The Hidden Project Drivers

Projects do not fail because the plan was wrong. They fail because the people running the plan were not led with clarity, courage, and care. The Hidden Project Drivers shows why charts and status meetings are not enough in a world defined by speed and uncertainty, and it replaces control with leadership rooted in behavioral science and neuroscience.

You will learn how to create psychological safety so ideas surface early, convert compliance into ownership so teams move on their own energy, make cleaner decisions at higher velocity, and turn healthy tension into a crucible for innovation. Through vivid stories, practical exercises, and the Project Pulse highlights that anchor each chapter, you will shift your mental models, update your maps, and build environments where people think better together.

Artificial intelligence can draft plans and schedule meetings. It cannot build trust, resolve friction, or inspire commitment. That is your job as a leader. This book gives you the tools and language to do it with confidence.

This is not a manual for administration. It is a field guide for leaders who want to deliver results while growing people. If you lead projects, portfolios, or transformations, this book will help you move faster, reduce waste, and unlock the human factors that actually drive success.

Kursten Faller is a leadership and project management advisor with more than twenty-five years of experience helping organizations navigate complexity, change, and transformation. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Industrial Systems Engineering from the University of Regina and a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from the Schulich School of Business at York University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and holds international credentials, including Project Management Professional from the Project Management Institute and Brain Based Coach from the NeuroLeadership Institute.

His career has spanned leadership of projects in healthcare, oil and gas, utilities, mining, retail, manufacturing, agriculture, government, and education. After a decade in corporate consulting with a global multinational firm, he founded his own consultancy in 2012. Since then, he has worked with executives and teams across sectors, offering executive coaching, leadership development, and advisory services.

Kursten’s perspective is shaped by experience as a client, consultant, vendor, subject matter expert, and project manager, giving him a rare understanding of projects from every angle. He has also lectured in project management at the University of Saskatchewan. This combination of academic credentials, professional achievements, and practical leadership across hundreds of projects uniquely prepares him to write on the intersection of leadership, psychology, and performance explored in this book.

Alan Weiss, PhD, is a globally recognized consultant, speaker, and author, renowned for his expertise in organizational development and personal growth. As the founder of Summit Consulting Group, Inc., he has advised over 500 leading organizations worldwide, including Merck, Hewlett-Packard, GE, Mercedes-Benz, and The Federal Reserve.

With a PhD in psychology, Weiss has held academic positions at institutions such as the University of Rhode Island and has been a visiting faculty member at Case Western Reserve University, Boston College, Tufts, and others. He is an inductee into the Professional Speaking Hall of Fame® and a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants―one of only two individuals to hold both honors.

Weiss has authored over 60 books, including the best-selling Million Dollar Consulting, now in its sixth edition. His works have been translated into 15 languages and are used in curricula at institutions like Villanova, Temple University, and the Wharton School of Business. His latest book, Your Legacy is Now, emphasizes the importance of creating meaning in one's life daily, rather than seeking it externally or deferring it to the future.

Residing in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, with his wife Maria, Weiss continues to influence professionals globally through his writing, speaking engagements, and consulting work.