confidence and clarity. The book is also an excellent resource for graduate-level project management courses, executive education programs, and professional development in business administration and organizational leadership.

By: Leon Herszon (International Institute for Learning (IIL))
Imprint: John Wiley & Sons Inc
Country of Publication: United States
ISBN: 9781394335763
ISBN 10: 1394335768
Pages: 400
Publication Date: 13 April 2026
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Preface xxv Acknowledgments xxvii AI Disclaimer xxix About the Companion Website xxxi Part I Understanding Complexity in Modern Projects 1 1 Introduction to Complexity 3 2 The VUCA World and Complex Projects 17 3 Introduction to Complexity Dimensions 37 Part II Navigating the Drivers of Complexity 51 4 Behavioral Issues 53 5 Budgetary Constraints 67 6 ClarityofGoals81 7 Communication Quality 95 8 Degree of Trust 107 9 Dependencies and Interdependencies 119 10 Knowledge and Experience 131 11 Organizational Capability and Maturity 145 12 Pace and Speed to Market 159 13 Political Influence 171 14 Product and Project Size 183 15 Risks 195 16 Stakeholder Interaction and Engagement 205 17 Technological Innovation and Change 217 18 Time Frame 229 19 Uncertainty 241 20 Other Factors Influencing Complexity 253 Part III Expanding the Complexity View 265 22 Mapping Complex Projects: An Online Model 281 23 Program and Portfolio Management 291 24 Complexity Management and the Project Manager Career Path 305 Part IV From Insight to Action 317 25 Simplifying Complexity 319 26 Developing a Personal Strategy for Managing Complexity 335 References 349 Conclusion 351 Index 353

Leon Herszon, PhD, PMP, CSM, CSPO, DASSM, is the CEO and President of Value Edge Group, a consulting and corporate training firm specializing in project management, organizational transformation, and AI integration. He began his career at Shell, leading strategic, IT, and HSE initiatives, and later founded and directed IIL’s operations in Brazil, transforming it into a market leader. Over two decades in New York, Dr. Herszon held multiple executive roles at the International Institute for Learning (IIL), including Chief Agility Officer and Head of Consulting, where he led enterprise transformations and AI-driven solutions for global clients. A respected educator and speaker, Dr. Herszon serves as an Adjunct Professor at Rutgers Business School, teaching project management. He holds a PhD in Project Management from the University of Huddersfield, where his research introduced a model for integrating complexity dimensions into cost estimation.